McBride did a good job at positioning mental health in a digestible way that is easily understandable for younger readers. Depression was not tip-toed around nor glorified. McBride also weaved in racial identity with mental health in a powerful way that deserves recognition. Combined with the fantastical setting, this book is a classic young adult literature novel that holds moral value and entertainment for younger audiences.

I'm going to be honest- I did not connect with this book. It was well-written but it is not a book I would particularly choose to read in my own time. It was interesting considering it was written in verse and a good example at that. I think that listening to the audiobook did shape my overall experience. At some points the audiobook worked well and others I was wishing I had a physical copy. Although the book was not my speed I see the appeal.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I'm not sure I would teach it because I think I would personally get bored reading it multiple times over but I would definitely recommend it to students or teach it through small group settings where kids could pick from various books and read them in a book club. The ending was satisfying and had a feel-good aspect to it that gives kids closure when building reading stamina.

The first part of this book threw me off for a little bit. The character povs swapped out but once I realized what was going on I was all for it. first half of the book did a good job staying interesting and explaining book banning on an age appropriate level. I enjoyed Donovan the most because he shows the coming of age process kids have with their parents regarding differing opinions. Would be a great resource to discuss beliefs in writing.

The humor in Mexikid was engaging. I did not expect it. I think it was great for me as a teacher/ adult as well as younger students. It eased tension and brought entertainment to more serious implications in the novel. The humor also made the book go by fast and it made the thickness of the novel a lot less intimidating. My favorite funny scene was when Pedro dialed into annoy his older siblings when they left Mexico. Very relatable/ good timing

I loved the commentary on immigration throughout Mexikid. I think this is extremely important to expose ignorant students too, and even more for students who have a personal stake in immigration. The scenes from the border were age appropriate as well as great insight into the anxieties that stem from the U.S. Mexican border through experience and media. If I wasn't allowed to teach this book, I would keep it on the shelf to recommend to students

I was initially worried about this story. I am not artistically inclined and worked myself up about the art aspect as an educator who will teach graphic novels. However, Martin put me at ease in the first chapter and his introduction to the characters alongside the illustrations. They made the first part of the book much easier to read. Martin's story was destined to be a graphic novel. I gained confidence with graphic novels because of this story

Flying Lessons and Other Stories was an easy read. I kept putting myself in the shoes of a middle schooler reading this book. I can imagine how it would be quick to read, easy to understand from a vocab standpoint, and chock full of meaning that's relatable. I would love to incorporate the aspect of identity and story telling into my classroom activities at some point. this book compared with a memoir unit. Overall I really enjoyed it. 10/10 rec

A major takeaway I had from the assortment of stories is the highlight of meaning in ordinary events. Each author examined a point in their life that was significant to coming-of-age and the understanding of life. I think this is a great way to get young writers examining the meaning of the things that have happened in their own life even if it seems boring to them. I would love to incorporate these stories as a mentor text for memoir writing.

The first story by Matt de la Peña: “How to Transform an Everyday Hoop Court Into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium“ was one of my favorites from the entire book. I loved the way diverse identities were explored through the eyes of a rising freshman. I immediately began to think of students I've worked with who would enjoy this book and it got me thinking of mentor texts in my classroom with regard to meaning and entertainment.