I would definitely teach this novel in the classroom! It hits so many excellent talking points (immigration, culture, language) and it‘s intriguing to boot! I feel like students would gravitate to this novel because of the magic and then stay for the amazing story line. I didn‘t realize this book was part of a series and I‘m so tempted to read the next one!

I love the integration of Spanish in this novel! Obviously, it‘s written by a Latina author, and I think she does a fantastic job of demonstrating what it‘s like to be bilingual and also to be immersed in a primary English setting while speaking another language. I feel that some students could identify with the main character in this way, and others who don‘t can be shown how much determination students like that must have!

As a former (honestly still current) Harry Potter enthusiast, I love a book with fantastic magical realism! Lobizona really plays well into this category and I could feel like the author was heavily influenced by Harry Potter as well. I mean come on, a magical boarding school, with its own magical sport…SIGN ME UP!

From the cover alone, I was very intrigued by this book. Cover art is such an overlooked aspect that can really draw students in or push them away! I know we‘re all taught to literally never judge a book by its cover, but this one is just ethereal and really emphasizes the magic that you see, so I can‘t help but have high expectations!

I would completely recommend this book because of how powerful the message of this novel is. It teaches students how impactful and motivating an education can be, as well as the resilience it takes to pursue your dreams in the face of extreme hardships!

I love how this book touches on the hardships that women/girls face when trying to pursue their education around the world. It calls attention to the gender inequality that so many girls have to endure and how they persevere in spite of the hurdles they must face.

As I‘m reading this book, I love how colorful all the illustrations are! It really brings the book to life and the lives of the characters as well. Additionally, I love Omar‘s conviction to take care of his brother and commit himself to making their lives as easy as possible, even in the face of being without their mother. Knowing that this is a true story makes it even more admirable! Omar is definitely one of the most compelling characters!

I love the fact that this is a graphic novel! Personally, I feel like graphic novels are underutilized in the classroom because while they might seem a little juvenile, you can still tell a very meaningful story. You get insight into character descriptions, reactions, and more; which all contribute to reader comprehension and the reading experience!

I think that some people would like this novel, but the ending just ruined it for me. I think students would love this because of the traditional whodunnit feel, but I‘m not sure if I would necessarily bring this into the classroom. It has a lot of explicit language and some of the themes are a little mature at times, but nothing high school students couldn‘t handle extracurricularly.

The plot is also very entertaining, and like any classic “whodunnit” book, there are many suspects for our leading characters to investigate. The stakes are always high, as well as the two of navigating some obvious tension between them. I think this book would be great for kids who love true crime/crime shows, or ones interested in journalism.

The beginning of this book is a little confusing because it switches back and forth in time and it also switches between two character perspectives. For some students, I think this might be a little annoying/confusing because it was like that for me at first. The characters are very intriguing from the get go and the author does a brilliant job of keeping you wanting to know more! The level of suspense is great so far!

Another thing this author does well is that she conveys her story simply. For some people, that can be a strike against the author, but I think the level of writing is very understandable for middle grades; even more so for high schoolers (it might be too easy for advanced readers). This story is accessible to all levels of readers, which makes the story more open and appreciated!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I think it‘s something that every high schooler should read before they graduate because of the great presence that social media has on their lives. This book offers the chance for every student to have a moment of introspection into their mindset and shows them just how powerful their words and actions can be!

Another powerful component of this book is its nod to the power of a peaceful protest and how easily protests can get out of hand. I would love to show students this book to demonstrate that protest doesn‘t always have to be marching, waving signs,etc; that just sitting united in the atrium of a high school can show a universal, impactful front to those in power. What a wonderful introduction into the impact that high school students can have!

As I was reading this, it really shows me the difficulty in choosing and meting out whatever “justice” was called for. It highlighted how administrations can both back the right choice for a few, but yet the wrong choice for everyone else. That the precedent and implications of the set “punishment” often have detrimental impact or can be the most helpful thing ever. I loved how it showed that justice can mean different things to each party.

I absolutely love this book and the set up so far. There are so many interconnected characters and sometimes authors don‘t do a great job of keeping their personalities separated. That being said, I love how the author has clearly delineated proper space to get to know each and every character, regardless of how interconnected their actions are! I really believe that students would find aspects of each character to relate and identify with!

Overall I enjoyed reading this book, but I do feel like the author got a little bit repetitive at times. There were some examples and chapters that just felt really long for no reason, but otherwise, I think this book is a great read for middle and high school age students! The author is really passionate about what she writes and that is evident throughout the entire book!

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the easily digestible writing style. The author didn‘t waste time with fancy words or complicated metaphors; she just wrote. I think this would be an easy text to adapt or use within the classroom just because the writing style would reach even the students that don‘t like reading!

I personally loved the portion about social media in this book! I feel like the power of social media is so heavy on the shoulders of the students we‘ll be teaching and how it impacts their lives. Additionally, it‘s so interesting to learn about how it affects their brains (and ours as well)! I‘d always thought about how social media and literature intersect, and this book offers powerful insight!

One thing I really like about this book is its ability to really break down the many confusing components of misinformation and how easily it can spread. The real world examples and connections to mathematical models really helped bring this issue to an understandable level. I especially loved how they fooled us all with the apple seed/arsenic fact, it really put how misinformation spreads into perspective !

One thing this book does very well is the building of suspense throughout ever character interaction. In a book where no character is supposed to trust the other (to do so would risk their life), Aster does a brilliant job of keep character dynamics intriguing and not repetitive or boring. She keeps the reader engaged and constantly wondering what actions/words they can trust, and what characters might have dubious intentions!

Lightlark has been on my tbr for as long as I can remember, and I‘m thankful that this class has pushed me to read it! The start of the book is very typical of a fantasy novel, it‘s a lot of world building and explanations of the lore/mythology of the new land. I‘m thoroughly enjoying this novel so far, but the writing style is a little stunted in my opinion, so it takes a little bit to really get into it!

By giving us the perspectives and life experiences of Lily‘s family members, the reader gets a very authentic glimpse into the Chinese-American experience pre and post WWII. It shows the discrimination they experience in a deeply personal way and how that discrimination, whether because of gender, race, or nationality, impacts family members down the line.

Another interesting thing about this novel is the consistency along the books timeline and historical events/people. I love that the author gives us real world events that coincide with what‘s transpiring in the novel. It really allows the reader to sink deeper into the 1950s and the events that shaped the decade itself!

Lo explores how duty and guilt play a powerful role in Lily and Shirley‘s friendship. In comparison to Lily, Shirley is an absolutely heartbreaking character who mentally confines and limits herself, never allowing her to be more than society expects her to be. While Lily ends the novel embracing herself happily, Shirley‘s ending is never tied up, leaving the reader to assume she unfortunately doesn‘t break the cycle of expectation.

First of all, this book is probably my favorite one that we‘ve read so far! The writing is absolutely amazing and the author captures your attention almost instantly. She draws you into the 1950s and immediately ensnares your emotions by creating such dynamic characters! You feel their tension and frustration, but you also share in the joy they experience as well. I cannot wait to read more!

I would love to have this book taught in a high school setting. I feel like the actual writing is more of a middle grades level, however the topics might be easier to discuss with older students. This book contains many deep themes (mental health, bullying, etc) that would definitely start some meaningful conversations in the classroom! Overall I loved it, but I definitely need to read it again to understand all the details and metaphors!

The fairy tale aspect of this novel is particularly interesting. I loved how the author incorporated stories from a variety of cultures, but sometimes I was a little confused as to what the fairy tales meant in the context of the story. It became a little convoluted and it was hard to figure out exactly what was happening for Faerry and Whimsy. Overall I loved their incorporation, but I feel like they could have been explained better.

Another thing I enjoyed was the very delicate address of depression, anxiety, and other mental health aspects! It really presents these topics with ease to the reader and transforms a typically difficult to address topic in a kid and classroom friendly way. Honestly I would love to, very carefully, teach this novel because I would like to see the beautiful conversations and awareness that would arise!

The first thing that interested me was the fact this entire book is that written in verse. It really just adds a level of depth to the novel that you just can‘t get with a stereotypical writing style. The switch between regular and italicized writing makes it easy for the reader to differ between narration and speech, which I really enjoyed! Can‘t wait to see what comes next!

I wanna come back to “Seventy Six Dollars and Forty Nine Cents”. Because this piece is a memoir, I think this would be a perfect opportunity to have your students construct a memoir of their own, whether traditional writing, verse, or maybe some sort of artsy thing! It demonstrates the liberty thad some memoirs can take and how artistic embellishment in stories is often a little fun!

After reading “Seventy Six Dollars and Forty Five Cents”, I personally cannot wait to take a look at more stories written in verse. It‘s such a different writing style then our students will be used to! Another thing is that it can open up discussions on how different writing styles can impact the overall perception and reception of a story. I personally cannot wait to use stories like this!

Another thing that came to mind when reading this book was that it would be so easy to turn each little story into its own lesson. There is no continuity between them, so you could easily isolate a couple that fit with your overall unit theme/purpose and create really engaging material!

I‘m really enjoying this book a lot more than I originally thought. There are so many different types of lessons and messages behind these simple short stories that will appeal to every type of student! They don‘t take long to read and the different writing styles throughout this book will appeal to every learner!

The main thing I thoroughly enjoyed was how this book makes you connect to all the different characters. The narration prospers emotional connections to where the reader is invested in the characters journeys and feels emotions as they do. Zamora brilliantly entrances the reader and keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next twist or turn in his personal journey. Needless to say, I loved it!

I love the persistent image of the Cabejo guardian that Javier keeps looking for, but at this point, I believe that Chino and Marcelo are his metaphorical Cabejos. His grandfather mentioned that he should look out for red eyes (the marking of a cabejo) and interestingly enough, Chino\Marcelo‘s cigarettes are always mentioned to form “red eyes” in the night. I‘m not sure if this is a correct correlation, but it‘s interesting to think about!

In Solito there is a really interesting dynamic between English and Spanish. There are instances where the native Spanish speakers choose to incorporate one or two english words into a Spanish sentence. One thing I‘m wondering is if this is actually how those conversations played out or if this is an intentional choice by the author?

As I‘m reading this book, it really stuck out to me that you can tell just how hard the author wanted this book to be written from a child‘s perspective and consequently with a child‘s speech pattern. The need to record every detail in each respective town and the random interjection of memories throughout this account really make me feel as if the little boy is sitting here and telling me his story himself!