“God grant Mami the serenity
to accept that she cannot change me,
the courage to face her fears
and let me swim again,
and the wisdom to know she and I
are different.”

I really enjoyed reading about Aniana's relationship with her Papi. He was the one who taught Aniana how to swim. Aniana struggled when she found out that her father, her true confidant, would be going away. It reminded me of her journey with the arthritis. Her father going away prevented her from being with him, the one person she really wanted to be with. Her arthritis prevented her from swimming, the one thing she really wanted to do.

My initial reaction to this book was that it somewhat reminded me of “Poet X“ by Elizabeth Acevedo. Both books feature a young Dominican girl who has to hide what she loves from her mother. In “Poet X,“ Xiomara has to hid her love for poetry, and in “Aniana del Mar Jumps In,“ Aniana has to hide her love of swimming. I think both books are great for middle grades because students might relate to having to hide something that they love from family.

I chose to read this book because I felt a connection to the main character. Aniana is a 12-year-old Dominican American girl who loves to swim and has to learn how to navigate her love for swimming after getting diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. I too am Dominican American and struggle with arthritis so I though it would be interesting to see how Aniana handles growing up and balancing these two contrasting elements of her life.

I thought that Stassie's friendship with Aaron was really interesting/odd. On one hand, I think their relationship could illustrate how sometimes people stay in situations that are not best for them. While this is painful to read, it does happen so portraying Stassie's struggle with Aaron could help those struggling with toxic relationships. On the other hand, Aaron was just terrible. I don't really think that he should have had a redemption arc.

One thing that I did enjoy about this book was the peak that we got into the lives of a student athlete. I have not participated in competitive sports since middle school so I am not too familiar with all that goes into being a college athlete. I had no idea how specific and intense all of the training, diets, planning, etc are. I appreciated the discussion of anxiety that came along with this as well as it showed us the good and the bad.

I chose to read this book as one of my choice reads because I have heard so much about it and its...questionable reputation. I have seen many teachers and librarians on tik Tok discussing how this book has been popular amongst younger readers despite some of its content. I was still, however, surprised to see it on the list of top teen books. As many have discussed, the cover is almost misleading, the book does seem to be YA lit at first glance.

“...and you could wind up before the tribunal. I‘ve been studying their decisions, and they tend to be led by their pragmatism. Our world is gray, and rapidly gray-ing, and the tribunal navigates it by sticking to a determinedly black-and-white approach. They rule by the book and can‘t be swayed by emotion. If you don‘t fit the exact letter of the law, they see you as going against it.“

“Why settle for being a son of the system, when you can mother a movement?”

This quote was so powerful! I loved the play on words. I also appreciated how familial relationships are tied into the quote given Manu's sometimes complicated relationship with her own family. This book does not shy away from questioning systems in place that are not productive.

I liked how this book had numerous discussions about the term “illegal.“ I have always detested the use of this word and I am glad that the concept was discussed throughout Manu's journey. The discussion of immigration throughout the book reminded me a bit of “Solito,“ with a magical twist, of course. I liked the portrayal of Manu trying to direct her newfound identity and figuring out where she fits in.

I really enjoyed how this book incorporated parts of Argentinian folklore and culture. It is so interesting to compare American and Argentinian folklore. The author did an amazing job of incorporating the aspects of the folklore into the story. This was a very unique read and I enjoyed reading something beyond my typical scope!

“When Omar Mohamed was a boy living in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, he loved picture books. But his school only had about three or four; the teachers brought them out for the children to read just a few times a year. Now he's the star of his own picture book...“ I found an NPR article about Mohamed and I thought that this part was full circle, especially considering how Omar felt about school initially. I'm so happy for the brothers success.

I really enjoyed this book and I would certainly have it in my classroom library. I like how the book was able to discuss difficult topics in an approachable manner without stripping them of emotional depth. I really enjoyed graphic novels in middle school because of how the illustrations helped the story come to life. I also liked how this was a memoir; I think it would fit great into a memoir unit to add some variety.

Fatuma's dedication to the boys was so sweet and inspiring. When she found out about Hassan's seizures she stepped up to the plate instead of being discouraged by the other women's comments or even by the n nature of the situation, Fatuma provides for the boys. She then tells them about her own boys who were killed. I teared up when Fatuma cryied over how the goat died because she “want a good enough mother.“

This part of the story reminded me partially of the part of “Solito“ when Javier is interviewed by immigration with the neighborhood man who was pretending that Javier was his son. Both scenes capture the discomfort of being under scrutiny knowing that the result of the interview could change your life forever.

Guilt, she says, is both helpful and healthy: “It‘s holding something we‘ve done or failed to do up against our values and feeling psychological discomfort,” she writes. Shame, on the other hand, is “the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging—something we‘ve experienced, done, or failed to do makes us unworthy of connection.

It doesn‘t heal all wounds
It doesn‘t erase the pain
What time does is
add
new pages
to your story
so when you scan the past
there‘s something else to read.

“It was just Charles being Charles.”

And to his eyes, the girls didn‘t seem that upset. They kept their anguish hidden, their faces smiling, and since he‘d never spent much time thinking about the ways their experience of the world differed from his own, he assumed they saw the humor in it, the way his guy friends did. Before he left, they promised they wouldn‘t tell anyone what they had seen, because the account was supposed to be a secret.

I appreciated the section in part 1 titles, “SOME THINGS THAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU‘RE BLACK IN A MOSTLY WHITE SCHOOL.“ I feel like this was a great way to open the book because it illustrates the difficulties that Black girls in predominantly white communities face. This shows the inner turmoil that Andrea and Lolia had to face before they ever had Charles posting racist memes about them.

One thing that I appreciated about the book was how it examined the role that everyone had on the situation. The book did not solely focus on Charles, the poster of the hateful media, but also the girls who were targeted, the FOLLOWERS of the account, and outsiders. I emphasized followers because I think it is very easy to fall into a space of complicity when viewing hate on the internet. The anonymity of the internet is a danger to accountability

I thought that this book would be a great read for students. I spoke about the permanence of the internet a lot with my students and while they seemed to know, they did not seem to fully understand. The author does a great job at illustrating the whole impact of Charles' account. I found it shocking that the account only had 13 followers, but I think that could really enlighten students on how things can spread well beyond the intended audience.

“A good place to start is by acknowledging that you, yes, you, are biased. Then, because implicit biases are hidden by definition, you can use an online test, such as Harvard University‘s Implicit Association Test, to figure out what you need to work on.“

I enjoyed the chapter titles, “HOW TO CONSUME NEWS LIKE & PRO: FACT-CHECK THE NEWS AND CREATE YOUR MEDIA DIET.“ I enjoyed this chapter because it proposed solutions to tackle the problem that is misinformation. The first paragraph of the chapter discusses how it can feel hopeless to navigate the current media landscape. I appreciate the acknowledgement that it can feel hopeless, and the suggestions on how to create a “media diet.“

I like how Dr.Yasmin used images, graphs, and other alternative kinds of media throughout the book. I think this adds a bit of intrigue to the text; it also reminds me of National Geographic books I would get from the scholastic book fair. The image above illustrates the sphere of consensus, controversy, and deviance. I like how the author used the image to explain how topics travel through the spheres. She uses the example of corporal punishment.

While this book was not my favorite that we have read so far (I really only like memoirs in the non-fiction genre), I think it is definitely a useful and interesting read. Younger readers who are trying to navigate the internet could 100% benefit from this book. I have been working with rising 9th graders this summer and the way that they interact with social media is wild. This book could be paired super well with specific discussions of posts.

I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to have it in my classroom library. I feel like it would be a great read for high schoolers of all identities. I think some students will be able to feel very seen in this book, which is very comforting at their age. Students who do not see themselves in one of the characters can walk away feeling that they've been privy to a perspective that they may not be familiar with. Overall, great read for all!

I chose this quote because I enjoyed the way that Lily found some self-reassurance in this confrontation with her mother. Lily describes her self as becoming more certain and her emotions becoming more clear as her mother yells at her. I think this scene illustrates a certain line being drawn in Lily and her mother's relationship. This realization/boundary allows Lily to express that “It's not a mistake“ knowing that there will be repercussions.

I really loved the epilogue of this book! I appreciated how Lily and Kath were given a “happy ending“ in the epilogue. Though we do not know exactly what their future holds, I like the message that despite the trials, they can still be happy together. I think queer stories can focus on tragedy and I am glad that young queer kids will be able to read a story where the two MC's end up happy. I would be happy to have this book in my class library!

I chose a few quotes from the book that embody the fight of navigating a foreign cultural identity in America. These quotes came together because almost all of them use the term “Chinese girl“ in a way that creates a predetermined identity/caricature. Throughout the book we see Lily struggle with balancing her parent's traditional values and her own desires for independence. This confusion only deepens when Lily realizes her feelings for Kath.

This passage depicts Whimsy's attitude towards group therapy and the desire to escape from reality. Instead of being there in the moment (which is far too painful, Whimsy chooses to escape to a far more comfortable land of fairy tales instead. I think this is a great depiction of coping mechanisms. This could spark some great discussion in the classroom and help foster SEL.

“You know, Frankenstein thought himself a god saying, I‘ll make a human. God blistered & bothered in the stars saying, How about a mind plague for humankind? We could call it Clinical Depression.

Then they handed it out, like spoiled candy.”

I love two things about this passage. First, I appreciate how it's an interlude. Personally, my only experience with the term “interlude“ is when it's in an albumI appreciate it in writing, however, because I feel that it can be helpful to introduce students to different styles of writing. We can discuss how interludes are used in musical and theatrical context. The 2nd reason is the breaking of the 4th wall. This also displays different styles.

This excerpt from “Anansi Cries“ really stood out to me as I read the book. This passage would pair very well with a unit on narratives. We could also focus on narratives that are missing from the media, or falsely portrayed in the media. This covers both diversity and media literacy. My one concern with this unit plan would be requiring all students to read this book. The nature of the book makes me hesitate to assign it as a whole class text.

I absolutely LOVED the writing in this excerpt! How could something be so quiet and so powerful? Why do we equate volume and power? Could someone not be able to be silent yet powerful? I think this would be a great short story to discuss with students as it's super thought-provoking.

This moment from “Sol Painting, Inc.” was incredibly impactful. Upon reflection, each story‘s ending is poignant. This is why I love reading books of short stories; you get to experience so many different worlds within 200 pages of a book. I think this would be a great story for MS aged students to read. It would‘ve definitely made me reconsider how I treated my parents 😬😬

I loved this final comment in, “How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium” by Matt De La Peña. I especially loved how the author uses the word “you.” When listening to the audiobook, this made the message feel very personal. I loved the sentiment of this final passage too.

After reading the “Secret Samantha” story in “Flying Lessons: and Other Stories,” this final passage stood out to me. This was a very sweet story, I enjoyed the subtle discussion of Sam‘s parents divorce. I think that this could be a great story for middle school aged students to read, particularly if they are going through a similar situation. I would this book to my recommend to my students!

This quote reminded me of how skillful Zamora's writing is. Despite the gravity of the situation, Javier's childlike wonder continuously peeks through. It is also important to remember that the author was 32 when this book was published, meaning that this childlike mindset was likely quite foreign to him at the time. Despite the age gap between when the story occurred and when it was written, Zamora was still able to tap back in to his childhood.

I really loved this quote from “Solito“ because it perfectly encapsulates Javier's journey and his evolving sense of family/friendship. Javier grew up with an “untraditional“ family structure as his parents immigrated when he was young. The author's journey of navigating various different familial relationships is reflected in his friendship with “The Four.“ Their journey bound them together as a family, even if their time together was brief.

My favorite stylistic choice that Zamora made was blending both English and Spanish language/vernacular. The blend of English and Spanish words/punctuation perfectly represents Zamora's childhood that was torn between El Salvador and America. As someone who speaks both languages, I thought that the specific words that he chose to include in Spanish were super impactful. Some words just have more OOMPH in Spanish.

A constant theme that I noticed throughout “Solito: A Memoir“ was food. Food was constantly present and each dish was tied to a certain memory or feeling. Javier and his friends associate pizza with America because of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtled. This gives him yet another thing to look forward to for his journey to America. On the other hand, the first quote illustrates how Javier can associate food, culture, and shame.