Topic: People of color

Rez Dogs

Malian loves spending time with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation—she’s there for a visit when, suddenly, all travel shuts down. There’s a new virus making people sick, and Malian will have to stay with her grandparents for the duration. 

Everyone is worried about the pandemic, but Malian knows how to keep her family safe: She protects her grandparents, and they protect her. She doesn’t go out to play with friends, she helps her grandparents use video chat, and she listens to and learns from their stories. And when Malsum, one of the dogs living on the rez, shows up at their door, Malian’s family knows that he’ll protect them too. 

Rez Dogs gives an overview of the pandemic through the eyes of a child on a reservation. Both her grandparents and her new dog, Malsum, help her understand indigenous history and her ancestor’s Wabanaki/Penacook stories. Malian also encounters other facets of modern indigenous life, like the issues with Wifi reception on the reservation. In addition, her grandparents receive an unannounced visit from a social services employee who doesn’t have a valid reason to question the family. These pieces help highlight the rampant inequality that still exists today. In the same breath, Malian brings up other examples of community and indigenous life. For example, during the pandemic, Ireland raised money to send to the Navajo and Hopi people in their time of need.  

The story is written in verse, which gives this quiet story a nice, even pacing. Although not high in action and adventure, there is a lot of good historical information in the book. For instance, Malian’s grandparents help Malian with a school assignment about the US government’s treatment of indigenous peoples. One story includes information about how the US government used to sterilize indigenous women. Although the nature of this conversation is difficult, Bruchac explains it in kid-friendly language, without including graphic details.  Historical events come up often, and it provides a great starting point for readers who may not have any prior knowledge of indigenous history. 

Rez Dogs demonstrates the importance of culture, family, and storytelling. Malian’s grandparents tell Malian many stories about the Wabanaki/Penacook people; many of the stories have been passed down through generations. Malian’s experiences make her feel more connected to her grandparents and her heritage.  

The dog, Malsum, is a symbol for indigenous folks generally, as he embodies community and protects Malian. Her grandpa says, “Some of the most loyal folks I’ve ever known have been dogs. They always find some way to come back home.” In the end, Malsum disappears when Malian leaves the reservation. Malian and her grandparents conclude that they’re all rez dogs, coming and going, but always returning home when they need to.  

Rez Dogs is a straightforward story that highlights the importance of storytelling as part of one’s culture. Bruchac uses both past and present stories to present information about indigenous people’s culture. The stories are delivered in a simple, yet powerful manner. While young readers will be unfamiliar with Malian and her family’s experiences, the overarching themes will resonate with all readers and may spark readers’ curiosity so they will want to learn more about indigenous histories and cultures. Other books that feature indigenous characters include The Sea in Winter by Christine Day and The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • There are discussions about the violence that occurred in native boarding schools in North America. For example, Grandpa Roy talks about how one of the nuns at his school left him a “gift.”  He says, “Every knuckle on/ both my hands/ got broken one time/ or another/ from being hit/ with that heavy ruler/ Sister Anna Louise/ always kept in her pocket.” 
  • Malian’s grandma explains how on reservations, doctors hired by the US government used to sterilize indigenous women. Grandma says, “Whenever a woman/ went into a free clinic,/ they’d offer to do/ a full health check-up./ And when she woke,/ they would not tell her/ what they’d done—/ an operation/ to prevent her from/ ever having more kids.” This is a historically accurate statement that leads Malian to research the Eugenics Project, which details many of the same atrocities in similar terms. 
  • Malian has to do a genealogy project, and she considers sharing about how “the colonial government/ offered bounties for Indian scalps.” No more detail is given. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Grandpa Roy expresses that they’re “god darn lucky” that the coronavirus hasn’t reached their home and that Malian and her grandparents haven’t encountered it yet. 
  • Malian explains that her reservation friends call her Macintosh, like the apple, because it’s “a name for someone/ who looks Indian/ but acts more/ like a white person—/ red on the outside/ and white within./ An insult to say/ to somebody Native.” Malian says she doesn’t mind that they say it because they don’t say it in a mean way. 
  • Grandpa Roy laughs about the various misinformed beliefs white people have about indigenous people, including the Wabanakis. He notes that one belief about Wabanakis is that they are “anal-retentive, whatever that means.” This is not explained further. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • The characters in this book are members of one of the Wabanaki nations who reside in modern-day Maine as well as in Canada. As such, there are discussions about stories and beliefs in the Wabanaki nations. For instance, Grandpa Roy tells Malian a story about how his Grandpa Red Hawk once saw the dogs acting like people. Red Hawk says, “They’d put on clothes/ we left behind/ and some of them/ were walking around/ on their hind legs./ Some were sitting/ around the fire/ and drinking soup/ from wooden cups…/ one of them was even/ smoking a pipe.” These stories pop up often throughout the book. 
  • Malian mentions that she had a “Catholic school uniform,” presumably because she went to Catholic school. 
  • Malian and her grandma break off the fry bread and put it under a tree for “Manogies,/ the little people/ who are the guardians/ of the natural world.”  
  • As a child, Malian’s mother was in foster care. She describes foster care to Malian, saying it “was like purgatory,/ someplace with no address/ and stuck/ in between/ heaven and hell.” 
  • Malian notes that her grandparent’s old dog died and “her spirit took the Sky Road.” 

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen

Eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi is a flamingo fan, tree climber, and top-notch mess-maker!

She’s also tired of her big sister, Sophie, always getting to do things first. For once, Jasmine wishes SHE could do something before Sophie—something special, something different. The New Year approaches, and as the Toguchi family gathers in Los Angeles to celebrate, Jasmine is jealous that her sister gets to help roll mochi balls by hand with the women. Her mom says that Jasmine is still too young to join in, so Jasmine hatches a plan to help the men pound the mochi rice instead. Surely her sister has never done THAT before.

But pounding mochi is traditionally reserved for boys. And the mochi hammer is heavier than it looks. Can Jasmine build her case and her mochi-making muscles in time for New Year’s Day? 

Jasmine is determined to prove that she is strong enough to pound mochi. In order to get her wish, she comes up with some unique and silly ways to get more muscles. However, Jasmine will also need to convince her family to break tradition — after all, pounding mochi is only for boys who are ten years or older. While Jasmine appeals to her father, he doesn’t give her a quick answer. Instead, before making his decision, he talks to the other family members to get their approval. In the end, Jasmine discovers that pounding mochi takes a lot of strength and hard work. She’s disappointed that she was only able to lift the heavy hammer one time. Despite this, Jasmine’s family showers her with praise because “you’re the first under-ten-year-old and the first girl to pound mochi in our family.”  

The story is accessible to fluent readers who are ready for a book with multiple plots. Black and white illustrations appear every two to three pages and show Jasmine’s daily life. Many of the illustrations show the characters’ facial expressions, which will help readers understand the characters’ emotions. Another positive aspect of the story is that difficult words are explained within the text. For example, Jasmine explains that her mom is an editor. “An editor reads other people’s work and fixes the words.” For more fun, the back of the book has a recipe for microwave mochi. Even though Jasmine Toguchi is a series, the books do not need to be read in order because each book focuses on a new storyline.  

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen is an entertaining chapter book that teaches the importance of controlling one’s emotions. For instance, Jasmine has a cousin named Eddie, who often teases her. To control her anger, Jasmine uses a counting strategy that works…most of the time. Jasmine can do this because her family members have taught her healthy communication skills. 

Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen will encourage readers to work towards a goal — even those that seem unlikely to happen. Because the story focuses on Jasmine, young readers will feel as if they have made a new friend. Readers will also adore Jasmine’s spunky attitude and understand her determination to do something before her sister. In the end, Jasmine is an admirable character not because she has muscles, but because, “You’re strong. . . You believe in something and you don’t let anyone change your mind.”  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Eddie makes fun of Jasmine, she “forgot to count to ten again. My foot flew out from under me and kicked the ball. Smack! It pounded Eddie in the back.” Afterwards, Eddie leaves the room. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Jasmine’s cousin Eddie is mean to her. He calls her “Jasmine Pee” and says she’s a weakling. 
  • When Jasmine ignores Eddie, he asks, “Are you so dumb you can’t make conversation?” 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None

The Miracle of the First Poinsettia

It is la Noche Buena, Christmas Eve, and soon festivities will be taking place in the mountain village that is Juanita’s home. But as she wanders through the colorful marketplace, Juanita feels lonely and sad. This year, her father is out of work, and their family has no pesos for parties or gifts. How can she enter the church for midnight mass with nothing—not even the tiniest present—to give to the baby Christ Child?

As her family prepares for the holiday, Juanita is embarrassed that she doesn’t have a gift to present to the baby Christ Child. However, when an angel statue speaks to Juanita, the young girl trusts the angel and plucks the weeds from around the statue. At first, Juanita was “frightened and confused. She wondered how she could bring such plain weeds to the Baby Jesus.” However, Juanita follows the angel’s instructions and takes the weeds into the church. As Juanita walks down the aisle, the weeds miraculously turn into poinsettia flowers, which today grow in abundance in Mexico.

The Miracle of the First Poinsettia explains the story behind the first Poinsettia. Each illustration uses the dark red tone of the flower to bring traditional Old-World Mexico to life. Even though the illustrations are enchanting, young readers will have a difficult time sitting still through the entire story. Because of the text-heavy pages, which have up to 15 complex sentences, parents will need to read the book to their children. To highlight Mexican culture, Spanish words are used within the text. Each Spanish word appears in italics and a glossary appears at the back of the book to aid non-Spanish speakers. 

The Miracle of the First Poinsettia is a beautiful story about the wonder of Christmas. At first, Juanita focuses on the gift-giving traditions. Even though Juanita does not have a gift to give, her mother reminds her, “Ah, mi hija, you give gifts all the time. You gave your galletas to your brothers. You sang songs for Papá. You bring such joy. To us, you are a gift!” Through her difficulties, Juanita learns that “a gift from the heart is the best gift of all.”

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • The story focuses on the Christmas season and the miracle of the first poinsettia.

The Enchanted Hacienda

Harlow Estrada is an editor who has recently been through a breakup and lost her dream job, as she struggles to decide what her next path in life should be. Harlow’s mother invites her to come to the family farm, referred to as the Estrada Hacienda, and spend time reconnecting with her family and their land.  

Harlow feels out of place, even among her family, as she is the only female member of her family without magical abilities. She explains, “the magic happened to skip me entirely. Unlike my two sisters and pair of primas [cousins] and every other ancestress before me.” Harlow’s mother and aunt decide to leave on a sudden vacation. They leave Harlow to take care of the family’s land, as well as their magical plants. Harlow is determined to use this time to learn more about her family’s legacy and about how she fits into it.  

Harlow is an empathetic character that many readers will be able to relate to, as she struggles to figure out her place in the world, as well as within her family. Harlow emphasizes, “I mean, if I can’t have the Estrada family magic, I still want to feel like there’s significance to my work, my life . . . And now I’m worried I am and always will be unremarkable.” During her return to her family’s farm, Harlow realizes that it is a great opportunity to write something of her own, and she feels deep down that she should write “something magical.” She begins working on a novel inspired by the magic she experiences upon her return to her family’s land. 

Though she’s just experienced a terrible breakup, Harlow happens to run into a mysterious man named Ben, who she later learns is the grandson of Beverly—her late grandmother’s best friend. Tied together by their families and the magic of Harlow’s family farm, Harlow and Ben’s initial spark only grows stronger as they pursue a relationship together. However, their feelings for one another become complicated by Harlow’s important self-discovery, as she realizes she does in fact have magical abilities like the rest of her family. Harlow notices a glimmer in Ben’s eyes when they are kissing and realizes, “Ben Brandt has been magically bonded to me.” 

Desperate to understand how Ben was bonded to her, Harlow returns home to ask her mother for help. Harlow is shocked when her mother tells her, “[Your aunt] and I believe that you are an enchantress,” as Harlow has “lived [her] life believing [she has] no magic.” This exciting revelation leaves Harlow with a difficult decision to make, as she realizes, “I have to break the bond,” and risk magically destroying all of the feelings she and Ben have for one another in the process. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they wonder what will happen between Harlow and Ben.  

The Enchanted Hacienda is written for adults, many teens will be drawn to it since J.C. Cervantes has written so many young adult novels. Readers who enjoy fantasy, magic, and an immersive setting will love this book, as it heavily focuses on the power of nature and the beauty of Mexico.  

Harlow’s growth throughout the novel provides a reassuring message that everyone has something that makes them special. Through writing her novel, Harlow realizes that her main character is reflective of her own desire to “find her way, to learn to speak the language of the blooms, to unearth the family secret.” Harlow’s writing mirrors her own journey of learning more about herself and her family. Harlow’s completion of her novel and the support of her family emphasizes a major theme in the novel: the strength in family. Harlow summarizes the theme of family when she calls this love, “The kind of love that believes in you, challenges you, walks through fire for you, makes a home for you—the kind of love that transforms you.” 

Sexual Content  

  • When Harlow visits his family’s home in Quebec, Harlow and Ben kiss for the first time. Harlow says, “Drowning in his touch, I drink him in while he kisses me hungrily, urgently like he might never kiss me again.” This passionate kissing scene lasts for about a page.  
  • While waiting out a rainstorm inside an old barn, Ben and Harlow kiss passionately, and it begins to go further. Harlow says, “And then I feel that tug again. Powerful. Alluring. A kinetic spark that ignites every cell in my body . . . Ben’s fingers trace my bare stomach. They hover near my bra, then slip the seam.” Before they go any further, they are interrupted when Ben gets a distressing phone call. 
  • Harlow and Ben spend an intimate afternoon together beside the river.  “I’m [Harlow] still sinking when my hand unhooks the front clasp of my bra. I want to feel his heat against my bare skin.” This scene lasts about two pages, but just before they go further Harlow stops Ben, noticing a magical, “uncommon spark of light” that unnerves her.  
  • Harlow and Ben begin to passionately kiss. Harlow says, “My body is on auto-drive, operating on sheer emotion when I tilt my head back and kiss him. An urgent fiery kiss that is all-consuming.” This scene continues for three pages before Harlow stops Ben, feeling guilty about the bonding magic.  
  • Harlow and Ben are intimate. “We finally break apart near the table, and then [Ben’s] reaching behind me and untying my apron, never taking his gaze from mine as it falls to the floor. I stand perfectly still, savoring the pleasure of his touch.” This scene lasts four pages.  

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Harlow explains that her ex-boyfriend, Chad, is excellent at telling when there is a problem. Harlow explains, “He smells problems like a police dog sniffs out cocaine.” 
  • Harlow is about to attend a party to support Chad, even though she’s just been unexpectedly fired from her dream job. Harlow thinks, “You’re going to pull your shit together . . . pour a glass of merlot, put on a dress, and have the time of your goddamn life.” 
  • After Harlow’s break up, her friend “pulls bottles from her oversize bag and begins to mix a concoction of gin, sugar, champagne, and some red syrupy stuff.” 
  • Harlow enjoys the solitude of the empty hacienda, explaining, “I make a margarita with that aged añejo tequila my mom saves for special occasions before I find a good book in the study.” 
  • While attending a vow renewal of family friends, Harlow sees Ben who “is holding out a champagne flute to me.” 
  • Before Harlow attempts to remove the bonding magic between her and Ben, she takes “a shot of añejo” with her aunt. Harlow says, “’To courage,” and then she “tip[s] the amber liquid back.” 

Language  

  • Harlow and her friend, Laini, often use profanity such as shit, ass, and damn.  
  • Occasionally, Harlow and other main characters use “fuck.” For example, When Chad tells Harlow to wear something “appropriate.” Harlow’s friend says, “I’ll let you go. But only in a dress that screams, ‘Fuck the patriarchy.’” 

Supernatural 

  • Harlow describes her family’s land and how they create magic via plants. “The real family power, though, is in how they combine blooms, or concoct elixirs, using petals, leaves, and stems to create prosperity, love, health, hope, protection, or even to cause separation, doubt, fear, and misery. It’s all so complicated and beautiful and alchemical.” 
  • To help Harlow sleep, her mother uses “dream magic.” Harlow explains, “Then, as I fall back on my pillow and close my weary eyes, I remember that my mother sometimes uses holly for the power of dream magic.” 
  • Harlow discusses how her family is able to use their magic discreetly, explaining, “To the general passerby, it looks like a lovely vintage florist. But to the locals and a select few, this is the spot where you place and pick up your order of magic. After you sign the non-disclosure agreement—that is a modern addition. We operate using a whisper network, whispers carried on the wind of our town, El Viento, named for the goddess who is responsible for its creation.” 
  • To choose which Estrada family member will watch the farm and take care of the magical gardens while Harlow’s mom and aunt are out of the country, Harlow’s mother uses a “white iris petal, known for its faith and virtue.” Harlow’s mom explains, “You will each sleep with this under your pillow tonight. Whoever’s petal turns blue will act as the guardian.” Harlow’s petal turns blue. 
  • Harlow delivers a magical bouquet filled with memory magic that will allow her late grandmother’s friend, Beverly, to magically bond with her husband, William. Harlow explains that the bouquet is infused with memory magic, to help William recapture his memories of his life with Beverly, as he struggles with dementia. Harlow says, “Beverly and William Brandt were bonded at precisely 7:58 p.m. The moon was high, their hands connected, each breathing in the fragrance of the magic as he accepted the bouquet—just as instructed. I knew the moment it happened. [William’s] eyes sparked with flickers of gold, a sure sign that the bonding was complete.” 
  • The bonding bouquet that Harlow delivers to Beverly and William begins to work. Harlow explains, “[William’s] arms around [Beverly] with a familiarity that made me soar with joy and relief and even wonder,” showing that the memory magic has worked.  
  • When Harlow’s mom tells Harlow that she does have magic, Harlow tries magically bringing a flower back to life.  Harlow does “as [mom] says, and in a few seconds, I feel the vibration of life in the hydrangea; slowly I connect a thread of magic to it. The flower pulses as I open my eyes and watch it unfold into a healthy bloom.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • Harlow explains the story of how their family gained magical abilities. “The Aztec goddess Mayahuel whispered the given names of each child in the family,” and this instilled their family with power that passed down through the generations.  
  • Harlow says, “A lot of kids learn fairy tales, or stories from the Bible, but in my family? The very first tale you learn and commit to heart is the tale of a young and very beautiful goddess named Mayahuel whose jealous grandmother hid her in the farthest corner of the universe . . . wanting to conceal the goddess’s beauty and power.” 
  • Harlow’s family’s magic began with her great-great-grandmother; “Legend has it that the soil called to my great-great-grandmother when she came through this land on her way to somewhere else. . . the Aztec goddess of agave, Mayahuel, appeared to her and told her that if my great-great-grandmother used the land according to her instructions, the goddess would grant our family’s female descendants an unimaginable magic.” 
  • Harlow reflects on her childhood imagination about her family’s gardens. “I used to imagine the most fantastical night creatures swooping in to pollinate the flowers, to offer their gifts of magic to Mayahuel.” 

Heroes of the Water Monster

Edward isn’t sure about this whole “step-brother” thing, especially now that his dad is moving in with his girlfriend and her preteen son, Nathan. Their new place in Arizona may be nice, but relocating is already hard enough due to their family’s Navajo—also known as Diné—heritage. According to the Diné, children lose communication with the Holy Beings once they hit puberty, and Nathan’s already started the process of becoming a man. For most people, this is part of growing older, but Nathan has become the guardian of a young water monster named Dew. Nathan’s ability to see her is fading, so he quickly has to entrust Dew’s care to Edward.  

To make matters more complicated, Dew’s older sister, a powerful water monster named Yitoo, is coming to The Fourth World—Earth—to teach Dew the traditional songs of the water monsters. Having been away in the Third World for nearly 150 years, Yitoo’s return is ruined when she discovers that something is wrong in the Fourth World. The waters from her river are depleted and the environment is suffering. Alongside Dew, Edward, and Nathan, Yitoo travels the length of her river to find the source of the cutoff. To her dismay, the city of Pheonix, Arizona has redirected her river to service the population’s waterparks, golf courses, and sprinkler systems. This frivolous use of her precious resource prompts her to vow revenge on humankind. 

Together, Dew, Edward, and Nathan team up to stop Yitoo from using her water monster power to unleash a massive hurricane on the Phoenix area. They meet other creatures and people from Diné creation stories who give them advice and special gear for their final confrontation. Eventually, the team of friends is able to stop Yitoo before she can punish humanity. As Nathan sees Dew, Yitoo, and the other Holy Beings for the last time before growing up, he and Edward promise to keep their Diné heritage alive and work towards a future where humans treat the natural world with respect.  

Heroes of the Water Monster’s plot is a straightforward save-the-world type of story, but the traveling between different worlds and mythical creatures can be confusing at times. As for the narrators, the story switches between the perspectives of Nathan and Edward. Nathan’s point of view is more mature and forgiving towards others, while Edward is more impulsive and childish. Edward is also half Diné, half white, which creates interesting tension as he struggles with his mixed identity. The difference between the narrators gives a unique perspective on the events of the story, especially when Edward and Nathan disagree on whether or not to help Yitoo. Because Edward and Nathan are both likable and thoughtful narrators, the reader understands why each boy feels the way they do. Despite their different ages, both Edward and Nathan had valuable input and opinions on the story’s events. 

Heroes of the Water Monster is an interesting tale filled with many cultural references. If readers have no prior experience with Navajo/Diné culture, this story may be a bit difficult to read. However, in order to understand the story, some readers may need to use the glossary provided at the end of the book.  

The main theme of Heroes of the Water Monster is generational trauma, which is showcased through the water monster Yitoo. While Yitoo is the villain in the end of the story, she is also Edward and Nathan’s friend. She has lived for hundreds of years, which means that she lived through the forced relocation of the Diné. She exhibits the rage that displaced people experience when they are horribly mistreatment and the destruction of the sacred environment they once called home.  

At first, Edward and Nathan don’t know if they have a right to stop Yitoo, but they realize that they have a shared history, and a shared future, too. While they may not be the legendary Twin Heroes who defeated fearsome creatures of legend in Diné stories, they do have the power to impact the world their descendants will inherit. A Holy Being advises Nathan and Edward that, “It stands to reason that a Modern Enemy would surrender to Modern Heroes.” 

Thus, the modern heroes, Edward and Nathan, work to convince Yitoo and themselves that they can’t hold the current population responsible for what their ancestors did. A better future isn’t achieved through revenge, but by educating and making changes for the better. Edward, Nathan, Yitoo, and Dew all have to grapple with their identity and the painful past that comes with it. In order to heal, they have to accept the past as part of their identity and use their grief in constructive ways. Edward’s father says, “We Diné, like all Indigenous Nations, have a past filled with heartbreak and devastation. But we also have a brilliant, shining future.” 

Sexual Content  

  • Janet, Nathan’s Mom, and Ted, Edward’s Dad, greet each other. “Janet . . . walked into [Ted’s] arms. They kissed.”   

Violence  

  • Occasionally, the Diné’s forced relocation is discussed. These stories mention some of the abuse, murder, torture, and death of the Diné at the hands of the U.S. government. One story mentions two brothers whose parents were killed in front of them. “From the cornfield, the boys saw their dad arguing with a soldier. The other solider pointed their rifles at the mom and dad. . . [They] covered their eyes but still heard the loud shots.”  
  • After killing their parents, the soldiers kill all their livestock and force the boys to walk to Fort Defiance, Arizona where they are imprisoned. They were almost fed poison, but were saved by a handful of nurses who tossed their food on the ground. “[Those] who had eaten the rations became deathly ill. . . The sick were left to die. . . The rest were forced to march in many long lines eastward. . .” 
  • On the trail, there was more hardship and death. Those who fell behind were killed. Elderly, young kids, and even pregnant women. The Diné were also forced to swim across a river, and one of the brothers drowns. “The elderly and the young people around them struggled against the strong current. . . A sound more disturbing than the screaming of the drowning grew. It was silence. Many bodies sank beneath, did not rise again, and drifted downriver. Halfway across, the river took [the] younger brother.” 
  • Yitoo describes her perspective of the aforementioned story: the forced relocation of the Diné crossing her river. “One by one, the Diné walked down the hill and into the river. The elderly and youth struggled around the strong current. Blankets of water smothered them. I did my best to calm the waters. But I couldn’t sing. I was too shocked at everything around me. . . A curtain of bubbles arose from all the violent thrashing of the drowning. Their screams quieted. Their bodies became cold. When I’m alone, I still hear their screams. When I sleep, I dream of the faces of those who sank beneath the river and did not rise again.” 
  • When Nathan and Drew try to stop Yitto from attacking Phoenix, Yitoo attacks them with her water. “A rope of water wrapped around [Nathan’s] waist and Dew’s neck and pulled them into the crater. Warm water invaded every atom of Nathan’s being. . . He couldn’t stop the invisible force yanking his waist. . . Just then, Dew appeared in front of him. With a mighty jaw snap near his belly button, she severed the pull.”  
  • Edward, Nathan, and Dew are attacked by a Guardian when visiting a sacred mountain that takes the shape of a mountain lion. The Guardians are creatures meant to protect the mountains from intruders. “Edward yelled in horror as in seconds a mountain lion with velvet fur, the color of sunflower petals, had already snuck up on them. It leaped into the air and landed in front of them with an earthquaking thud. . .  Its tree-thick tail slammed into Nathan’s chest, sending him flying yards away from them. The Guardian lifted a paw and slapped Dew across her jaw. Dew dizzily walked forward and then was pinned under the Guardian’s other paw. . . Then the most horrifying thing happened. The Guardian bit down into the back of Dew’s neck. Dew squealed a blood-curdling wail that made Edward nauseous. Dew’s body went completely silent and limp.” Dew survives.  
  • The final fight between Edward, Dew, Nathan, and Yitoo lasts nearly 30 pages. Much of the confrontation is conversation, but it does get violent when Yitoo fights back against Edward, Nathan, and Dew. Yitoo has impenetrable armor that protects her for the majority of the fight, but the armor is weakened when the boys use one of the Sacred Arrows against her, and it breaks open a spot in Yitoo’s armor that Edward stabs. “Edward jabbed the tip of the knife against Yitoo. Immediately, ribbons of lightning raced across Yitoo’s body. They covered her entire body from head to tail, shoulders to toes, and entered her throat as she howled in pain. Even if she wasn’t his favorite Holy Being, [Edward] hated hearing how much pain she was in. Still, he held the knife on to her. More and more bolts of lightning raced from the tip of the knife throughout her massive body. But finally, after a few seconds that felt like an hour of seeing Yitoo squirm and spasm, the lightning disappeared and her entire body fell against the ocean, creating one last final wave. . . Yitoo lay limp, and smoke emerged from her mouth.” This does not kill Yitoo, and she is exiled to the Fifth World.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Nathan’s Uncle Jet, who is briefly mentioned, deals with PTSD which led to his alcoholism and depression. He is not shown drinking during the story. 

Language    

  • Yitoo calls the behavior of “The Pale People,” a term for white colonists, “damnable.” 

Supernatural  

  • Water monsters are a type of Holy Being that play a large role in the story. They are creatures of legend that inhabit bodies of water. They have many powers, including controlling water, turning it to ice, using it to travel long distances and more. They use these powers frequently, which is done by singing.  
  • Yitoo and Dew are both water monsters. Water monsters look like lizards. Edward describes Dew as “a tiny Komodo dragon” with “diamond designs like a Diné rug” on her back and stomach. They can also speak.  
  • Nathan learns water monster songs, which gives him some control over water. Water monsters are also able to control their size by taking in or expelling water, such as when Yitoo grows herself into a massive size to create the hurricane.  
  • Yitoo can keep her water as jewelry and unleash it at will.  
  • Nathan has a ring made of turquoise that allows him to communicate with all beings. He uses it to speak to the water monsters. Later, Edward gets one too. 
  • Two Holy Beings called Jet Stone Boy and Jet Stone Girl meet Nathan. They have crystal-like skin and travel on a rainbow. 

Spiritual Content  

  • There are countless references to Diné beliefs. The main ones include creation stories, Holy Beings, and the water monsters. The Diné language is also used frequently, which can be translated using a glossary in the back of the book.  
  • Some of the Holy Beings include Spider Woman, a legendary weaver, Father Sun, who created the universe, Mother Earth, Moon Lady, and Tall Woman. 
  • In addition to the Holy Beings, which are typically good or neutral beings, there are evil beings called Enemies who, in Diné legend, are defeated by the Twin Heroes, two Holy Being brothers who fought the Enemies. Edward gives examples of the Enemies: “Thunderbird, who could summon dangerous lightning storms; and Wild Boar, who could run at unheard-of speeds to hunt humans for hundreds of years.”  
  • One of the references in the story is to the Third World, Fourth World, Fifth World, and Celestial Realm. The Third World is a realm where Holy Beings, such as the water monsters, come from.  
  • Yitoo came from the Third World. She was the first water monster to come into the Fourth World, Earth. “Yitoo was the first one. She’s so powerful that she bit into the ocean of the Third World and brought that water [to the Fourth World].” The Fifth world is a mystical land beyond these worlds that Yitoo travels to when she is exiled. 
  • Diné Bikéyah is the term for the holy land of the Diné, located between the Four Sacred Mountains.  
  • Three times in the story, sweetgrass is discussed. The burning of sweetgrass is a native ritual practice used to purify the spirit. “Nathan asked Yitoo for some of her energizing sweetgrass. She happily provided some from her medicine bag. . . Nathan lit the tips of the sweetgrass and then immediately blew them out. A thin trail of smoke wafted in the air. Both Nathan and Edward inhaled. The delicious smoke flowed into their nostrils. . . The dark shadows underneath Edward’s eyelids disappear[ed] and his posture straighten[ed]” 
  • Edward and Nathan climb one of the sacred mountains, Tsoodził. After sprinkling corn pollen on the ground as a sign of respect, Edward says, “Ted had said that only medicine folk were allowed to set foot on the mountains to gather sacred medicine and sands. The medicine folk had to sing ceremonial songs the entire time they were on the mountain to protect themselves and as a gesture of respect.” Each of the scared mountains are protected by a Guardian, a powerful creature meant to kill intruders.  
  • Edward and Nathan obtain two objects when visiting the Celestial Realm, the Obsidian Armor and Sacred Arrows. The arrows can create various magical effects, such as a bright light or a rainbow, and the Obsidian Armor will protect the wearer against Holy Beings and fit them perfectly.  

The Holiday Switch

Lila Santos is ready for her last winter break of high school. The snow in her small town of Holly, New York is plentiful, the mood as cozy as a fuzzy Christmas sweater, and she’s earning extra cash working at the local inn. In other words, it is the setting for the greatest film of all time, Holiday by the Lake—while moonlighting as an anonymous book blogger.

But her perfect holiday plans crash to a halt when her boss’ frustratingly cute nephew, Teddy Rivera, becomes her coworker. Lila is Type A while Teddy is Type “Anything but Lila’s Way,” and the two of them can’t stop butting heads over tangled icicle lights and messy gift shop merch. But when they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they realize they’ve both been hiding things from each other. Will their secrets—and an unexpected snowstorm—bring these rivals together?

While Lila’s conflict is understandable, her judgmental attitude makes it difficult to connect with her. Even though Lila is the protagonist, Teddy is more likable because he goes out of his way to show Lila that he cares for her. For instance, when Teddy finds Lila’s list of Christmas activities that she wants to do, he plans ways to get Lila to spend time with him by taking her to the different activities on her list. 

The two teens eventually connect because they are both keeping secrets from their parents. Both are afraid their parents won’t understand their passions. Readers will relate to Teddy’s and Lila’s desire to meet their parents’ expectations as well as live their own dreams. In the end, both teens discover their fears are unfounded. While Lila’s parents are upset about her dishonesty, they support her goals. Likewise, Teddy also learns that his family supports his dreams.

Readers who want to snuggle up with a book during the holiday will appreciate The Holiday Switch because of the town’s over-the-top Christmas activities. The winter puns also add to the romance’s cuteness. For example, while ice skating, one of the characters “slipped on the ice and said, ‘Holy night.’” The predictable plot has some sweet moments that will warm readers’ hearts and get them into the holiday spirit. However, if you’re looking for a holiday romance that will be more memorable, grab a hot cocoa and a copy of What Light by Jay Asher.

Sexual Content 

  • Lila babysits for a couple who “party like they’d been caged animals in a zoo. They come home sweaty and red-faced, and the PDA is over the top embarrassing.”
  • While outside, Teddy asks Lila if he can kiss her. She says yes and then, “I rise up to my tiptoes and shut my eyes. When his lips feather against mine, I’m infused with energy and thrill. My hands climb his back, his cup my face, and he kisses me as if I’m another puzzle he has to explore.” 
  • Before Teddy begins a climbing competition, he kisses Lila. “Teddy lifts my chin with a finger and presses a kiss to my lips.” 

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • Oh my God and God are used as exclamations occasionally. 
  • Crap and pissed are used several times.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Today Tonight Tomorrow

Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been rivals since their freshman year of high school when Neil (very narrowly!) beat Rowan in their school’s essay contest. Rowan, an overachiever all her life, simply cannot let this slide. Now in their senior year, Rowan and Neil have earned a reputation as ruthless opponents– every grade, project, standardized test score, and even pull-up contest in gym class is compared and argued over. As soon as she realizes that Neil will not back down, Rowan has one goal for high school: to take him down. 

However, at the end of their senior year, Neil is named valedictorian. Rowan is salutatorian, still way ahead of the rest of her grade, but it’s not enough. She is devastated until she realizes that she has one last chance to come out on top: there is still Howl, a scavenger hunt that takes graduating seniors hunting for clues all over Seattle. This is a Westfield High tradition that Rowan has been looking forward to since her freshman year, but now she knows she absolutely has to win.  

After she learns that a group of seniors is teaming up to take them down, Rowan ends up forming an alliance with Neil – having someone else beat him will bring her no satisfaction. But the more time they spend together and the more they learn about each other, Rowan begins to find Neil isn’t as annoying as she thought. In fact, as much as she hates to admit it, Rowan realizes she might actually have feelings for him. And is it possible that Neil feels the same way about her, despite their brutal rivalry? 

Part romcom, part thriller, Today Tonight Tomorrow is a YA lover’s dream. The scavenger hunt subplot makes the story relatively fast-paced, with plenty of friendly (and not-so-friendly) banter woven in to balance out the action. The romance subplot is equally well done. Rowan is an engaging narrator, and readers will enjoy going on her journey of self-discovery with her. Her character is easy to relate to because of how realistic her arc is; throughout this story, Rowan realizes that real life is nothing like the novels she holds dear, but that isn’t necessarily wrong or disappointing. Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be enjoyable. 

Today Tonight Tomorrow also beautifully handles difficult topics. For example, Rowan is Jewish; the subtle yet impactful antisemitism she experiences and the way she reacts to it is a strikingly accurate depiction of what many Jewish teenagers experience in high school. Another major issue woven throughout the story is the downsides of intense academic pressure. Rowan regrets putting all of her time into academics because it meant she didn’t truly experience the social aspect of high school, which is also important. For readers in early high school, this can serve as a wake-up call to carve out time for friendships and other relationships; for readers who have the same regrets as Rowan, it is comforting to know that they are not alone in feeling this way. 

Overall, Today Tonight Tomorrow is an absolute delight. It is a love letter to adolescence and high school. Although this book can be enjoyed by everyone, it is especially perfect for graduating seniors who are nervous about leaving everything they know behind when they leave for college. Fall in love with more romance novels such as A Pho Love Story by Loan Le and American Royals by Katharine McGee. 

Sexual Content  

  • When Rowan reminisces about her ex-boyfriend, Spencer, she mentions they had sex. “The first time we had sex, he held me for so long afterward, convinced me I was a precious, special thing.” 
  • Rowan and Neil bicker in front of a wall of plaques recognizing past valedictorians, and Rowan makes a sexual joke to annoy him. “‘If you’re trying to impress me with your knowledge of past valedictorians, it’s working.’ I step closer to him, batting my eyelashes. ‘I am so turned on right now.’” 
  • Rowan finds a high school bucket list she created at the very beginning of her freshman year. One of the entries details prom night: “The night will culminate in a hotel room, where you and Perfect High School Boyfriend will declare your love for each other and lose your virginities in a tender, romantic way that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.” 
  • Rowan tells the reader about her love for romance novels, and she brings up how they informed her idea of sex. “Especially as I got older, my heart would race during the sex scenes, most of which I read in bed with my door locked, after I’d said good night to my parents and was sure I wouldn’t be interrupted. They were thrilling and educational, if occasionally unrealistic. (Can a guy really have five orgasms in a single night? I’m still not sure.) Not all romance novels had sex scenes, but they made me comfortable talking about sex and consent and birth control with my parents and with my friends…Most movies and shows I watched with my friends showed me that women were sex objects, accessories, plot points. The books I read proved they were wrong.” 
  • Rowan points out a spot where she hooked up with one of her ex-boyfriends for the first time. Neil mock-gasps and says, “Rowan Roth, I thought you were a good girl.” Rowan gets annoyed at Neil for assuming that girls who get straight As are automatically virgins. Rowan says, “You realize how wrong and outdated that is, right? Good girls aren’t supposed to have sex, but if they don’t, they’re prudes, and if they do, they’re sluts.” They have a conversation about double standards for men and women when it comes to sex. 
  • Rowan and Neil kiss in an empty room in a museum. “This has to be the earth-shattering feeling he was talking about. This: his hands sliding down the sides of my body. This: his teeth grazing my clavicle. And this: the way, when he moves back to my lips, he kisses like I’m alternately something he can’t get enough of and something he wants to savor. Fast, then slow, I love it all. Since we’re the same height, our bodies line up perfectly, and–oh. The proof of how much he’s enjoying this makes me feverish. I rock my hips against his because the pressure feels amazing, and the way he groans when I do this sounds amazing too.” 
  • Rowan and Neil make out in Rowan’s room. “I leave invisible handprints all over his chest, learning exactly where he’s ticklish. He skims his hands up to my knees, my hips, beneath the dress that has suddenly become a straightjacket. I twist on his lap, trying to reach the zipper. He has to help me with it, and together we tug it off . . . Losing my dress makes me miss him with even more urgency.  I run my hand over the front of his jeans, and he sucks in a breath through his teeth. It’s maybe the best sound I’ve ever heard, at least until I unzip and unbuckle and cast his jeans aside completely, pressing him deeper into the bed, and he releases another breathy groan again.” 
  • Shortly after, Rowan and Neil have sex. “It doesn’t last extremely long, because we’re tired or because it’s his first time or some combination of both. Every so often, he checks in with me, asking if it’s still good, if I’m still good. And yes. Yes. We try our best to be quiet, but we can’t stop whispering to each other. He finishes first, and then his fingers drift down between us and he gets me there for the second time tonight. Then we’re quiet, quieter than my sleeping, darkened house. I burrow close to him, resting my cheek against his heartbeat while he plays with my hair.” 

Violence  

  • Neil confesses that his father is in prison for nearly killing someone who was stealing from his store. Neil’s father “was so furious . . . he beat one of them unconscious. The kid–he was in a coma for a month.” 
  • Rowan and Neil are both Jewish. When sharing antisemitic microaggressions they’ve experienced, Rowan brings up that people usually make comments like that because they think it’s harmless, but then “there are security threats at your synagogue because someone called in a bomb threat. It’s harmless, and you’re terrified to get out of bed Saturday morning and go to services.” This happened right before her bat mitzvah. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Rowan invites Neil over for Shabbat dinner. One Shabbat ritual is kiddush, a blessing over wine. Rowan describes, “We pass around the kiddush cup that belonged to my dad’s grandparents, silver and ornately designed. Neil takes a small sip, then hands it to me. My sip is tiny too.”  
  • Neil suggests getting high, and Rowan is not opposed. They both take edibles with the lowest possible dosage of THC. “‘Do you feel anything yet?’ ‘Not really,’ I say, but even as the words leave my mouth, I’m aware something has changed. A laugh bubbles out of me, though nothing’s funny. ‘I– wait. I might be feeling something.’ My annoyance with him seems to float away.” 

Language  

  • “Fuck” is occasionally used as an exclamation or intensifier. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Rowan and Neil are both Jewish. Rowan invites Neil over to her house for Shabbat dinner, and the book vaguely describes the Shabbat rituals. For example, Rowan’s mother “lights the candles with a hand over her eyes,” and they all “recite the blessing over the challah.” 

How to Excavate a Heart

Shani Levine needs a break from New York. Following a bad breakup with her girlfriend, Sadie, she would rather be literally anywhere else. So when she snags a highly coveted internship at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. over winter break, Shani is elated. 

Shani’s high spirits are crushed, however, when she makes an enemy: her mother almost accidentally runs over a girl, May, while moving Shani into her D.C. lodgings. Shani is determined to watch her step from now on, but she keeps crossing paths with May. As they begin to talk, Shani begins to develop feelings for May. Once it becomes clear that May likes her too, the two girls begin to date, and for a short time everything is perfect. But can Shani juggle her new relationship and her internship? And is she really ready to be in a relationship again so soon after a messy breakup?

Readers will fall in love with Shani and May as they try to tackle these big questions together. How to Excavate a Heart is a cute, fun, fluffy romcom guaranteed to elicit smiles and warm feelings, even on the coldest winter days. At times, the pacing is quite slow, so readers looking for action should expect to consume this story in sweet, bite-sized chunks or over one long, lazy day. Because of this pacing, not every scene necessarily drives the plot forward, making some parts of the book less vivid and exciting than others  However, what really ties this book together is its cast of lovable side characters, from Beatrice, the eccentric and surprisingly spry elderly woman who houses Shani during her stay in D.C., to May’s adorable pet corgi, Raphael. Characters like these make even the slow moments delightful, especially for readers who are drawn to character-heavy books.

Teenagers will heavily relate to Shani as she struggles to find her place in a new city while also dealing with complex feelings and relationships. Issues such as love, loss, coming out of the closet, and adjusting to new stages of life are handled in a way that is informative and validating but not too heavy. How to Excavate a Heart features great Jewish and queer representation and is a perfect escape for readers dealing with big changes in their life.

Sexual Content 

  • When Shani reminisces about her failed relationship with Sadie, she explains that their relationship fell apart after having sex for the first time. “I was stressed, because if we were in love, then the next logical step was sex. And I had never done it before, I felt I needed to prepare…We had sex for the first time a couple days after we said ‘I love you,’ and, as it turned out, it was also the last time.”
  • Beatrice tells Shani that she’ll be sleeping in the bedroom Beatrice used to share with her husband. She tells her that “all six of [her] children were conceived in this room.” Later, Shani asks Beatrice where she’ll be sleeping if she’s taking the bedroom. Beatrice replies, “The attic. I haven’t been able to fall asleep in this room since my husband died. But I’m glad it’ll be put to good use.” Shani thinks, “It certainly won’t be ‘put to good use’ in the same way it was when Beatrice and her husband conceived their children here.” 
  • May’s dad, Greg, is the local weatherman. Tasha, another girl staying in Beatrice’s house, describes him as “kind of a DILF.” DIFL is slang for “daddy I’d like to fuck,” or an attractive older man.
  • Shani talks about her relationship problems with her internship supervisor, Mandira, who is also queer and in a committed relationship. Shani tells her about her bad experience with sex and how she doesn’t think she’ll ever have sex again because it ruins relationships. Mandira counters with, “Sex can be amazing. Especially queer sex. And especially if you communicate what you want with your partner.”
  • Shani’s best friend, Taylor, comes to visit her in D.C. on New Year’s. Taylor tells Shani that she was invited to a New Year’s Eve party by Teddy, the ex-boyfriend of their acquaintance Amy from Model UN, and invites Shani to come with her. Shani asks Taylor if she’s trying to hook up with Teddy; Taylor confirms this.
  • After work, Shani goes to May’s house. When Shani gets there, Shani smells badly so she takes a shower. They end up showering together but don’t have sex. “I keep my eyes closed as I press her closer to me, so that as much of our bodies are touching as possible. We explore parts of each other we haven’t before. I kiss down her neck to her chest, marveling at the fact that I get to touch her like this. But after a few minutes, the hot water runs out, and my knees hurt, and we’re kneeling in cold water.”
  • After a dinner date, Shani and May go back to Shani’s place. They start kissing, intending to have sex. Shani starts feeling uncomfortable but doesn’t want to ruin the mood. Shani hears Beatrice scream and goes to check on her. When Shani returns to the bedroom, she tells May she’s tired and doesn’t want to pick up where they left off. When May asks if she can just sleep over, Shani says no and May storms out.
  • Shani and May break up. While Shani is mourning her relationship, she texts her ex, Sadie, asking why she broke up with her. Shani tells the reader that she texted Sadie because she doesn’t actually remember having sex with her. “That Thursday, the day we said ‘I love you,’ we went to a house party and got drunk. Too drunk. Like, so-drunk-I-barely-remember drunk. Then we went back to my room. The only memories I have of that night come in flashes: Sadie grabbing my waist, leading me up to my room. Sadie kissing me. Sadie pulling down my pants, and her own. Me, copying what she did. Being excited to do it, to please her. And then, nothing. My memory goes dark. Until we woke up the next morning, both of us naked. Me with a splitting headache. Sadie grinning.” Sadie wanted to have sex again that morning. Shani told her she wasn’t ready; after pushing some more, Sadie ended it. 

Violence 

  • When moving Shani into her D.C. lodgings during a snowstorm, Shani’s mom almost runs May over with her car. “My mom finally sees her and frantically tries to slam on the brakes. She pumps them over and over, but between the snow and ice the car won’t stop. Then there’s a thud. The bump. Not a hard bump, but still. A bump. We bumped a person with our car.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Beatrice has a beige quote block at the top of the stairs that says, “Alcohol: because no great story ever started with someone eating a salad.”
  • At a New Year’s Eve party, alcohol is served. Shani pours herself a glass of a mystery drink that is “pink and sparkly and has mint leaves and blueberries and pomegranate seeds floating at the surface.” She says that it is “unbelievably delicious and barely tastes like alcohol.”
  • When Shani remembers the night before she and Sadie broke up, she says that they “went to a house party and got drunk. Too drunk. Like, so-drunk-I-barely-remember drunk.”

Language 

  • Profanity, such as variations of “fuck” and “shit” are used as exclamations often.

Supernatural

  • On her first night in D.C., Shani tries not to think about “the half-century-old sex ghosts haunting the room.”
  • Beatrice’s son, George, comes over to the house. He starts a conversation with Shani, in which he jokes that his dad haunts the room where she sleeps.

Spiritual Content 

  • When driving Shani to D.C., her mom sadly says that Shani won’t be home for Christmas for the first time. Shani reminds her that they don’t even celebrate Christmas. Her mom counters that it’s still the holidays, to which Shani responds, “Is it, though? Like, is it really the holidays? Hanukkah’s over, and it’s complete bullshit anyway. It was invented by American capitalists so that Jewish kids could be included in the Christian hegemony.”
  • After thinking about her failed relationship with Sadie, Shani resolves never to have sex again and be “the Jewish version of a nun.”
  • Beatrice’s house is decorated with “crosses and portraits of saints, along with some Christmas decorations– garlands, candy canes, a couple of wreaths.” Shani initially worries “that she’s really religious and that…she’ll be disappointed that I’m Jewish.”
  • Shani gets breakfast at a café next door, which has Christmas music playing inside. Shani thinks, “I know I complained to my mom about how Hanukkah isn’t a real holiday and how I don’t want to assimilate into mainstream Christian America, but the thing is…I fucking love Christmas music.”
  • Shani comes over to walk May’s dog, Raphael. Shani awkwardly tries to make small talk, and asks if May is Jewish because she saw a menorah in her window. May says, “Yeah, I am. But I’m not really that religious.” She later talks about how much she loves Hanukkah.
  • Mandira, Shani’s internship supervisor, tells her she’s going to a Christmas party later that night with her girlfriend. Shani is initially confused because Mandira doesn’t celebrate Christmas, but Mandira explains that she doesn’t celebrate in a religious way but her girlfriend does.
  • Shani comes over to walk May’s dog despite a blizzard. When May opens the door, she sees Shani shaking from the cold and exclaims, “Jesus Christ.” Shani jokes, “It’s almost His birthday, huh?”
  • Shani and May get snowed in at May’s house on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, the snow had stopped and been mostly cleared away, so Shani suggests that they partake in “Jewish Christmas” (watching movies and eating Chinese food). 

The Dreamer

The Dreamer follows eleven-year-old Neftalí, a young boy who struggles to live up to the strict expectations of his father. Neftalí explains that he enjoys daydreaming and nature; he “collected twisted sticks, liked to read, and was not good at mathematics.”  

Neftalí’s father does not want his son to daydream. In fact, Neftalí’s father says, “Stop that incessant daydreaming!” and warns Neftalí that his “mother was the same, scribbling on bits of paper, her mind was always in another world.” Neftalí’s father also implies that this may have caused Neftalí’s mother’s death. Neftalí reveals his mother “had died two months after [Neftalí] was born.”  Neftalí wonders, “Was Father right? Could daydreaming make you weak? Had it made his mother so weak that she had died?”  

Neftalí’s father’s extremely negative mentality towards creative arts also affects his older brother, Rodolfo, who dreams of attending a conservatory to study music. Rodolfo explains, “My teacher and headmaster say . . . that if I study music, I might be able to get a scholarship to the conservatory.” Their father responds to this by aggressively “slamming his fist on the table” and yelling at Rodolfo, “There will be no more wasting time on music.” Because Neftalí’s father ridicules him for his love of reading and writing, Neftalí tries to conceal his writing projects from his father.  

Neftalí is an extremely sympathetic character that readers will appreciate because of his constant determination to do what he loves. Neftalí does not let his father’s constant tirades about his writing stop him. For instance, even when Father tries to make Neftalí stop daydreaming, Neftalí still “wrote words everywhere: on fence posts, on bleached driftwood, and on the old boats near the shore.” 

Another character that will capture readers’ hearts is Neftalí’s Uncle Orlando, who owns a local newspaper called La Mañana and encourages Neftalí’s writing abilities. It is Uncle Orlando who advocates for Neftalí to come work at his newspaper office, even though Father calls Neftalí’s essays “frivolity, nothing more.” Uncle Orlando advocates for the local indigenous people, the Mapuche, who are being pushed off of their land by developers by offering up his newspaper shop as a meeting place for organizing protests. Neftalí is inspired by “Uncle Orlando’s sincere voice as he talked about the rights of the Mapuche, the plans for a peaceful protest, the common outcry for respect for all humanity.” 

Readers who enjoy exploring nature will enjoy the way each chapter continues the story of Neftalí’s growth as a writer alongside drawings reflecting Neftalí’s surroundings. Each chapter is named after an element of nature, such as “ocean,” “rain,” or “mud.” Neftalí often discusses the beauty of Chile, where he lives, and this inspires him as he writes. For instance, Neftalí “looked up at the Andes mountains, hovering like a white-robed choir . . . He closed his eyes and wondered what lay beyond, past the places of Labranza, Boroa, and Ranquilco, where the sea plucked at the rugged land.” 

This book occasionally uses Spanish words in reference to the beauty of Chile and its nature; however, readers will be able to easily understand these words based on the text’s context clues. Because the book follows Neftalí—who is revealed at the end of the book to be the poet, Pablo Neruda—readers will likely want to flip back through the book to reread the sections of poetry and will likely feel inspired by Neftalí’s journey. Overall, this fictionalized retelling of the life of Pablo Neruda encourages readers to persevere, to reach for their dreams, and to appreciate the beauty of life around them.  

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • When Neftalí’s brother, Rodolfo, tells Father he wants to study music, Father “slammed his fist on the table.” 
  • Rodolfo did not hear his father’s whistle to come back to the agreed meeting place. “When [Father] found me, I was disobeying him . . . I still have the bruises. Do you understand? You do not want Father to catch you doing something . . . wrong.” 
  • Neftalí’s father wants his children to grow physically stronger. Because of this, Father forces Neftalí and his little sister, Laurita, into the choppy waves of the ocean even though they are both terrified of the waves, as “the swells rose higher than their heads.” Father argues, “It will make you strong. And if you do not wade out far enough, I will make you stay in longer.”  
  • Father forces Neftalí and Laurita to stay in the water, even when “a wave broke against their chests. Laurita slipped under the dark water. Neftalí jerked her up. She choked and sputtered and began to cry.” Neftalí says, “Surely now they could come in,” but Father “shot an arm forward and pointed to the waves again.” 
  • After Father forces Neftalí and Laurita into the ocean, Neftalí has frequent nightmares that “Laurita was drowning, and he could not save her because he was drowning, too.” 
  • Neftalí encounters a hurt swan. “In the muddy reeds, the male swan wobbled. Blood pooled beneath him.” Sadly, the swan quietly passes away in Neftalí’s arms. Neftalí does not understand what happened as the swan’s wounds appeared to be healed, but suddenly, “the life disappeared from [the swan’s] body.” 
  • Uncle Orlando worries about what the developers will do if they find out where people are protesting. The developers “have killed so many already . . .” 
  • Uncle Orlando hosts a meeting to protest on behalf of the Mapuche, so the angry developers set Uncle Orlando’s newspaper office on fire. Neftalí explains, “When he turned the corner to the main road, he saw the ball of fire rising into the night.” His uncle’s shop is destroyed, but Uncle Orlando tells Neftalí he will not give up, “There are editors who will hire me.” 
  • When Father discovers that Neftalí’s essay advocating for the rights of the Mapuche has been published in a college magazine, he is furious. Father lashes out and “grabbed a notebook and flung it out the window . . . Father flung another notebook and another.” Then Father sets Neftalí’s writings on fire.  

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Neftalí’s Father insults Neftalí and his siblings when they disobey him. For example, he calls Neftalí “a skinny weakling” that will “amount to nothing.” 
  • Rodolfo, Neftalí’s brother, is frustrated that Neftalí likes to stop and examine small things in nature as they walk to school. Rodolfo calls Neftalí “dim-witted” and asks Neftalí, “Can you not walk like other boys?” 
  • When Neftalí struggles to respond to one of his father’s coworkers, Father calls Neftalí “absentminded” and says, “There’s no telling what will become of [Neftalí].” 
  • Father calls Neftalí a “scatterbrain” for reading. He also tells Neftalí, “You are nothing more than a brittle twig . . . And this obsession with books will not make you vigorous!” 

Supernatural 

  • Rodolfo tells Neftalí a legend about the “chucao bird,” which Father says, “is a bird in the forest that tells the future.” Rodolfo reveals to Neftalí, “If you hear it call on your right side, it is a good omen and means fortune and happiness. If you hear it on your left, it is a warning and means bad luck and disappointment.” 
  • As Neftalí explores a nearby forest, he finds a large rhinoceros beetle and stares at it. Neftalí recounts, “As he marveled at the beetle, the shell contorted and bulged, growing bigger and bigger. Its legs elongated until it was as tall as a pony.” Neftalí then describes riding the giant beetle, “Oddly unafraid, Neftalí climbed onto its sturdy back, and rode it through the forest.” 

Spiritual Content  

  • When Neftalí asks Laurita for help trying to heal a hurt swan, “Laurita put her hands together, in prayer, ‘He must get better.’” 

Truly, Madly, Royally

Zora Emerson’s summer plans are simple: to attend the pre-university program at Halstead U and continue her community work in her hometown of Appleton. Zora is Black and from a modest background, which doesn’t fit the typical picture of students at Halsted U nor the royal family of Landerel – a small country in Europe. Dodging reporters, dating a prince, and attending a royal wedding were not part of the plan.  

After meeting a mystery boy in the library, Zora falls for his charm, only to discover that she’s fallen for Owen Whittelsey, the son of the Queen of Landerel. Soon, Zora’s studies and volunteering is split between dates with Owen. However great Zora’s dates with her Prince Charming are in private, the royal life is not as glamorous as it seems. Owen is constantly monitored by his security team, and the budding relationship between Zora and Owen is investigated by the press. When Zora wins a grant to bolster her after-school program, the award is taken away when outsiders hint that her connections to the royal family give her an unfair advantage.  

Despite the setbacks and scrutiny, Zora persists in growing her after-school program through different means while managing her relationship with Owen. Eventually, he invites Zora to attend the wedding of his brother as a guest of honor. During the trip of a lifetime, Zora learns how to be confident in herself and embrace her heritage.  

Truly, Madly, Royally is a romance story mixed with a unique narrator whose heart lies with helping her community. Despite the majority of students at Halstead being from rich, white families, Zora is determined to embrace her African heritage and prove that she has a place among them by excelling in the classroom and her community work. Zora’s confidence is admirable even as she’s faced with large setbacks, such as grant money for her community work being taken away. Instead of giving up, Zora runs her own fundraiser, earning the money on her own. At the end of the story, African culture is highlighted as the royal wedding is between Owen’s brother and a Black woman named Sadie. However, the romance plot takes center stage, so the book doesn’t teach much about African culture beyond these basic issues. 

Truly, Madly, Royally is an easy, quick read. However, there’s not much to learn or gain from this story due to its simplistic and predictable plot. Readers who typically enjoy the romance genre will be disappointed by the development of Zora and Owen. While the romance is underwhelming, the story of Zora’s relationship she has with kids from her after-school program is heartwarming. Beyond that, however, the story highlights the importance of community. Zora truly wants to make a difference in her community and works hard to achieve her goals. Zora’s caring nature, confidence, and African heritage bring a unique element to this common romance trope.  

Sexual Content  

  • Skye, Zora’s friend, admits that she and Zora’s brother Zach kissed. 
  • Owen invites Zora to the royal ball. Then, “Owen bows his head and kisses my hand.” Afterwards, he asks, “Am I welcome to kiss you?” Zora says yes, and Owen kisses Zora for the first time. Zora describes, “Owen closes the distance between us and bows his head closer. It’s a kiss that starts with one soft, sweet peck, quickly followed by another. We look at each other and smile before taking a deeper dive with a tender kiss that lingers. We stay holding hands the whole time. A few seconds later, we pull back slowly.” 
  • Owen kisses Zora in a lecture hall at Halstead. “He pulls me in closer for a quick, wonderful kiss.”  
  • Owen hugs and kisses Zora while dancing in a friend’s dorm. “[Owen] lifts me off the floor. He lowers my feet with a quick kiss.”  
  • When Zora shows up at a wedding, Owen greets her. “[Owen] wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead.”  

Violence  

  • Owen’s sister, Emily, committed suicide, which Zora learns from an article that provides the details of her death. “Apparently, when [Emily] was younger, a royal biographer dubbed her the ‘redheaded stepchild.’ Sadly, the unfortunate moniker stuck. . . [Emily] was considered chubby. The body shaming, the merciless trolling, the unflattering memes everywhere all threw her down a self-destructive path that ultimately led to her tragic death. Her body was found off a cliff in a mountain range along the southern coast of Landerel.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • When Owen’s sister died, there was “a high level of alcohol in her system.” 

Language  

  • Zora’s mother claims that her ex-husband, Zora’s dad, is always “showing his ass.”  

Supernatural  

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Zora’s mother is religious and occasionally mentions God and praying. She says, “I’m gonna pray you find a friend there you can relate to. You know God always listens to a mother’s prayer.”  
  • Zora’s father says “the only person ruling this house is Jesus.” 
  • Zora is at a community event where she feels like she has to keep standing up to greet people. “I stand up, sit down, and then stand up and sit down again. You would think I am at a Catholic church service.” 
  • The royal wedding is held in a chapel in Landerel. 

Saints of the Household

Max and Jay have always depended on one another for their survival. Growing up with a physically abusive father, the two Bribri (indigenous Puerto Rican) American brothers have learned that the only way to protect themselves and their mother is to stick to a schedule and keep their heads down.

But when they hear a classmate in trouble in the woods, instinct takes over and they intervene, breaking up a fight and beating their high school’s star soccer player to a pulp. This act of violence threatens the brothers’ dreams for the future and their beliefs about who they are. As the true details of that fateful afternoon unfold over the course of the novel, Max and Jay grapple with the weight of their actions, their shifting relationship as brothers, and the realization that they may be more like their father than they thought. They’ll have to reach back to their Bribri roots to find their way forward. 

Told in alternating perspectives, Saints of the Household outlines Jay’s and Max’s stress as they enter their final year of high school. Ari Tison is Bribri herself and brings Bribri stories and language into the text. She integrates these elements seamlessly. It gives insight into Bribri culture and provides a contrast to rural Minnesota. The boys’ connections with their home and their mother’s family are deeply important to the story, as it provides a sense of normalcy and peace in an environment that is otherwise uncertain. 

Jay and Max’s relationship drives the tone of the story. The brothers have different personalities, which causes conflict. Max wants to escape his home situation and often pulls away from Jay, who is always preoccupied with family and school matters. The brother’s bond fluctuates; the more Jay and Max exist in harmony, the more hopeful the story becomes. Both Jay and Max are sympathetic characters, and readers will find it easy to connect with them. 

Since Jay and Max are familiar with domestic violence, Saints of the Household includes violent scenes. In addition, when their classmate Luca physically abuses Nicole – his then-girlfriend – the brothers beat up Luca in order to protect Nicole. Some readers may find the abuse troubling as Tison’s remarkably succinct writing style makes the descriptions of these scenes short, yet powerful. Despite this, in the quiet moments, Jay and Max find solace in each other and in their Bribri traditions even though they live in the tundra of Minnesota. Jay also seeks comfort in his friend Nicole, while Max finds it in his art. 

In order to help readers distinguish between the brothers, Max’s chapters are all written in wandering verse, which is in stark contrast to Jay, who writes his thoughts in prose. The changing points of view illustrate the differences between the brothers as well as highlights how differently they understand their current situations. Another factor that affects the story is that religion plays a significant role in the story as the boys’ beliefs balance between Christianity and Bribri traditions. As with other elements of the book, these are integrated seamlessly into the story and there aren’t any strong stances taken on the topic itself. Religion is as much a part of Jay and Max’s life as Bribri culture, or their mom’s hot chocolate: it just is. 

Despite the darkness that cloaks the events in Saints of the Household, the ending is uplifting. The brothers have witnessed violence and have even stooped to physically fighting each other. Despite this, the conclusion hints that Max and Jay will make it through these difficult times through their family’s and friends’ love. Saints of the Household will appeal to readers looking for a more literary and thoughtful text rather than an action-packed adventure. The story ends on a hopeful note and shows that the characters will make it through to the next stages of their lives. It also reminds readers that life can get better. For more perspective from indigenous authors, read The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline and Powwow Summer by Nahanni Shingoose. 

Sexual Content  

  • Jay finds one of his dad’s porn magazines. The magazine has “a woman with a low-cut shirt lean[ing] forward on the cover.”  
  • Nicole used to date Aaron, but she “think[s] Aaron was hooking up with someone else right after we broke up because of something I saw online. They were flirting in the comments somewhere.”  
  • Max and his girlfriend, Melody, kiss. Max describes, “She leans over and kisses me./ We kiss hard, and I cry.” 
  • Max mentions that he says “no to [Melody] when she asks about sex” because he’s worried he’ll hurt her. 
  • At a school dance, Max and Melody kiss. Max describes, “Before we get to the hall,/ she turns off the lights,/ and then I kiss her, and we kiss, and we kiss,/ by the dark door.” 
  • Max and Melody “mess around, pulling clothes;/ she’s musk, honey, stomach,/ ochre colors filling my mind/ with every kiss and touch/ we unfurl on the bed,/ until she’s over me.” Max stops before things can go any further. 
  • After an absence, Nicole sees Aaron again. “Before Aaron can say anything, they hug each other, and hug and hug. She kisses him on the cheek. He kisses her back, and they start really kissing.”  

Violence  

  • The narrator asks God for forgiveness for “kicking the neighbor’s dog, for shouting at the sky, for beating up that boy.” The event where the boy, Luca, is beaten up is explained later in the book as the book’s plot follows the aftermath. 
  • After they beat up Luca, Jay and Max see a counselor. The counselor asks, “Why didn’t you stop? Why did you kick him in the face? You broke his nose…His face is severely injured.” 
  • Jay explains what happened the day they beat up Luca. Jay says, “Luca was pulling at [Nicole’s] jacket, and she pushed his hands away. Then Luca’s hands were on her shoulders while she swore at him. . . She pushed him off, then he grabbed her hand and yanked it down and then leaned forward to say something in her ear. And we snapped. We were on him, pulling him away from Nicole, and he swore at us. He shoved Max, and I shoved him back, then he shoved me back, and then we beat the heck out of him.” This description lasts for one page. 
  • Jay describes the first time his dad hit him. Jay says, “Dad opened the door and caught me listening. I saw his usual hard anger turned hot, but hotter this time. I can still feel it. That first time he swung. My body crumpled onto the wooden floor.” The description ends after a page, but it is established that this happens regularly. 
  • Jay explains his father’s domestic violence further. Jay says, “After Max’s fourteenth birthday, he took to hitting me whenever I did anything that upset him…Then he started on Max. He made us swear never to tell Mom, because she wouldn’t understand that it was what we deserved for acting like fools, for not doing what he asked, for looking at him the wrong way and how it showed him disrespect. That didn’t last long, because his anger turned to her soon.”  
  • The brother’s mom tells a story about two young men who have to stop mystical eagles from stealing children from a tribe. They lull the eagles to sleep and, while they slept, the two men “swiftly took a knife to [the eagle’s] throat and cut [them] to pieces.”  
  • Max and Jay come home and see their mom crying and holding her shoulder. Their dad is yelling. Jay reacts: “With two long strides, I am right up to him, him and his sour breath. I send my fist right to his face.” Their dad ends up leaving the house without taking a swing at Jay.  
  • Jay’s dad tries to be nice to Jay’s mom, but then Jay says, “I lay him out when he drinks too much and goes after Mom again.” It is insinuated later that his dad hit his mom in the face. 
  • After an absence, Jay and Max’s dad comes home. Jay details: “Late at night, I hear a loud bang at the back door. Mom opens it, like she does. And I hear it, the lick of fist to skin. I see Dad’s hands go hard to her neck. Max jumps on Dad.” Their dad is arrested. 
  • Jay has dreams about his dad physically abusing him. He has “dreams where Dad’s hands hit me across the face, harder for calling the authorities on him…I see the time he decked me for taking it out and how he marched me out to the alley and pushed my face into the can so hard the plastic edge cut into my skin.” His descriptions last for a page. 
  • Jay’s grandpa, Grandpa Fernando, talks to Jay about depression. He says, “I used to get sad, too. You know your great-uncle? It was so much he took his own life. I don’t want that for you.”  
  • Max and Jay fight. Max says, “I go for you first./ I go for your ankles,/ and your back cracks/ against the wood./ I’m on you,/ swinging and swearing.” The fight ends when Grandpa Fernando hits Max over the head with “a big book in his hands.” The description of the fight lasts for a few pages. Jay sustains bruises on his face, but both brothers are otherwise fine. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • The brother’s dad physically abuses his family, “especially when he drinks.” Jay elaborates that his dad “likes rum and Coke.” 
  • Max paints Melody’s portrait at a park next to a trailer park. Max notes, “there, a smoking empty bean can/ with cigarette butts on the steps.” 

Language  

  • Profanity is used somewhat infrequently. Profanity includes: shitty, asshole, damn, hell, jackass, and fuck. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • The book opens with a passage about communion and Christian church service. An unnamed narrator says, “I keep crying at the time of the reflection, asking God for forgiveness. I can’t stop thinking about it —  before I am told to eat the cracker and drink the two-inch cup of black-red wine.” The passage lasts for half a page, and God’s name is invoked frequently throughout the book. Jay and Max’s family does attend church. 
  • Max and Jay are indigenous Costa Rican, and Jay notes that the ocean is traditionally sacred and revered. He says that they’d “have to pray to even get close” to the ocean. 
  • Grandpa Fernando would tell Max and Jay stories about their ancestors, who were the first indigenous peoples of Costa Rica – the Bribri. He would tell them “of tricksters, the Creator Sibö, and men who were cursed after selfishness.” There are short chapters dedicated to various Bribri stories, and they each last for a couple of pages. One story is about the birth of Creator Sibö. 
  • Jay references an Old Testament story where “Jonathan risks his life for King David, and a verse says that David loved Jonathan with more love than a man had for a woman — and Max and I are like that. Brothers born eleven months apart.” 
  • Max and Jay’s mom tells them a story about mystical eagles. She explains that “the mystical eagles were the dragons of Talamanca…They’d come down from the mountains, tearing children from their mothers’ arms, snatching those who went out in the day from the pathways.” The story lasts for a page. 
  • Max says that he remembers him and Jay “laughing at the sex-garden references in the Bible—Eden, then the gardens in the Song of Solomon.” 

When the Butterflies Came

Tara Doucet is a twelve-year old who seems to have everything going for her. She comes from one of the oldest families in New Iberia Parish and is a descendant of the original Paris Doucet Family. However, beneath the surface, Tara is struggling with a number of challenges. Her beloved Grammy Claire recently passed away, leaving a void in Tara’s life. Additionally, her mother has become reclusive and is unable to deal with her recent divorce or the looming foreclosure of their family plantation, leaving Tara to shoulder much of the burden. To make matters worse, Tara and her sister have never seen eye-to-eye, causing further tension and conflict within the family. 

Despite these difficulties, Tara’s life takes an unexpected turn for the better when she has a remarkable experience. After Tara’s grandmother’s funeral, a beautiful, velvety purple butterfly visits her, almost as if it were sent by her grandmother. Moments later, Tara receives a letter that sets her on a quest to unlock the mystery surrounding her Grammy Claire’s research with butterflies. As she delves deeper into her grandmother’s past, Tara must confront her own fears and insecurities and learn to embrace the beauty and complexity of life. 

The letter Tara receives from her grandmother leads her on an unexpected adventure to protect the butterflies that her grandmother discovered. Tara’s journey takes her to her grandmother’s house where she finds 10 keys and more letters with cryptic clues; the letters urge Tara to protect the butterflies and trust no one. As Tara progresses from clue to clue, she learns of her grandmother’s amazing scientific discovery. However, the discovery is what put her grandmother’s life and the existence of the butterflies in peril. 

The suspense builds as Tara relies on her wits and follows her heart to find the clues. She risks everything to save her grandmother’s butterflies. Tara’s wondrous tale is narrated in a gripping first-person, present tense, which allows readers to experience the intense range of emotions Tara goes through, including emotions from the depths of grief to the heights of wonder, from gripping fear to overwhelming surprise. As the reader follows Tara’s journey, they will be drawn into the vivid and enchanting landscape that is painted, where the rules of reality are suspended and anything is possible.  

Throughout Tara’s journey, she encounters various obstacles and challenges that she must overcome to succeed in her mission to protect the butterflies. Tara learns more about her grandmother’s life and the scientific discoveries she made. She also uncovers a sinister plot to destroy the butterflies and their habitat. Tara must use all of her skills and intelligence to stop the plot and protect the butterflies.  

However, figuring out who is behind all the danger is not an easy task. Tara must travel to the island of Chuuk, where her grandmother lived and her research began five years ago. There, she dives deep into her grandmother’s research, searching for clues that will help her uncover the truth of who is behind the plot to destroy the butterflies. Her journey to Chuuk reveals a world full of secrets and dangers that Tara never imagined. But with each new challenge, she grows stronger and more determined to complete her mission and protect the butterflies. 

Overall, Tara’s adventure is a thrilling and exciting story that teaches readers about the importance of protecting the environment and the creatures that inhabit it. When the Butterflies Came highlights the importance of perseverance, courage, and intelligence in overcoming obstacles and achieving goals. The story also emphasizes the power of family, even in the face of adversity, and the importance of cherishing the memories of those who have passed on. Tara’s journey is a story of growth and discovery, of facing one’s fears and finding the strength to overcome them, and of the enduring power of love. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • Tara is up at two in the morning trying to determine what the seventh key, that her grandmother leaves as a clue towards her secrets of the butterflies, unlocks when she hears someone moving around upstairs. She goes to her Grammy Claire’s laboratory that should have been locked shut. Instead, she finds it unlocked and one of the precious butterflies, crushed on a desk. Tara wonders, “‘What happened here? How did she die?’ And then I started to cry even harder because I know deep in my heart that the Giant Pink butterfly didn’t die of old age. It didn’t have an accident. Its life span didn’t just run out. It was murdered.”  
  • In a letter following the seventh key, Grammy Claire outlines that there is someone who is willing to put their lives in danger for the butterflies. “Someone wants to hurt the [butterflies]. To steal them, and destroy them. I cannot allow that to happen. They are precious. They hold a secret the world is not ready for, but which someone is willing to kill for. I often make myself crazy thinking about each person I know on the island and wondering who wants the butterflies. And who might want me dead.” The letter makes Tara question how her grandmother died. She begins to wonder if her grandmother’s car accident, wasn’t truly an accident.  
  • Tara finds her sister, Riley, splayed out at the bottom of the stairs, which are covered in water and oil. Riley begins to draw conclusions of her own that she shares with Tara. Riley says, “These stairs were just fine last night . . . I think somebody tried to hurt me. Or you.” 
  • While Tara and Riley are attending a barbecue, two gunshots go off. “A second later, there’s two ear-splitting pops that rupture the air. Instantly, the bark of the palm tree I’m sitting next to spurts a shower of splinters. My cheeks sting from flying, razor-like slivers, and then shredded bark sprays over my hair, my lap, and clothes. I’m screaming as I fall to the ground.” Tara is okay, but they find a bullet missed her head by inches. Riley and Tara run to escape. 
  • After finding the final last chest that unlocks the secrets of the butterflies, Riley and Tara try to leave the island when they are intercepted by the individuals who have been after their family the whole time. Tara is suddenly “tackled from behind and flung to the ground. The treasure chest launches out of my arms and I get a mouthful of sand. Then someone huge and strong reaches around and clasps their hand around my mouth.” Tara remains pinned in the sand.  
  • Tara and Riley’s captors talk about how to dispose of them. “‘Rope.’ ‘Nope. Grotto.’ ‘Hmm . . . might be easiest’ ‘. . . found Claire’s hidden chest. Look like they drowned getting it.’” 
  • As Tara and Riley’s captors held their heads over the water, Riley screams out to Tara. Riley’s “voice is instantly muffled as a hand roughly shoves my head under the water. I never get a chance to take a decent breath. Almost immediately, bubbles escape my nose. After twenty more seconds, my eyes bulge, trying to see in the dark water, staring up at the cavern roof. Beams of light flash here and there, squiggly and hazy . . . Now I’m bursting. I am truly drowning. My lungs are on fire. I’m going to die! Die!” Right before Tara’s body can completely give out, the men release because people show up. 

Drugs and Alcohol   

  • None 

Language  

  • In Grammy Claire’s third note, she mentions the importance of nipwisipwis, but Tara doesn’t quite understand what it means. It isn’t until her sister Riley looks up that it is written in another language –Chuukese. “I can barely choke out the words. ‘Nipwisipwis means butterfly!’” Nipwisipwis is utilized frequently for the rest of the book.  
  • ‘Kinnisow’ means ‘thank you’ in Chuukese. Eloni, Grammy Claire’s research assistant, teaches this to Tara so that she may use it while on the island.  

Supernatural   

  • The first butterfly to visit Tara is a small, purple one that floats into her room. It sits and stares into her eyes, making Tara question if there is something special about the butterfly. “This butterfly ain’t no regular butterfly. ‘Are you magic?’ I say real quiet, because I don’t want it to fly away and disappear.” 
  • In Grammy Claire’s second note, she talks about her dear friend who used to help Tara’s mom come out of her bouts of melancholy. To do so, she utilized herbal practices to create a concoction. Tara says, “’I’ll bet Grammy Claire’s talking about the mother of Miz Mirage, the woman who lives in the swamp. The one all the kids at school call a swamp witch. . . Maybe what she does ain’t bad magic at all.’ Words dance in front of my eyes. Herbs. Healing. Prayers. Love.” 
  • Someone shows Tara the magic of the butterflies. Tara begins to realize that the purple ones with a yellow outline can make music of their own.  
  • Upon finding the last chest, Tara and Riley begin to read some of the curious findings that make their grandmother’s work with butterflies so dangerous. “I stare inside the thick envelope, trying to focus. Words jump out at me. Nipwisipwis is written over and over again on every sheet. Giant Pink. Experiments. Turn back time.” 

Spiritual Content   

  • After Grammy Claire dies, Tara receives a letter from her that was written in the event of her death. The letter says, “What does gone mean, after all? Am I six feet under? Floating in the air or dancing on a cloud? Maybe I am having tea with God and making Him answer the long list of questions I’ve been hungering after for decades . . . even if that means I’ll wake up in heaven next time I see you. You can bet I’ll be the first in line to hug you and smother you with kisses.” 
  • In a letter, Grammy Claire tells Tara how she is looking down on her from heaven. “In Chuukese, they call heaven naangenu, the place we came from and the place we return after death. Where I am, I will be with you in spirit. Always” 
  • Eloni, Grammy Claire’s research assistant, tries to comfort Tara. Eloni says Grammy Claire is still looking over them and that Grammy Claire, “is right now watching. From naangenu. . . It means heaven. Where the gods live. And one day, we live there, too.” 

Light it Up

Told in a series of vignettes from a myriad of points of view, Light it Up details a community’s reaction to a police officer killing a thirteen-year-old Black girl. An outraged city demands change, but quickly the outside world, and some white nationalists, take notice. As tensions escalate between the citizens of Underhill, and as the white nationalist group White Out arrives in the city ready to counterprotest, the lives of the residents are thrown into further disarray. 

Light it Up is the second book in her series, coming after How it Went Down, which is also about the killing of an unarmed Black teenager in the same community. It is not necessary to read How it Went Down first, but there are overlaps between the fictional setting and the characters. Each book makes sense on its own, as the focus is on different tragedies that happen to different characters. 

Magoon’s book takes place in a fictional city, but the unarmed killing of Black people in the United States is real, and she heavily borrows from real-life situations to bring her narrative to life. Magoon mentions the names of Black people killed by police in the United States including Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, and Martin Luther King Jr. She also includes a fictional white nationalist group, White Out, that is heavily based on real-life groups, and the KKK also makes a brief appearance. These moments serve to show how close her narrative runs along our reality.

Light it Up primarily tackles conversations about race relations in the United States from a variety of perspectives. Magoon addresses the nuances through many different points of view, including from a little girl who only speaks in simple poems, the daughter of a police officer, local nonprofit organizers, a gang leader, and many more. Each piece tells part of a larger story about the Black girl who was killed, but the lives of the other characters also shine through. Although this story is a tragedy at its core, it’s also about a community fighting the same fight day after day, and doing as much as they can to live somewhat normal lives. 

There are also segments of the book that show the scripts from news broadcasts and social media comments, which brings in extra context from outside the city of Underhill and paints an even broader picture of the conversations surrounding police brutality and racialized violence. Light it Up takes a stance that is clearly shown in one news segment in particular. A guest tries to justify the viewpoints of white supremacists, saying that their views are equally valid, and the news commentator points out, “The minute you accept the premise that intolerance is a valid point of view, you lose freedom.” This is a succinct look at one of the book’s main themes. 

Light it Up has mature content, including heavier language usage, violence, and sexual suggestions than some other young adult novels; however, its themes about race relations and community are powerful and certainly worth reading about. Additionally, most of the characters, unless otherwise specified, are college students or adults. Readers should take note that extreme bigoted language is used, but in context, the language shows the reality of white nationalists in the United States. This book is important to read because it helps illustrate the many facets of racism, and it does so in an intelligent and empathetic manner. There is not a happy ending after a child is killed, and the community can only do its best to grieve and continue the fight for a better home, despite the terrible obstacles. This is not a joyful occasion and the only way out is through. 

Sexual Content  

  • The characters in this book engaging in sexual content are exclusively adults. 
  • One character, Jennica, used to be in a relationship with a man named Noodle, and he still comes around her place sometimes. Jennica describes how Noodle says, “‘Hey, gurrrrrl.’ He drags the word out so long it sounds dirty.” When she rebuffs him, he says, “I wanna keep doing you.” Jennica also mentions that what she misses about him “has nothing to do with sex.”  
  • At another point, Noodle texts Jennica, “You look hella sexy in that apron.” Jennica is not amused. 
  • While drunk at a party, Noodle sexually assaults Jennica. Jennica narrates, “My back is against the wall and Noodle presses up against me with his whole body. His hands push up my skirt. His mouth is on my neck, my chest. When I try to wriggle away, he takes hold of my wrists, pinning them beside my head.” After a page, he is stopped by a man named Brick, whom Jennica then kisses despite Brick saying no several times. Jennica notes, “When our mouths meet, I taste salt and beer and breath. It’s one quick moment, or it lasts a hundred years. He tears his face away.” 
  • While she is drunk, Jennica makes a sexual pass at Brick. Jennica notes that Brick pushes her back a step, but she also notes, “But his eyes say different. His fly says different.” Nothing happens between them. Later, she articulates her attraction, saying, “[Brick’s] muscles. I’m kinda turned on and I hate it because it reminds me of last night. Of Noodle’s hand going between my legs.” 
  • Brick notes that he can have “any woman [he] wants.” He says, “I could lose myself in [the party], find some honey to wriggle against me, soft and warm. The one in the hot-pink mini skirt. Damn. The one with the shaved head and earrings like Olympic rings.” This is the extent of his detailing of his sexual desires. 
  • Community organizer Zeke is talking to community volunteer Kimberly at the community center as folks are seeking shelter from the police outside. Zeke gives Kimberly a blanket and notes, “She smiles up at me. So pretty. Sleepy eyes are kinda sexy, I guess.” 
  • It is insinuated that a character named Melody has sex with Brick. The only description of this is from Melody, who remembers, “my memory rings with the sensation of his muscles against me. His breath on my cheek. The quick, hard rhythm as we rise together. The way his arms wrap me tight as we lay together. His sweet whispers.”  
  • Brick and Melody have sex again. Brick’s usual dating method is: “We screw, we snuggle, then we go our separate ways. No hang-ups. I sleep careful. I sleep smart. No drama.” He says this as Melody wakes up in his bed. Brick sees Melody, “her shirt is off and the covers are pulled up right underneath her excellent rack…She’s right there, and willing, and it feels good.” They have sex again that morning, though no further details are given. 
  • Kimberly and Zeke are attracted to each other. Kimberly mentions that Zeke “is fine.” Zeke mentions that Kimberly “is fine. Can’t tear [his] eyes from that big, sexy behind of hers. Why is she wearing cute pants like that to the office? Nobody needs to look that good while filing correspondence.”  
  • Kimberly likes Zeke, but she insinuates that she may have had a relationship with another man that they mutually know. Kimberly says, “Zeke can’t ever know what happened between me and Al. Reverend Sloan. The senator.” She doesn’t elaborate about what happened further. 
  • Senator Al Sloan has a history with Kimberly, and she doesn’t like how he seems to speak in double-entendres. Kimberly notes that when he says, “I still think about that week,” she understands it as him saying, “I wouldn’t mind getting in your pants this time, if you’ll let me.” Kimberly manages to rebuff him at each opportunity. 
  • Kimberly and Zeke kiss. Kimberly describes, “His lips are soft. It’s not unpleasant. But I don’t know what to do… My hands find his fingers. His tongue plunges in and out and I try to move mine in response.” Kimberly explains to Zeke that she’s never had sex before, and after a couple of pages of discussion, it is insinuated that they do have sex, but nothing is shown. The sequence lasts for several pages. 

Violence  

  • The book’s central discussion is about police officers killing unarmed Black people. The characters reference real life examples listing, “Look at Watts in ‘65, look at LA after Rodney King, Ferguson after Michael Brown, Baltimore after Freddie Gray.” Later, students at a demonstration at their college campus, named other victims like “Emmett Till, Martin Luther King Jr., Sandra Bland,” and many others. 
  • One day, walking home from school, an unarmed Black girl, Shae Tatum, is shot and killed by a police officer. Descriptions throughout the book detail her death. For instance, after she’s shot, “the curb is dewy with blood.” Later, a police statement notes that “the child was running away and got shot in the back.” 
  • Shae’sdad comes running to the crime scene, and another character, Brick, stops him because, as Brick notes, “The next five minutes play out in my mind in sped-up slo-mo fashion: He’ll run at them. Try to bring them down with his own hands. Then he’ll be laid out beside her and they will feel justified.” Brick stops him, but the grieving father “pummels [Brick].” With the cops pointing guns at them, Brick requests that a paramedic “sedate [Shae’s dad]” and they do as he asks. The scene is described over a couple of pages. 
  • At a crime scene, the police tear gas the crowd. One cop notes, “The line we held firm for hours is shattered. So long, tenuous peace. The string of yellow tape bursts and drifts to the ground as people run and scream.” 
  • Brick seriously considers and plans to organize his gang against the cops, and he tells part of his plan to one of the women who’s attracted to him. She tells others that, “He’s talking it. Panther-level action, taking guns against the cops.” 
  • The young daughter of the police officer who killed Shae is being abused by other students at school. She notes, “When I am not looking, other kids reach out and pinch me as hard as they can. I say nothing. Like I’m supposed to.” 
  • The daughter of the police officer has a classmate who says to her, “I bet [your dad] beats your mom. All cops are beaters.” The classmate then “pounds his knuckles into the other palm,” and the daughter has flashes of what are presumably memories. She thinks, “The smack of skin on skin. Beer bottle against the wall. The boxing bag hanging from the garage ceiling… I know how to throw a good punch.” It is insinuated that she punches this classmate. 
  • It is insinuated that the police officer who killed Shae Tatum beats his wife. Their daughter notes, “[Mom’s] shirtsleeves taper smoothly to her wrists such that everything is covered.” 
  • Much of the book details the actions of the white supremacist group called White Out, but the book also details the history of white supremacist groups. One author on a news program explains, “The image of white people marching with torches by night evokes more than a belief. It evokes intent. Historically such images are associated with lynchings. The Klan and its members passed extra-legal judgment on any black people they had it in for. The image evokes hatred and represents an absence of due process. Forces that this country has been working for a century to overturn.”  Historical explanations of violence like this are explained throughout the book, but this is the end of this description. 
  • One college student, Tyrell, is having a conversation with his white classmate, Robb. Robb doesn’t understand that white supremacists and racism have always existed, and he asks Tyrell if there are white supremacists in his neighborhood. Tyrell thinks, “You mean like the cops who put us into walls, the teachers who tell us we won’t amount to anything, the cabbies who won’t stop for us, the bankers inside their bulletproof glass cages? You mean like the guy who shot my best friend?” Robb doesn’t understand that this is a system that he, as a white man, benefits from. 
  • One police officer watches the White Out rioters descend upon the city. He thinks to himself, “There is no one I hate enough to bring a torch to a park and chant in the dead middle of winter. I think hard about it. There’s no one. Well, terrorists, I guess. The kind of man who straps a bomb to his chest and walks into a school to set it off. I hate guys like that enough to set them on fire.”  
  • One white college student is driving his two black classmates to the protests, and he’s driving over the speed limit. The other two are worried about getting pulled over, and their white driver refuses to slow down. One of them then reaches “up from behind and takes his shoulder. Pinches his fingers as hard as he can into his soft tissue.” This convinces the white driver to slow down and be serious. 
  • The college students in the fray see a cop beat a young Black woman who tripped and fell during the protest. The cop’s “baton, already raised and ready, comes down hard on her. Crack! She screams as the cruel metal tube strikes her shoulder. She falls to the ground. The cop spins, putting his back to us, and brings the baton down on her again.” The white college student tries to stop the cop. The student’s “hand goes out, grabs the officer by the collar with one hand. His other hand knocks the baton aside and away from the woman on the ground.” This scene lasts for a couple of pages. 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Shae’s parents bring out the mulled wine, presumably for the people who are of-age. Mr. Tatum says, “My sister-in-law’s been making it like no tomorrow.”  
  • After police-mandated curfew hours, Brick considers staging a protest. Noodle tells him it’s a bad idea, saying, “The whole point is they come after us for nothing now. We can get high and forget about it.” 
  • Zeke is on a date with Kimberly and he offers her beer as “it looks like we’re out of wine.” 
  • A character notes that Brick’s parties involve a lot of “dancing and drinking and being all loud.” 
  • Jennica shows up to one of Brick’s parties angry. She says, “I came anyway. In time to see Kimberly and Zeke sitting right up where I used to sit. Holding court with Brick. I’m holding court with Jose Cuervo.” It is confirmed that Jennica is drunk. 
  • One college student, DeVante, checks his white classmate’s car he’s in for “errant weed,” as DeVante knows full well that he and Tyrell would be the ones that the cops would blame for it being in the car. 
  • DeVante and his white classmate Robb have been friends since the start of college. DeVante notes that, “We’ve talked about girls and kept each other from getting too drunk, or walked each other home when we’ve occasionally missed the mark.” It is implied that they are in their first year of college, but nothing else is described. 

Language  

  • Profanity is used frequently. Terms include hell, ass, God, goddammit, shit, fuck, and bitch.  
  • One character known for being insensitive reads about the murder. He tells his roommate, “Cops shot a girl. Only thirteen, and retarded or something.” His roommate responds, “Don’t say retarded.” This is the extent of the conversation. 
  • Robb refers to a woman news anchor as “the hot chick with the big lips.” He later says, “Can we get a scroll bar with her number?” The other people around berate his rudeness. 
  • Robb regularly makes microaggressions against Black people. For example, he notes that there are mostly white people at his college. He says, “Everyone in the room is white, except DeVante and two Asians. I mean, a Filipino and a … I forget. Chinese, maybe. Whatever — he grew up in Portland.” These comments come up semi-regularly. 
  • In one of the online forum posts, a presumably white person uses the N-word. The comment reads, “Fuck these n—-. We’re gonna take it to them where they live.”  In another post, the same commenter says, “You n— can’t keep a good cop down.” The term is written out in the book. 
  • White supremacists show up at Shae Tatum’s funeral, declaring that she deserved to be shot and that this incident was a “war on cops.” Zeke notes a photo that he sees at the funeral, describing, “The focus is on a small girl, not more than ten, standing at the front of the group. Her long blond pigtails fall over her shoulders, framing the hand-lettered sign at her chest: SHE HAD IT COMING.” Many more incidents like this occur throughout the book. Another sign at this event reads, “[The cop who killed Shae] DESERVES A MEDAL, NOT A PUBLIC LYNCHING.” 
  • A guest activist on a television program discusses the phenomenon of counterprotests. They say, “There’s a history of counterprotest. Remember, the ‘God Hates Fags’ contingent showed up at Matthew Shepard’s funeral.” This is the extent that this term is used. 
  • One newscaster notes that on social media the counter-protesters were trending the phrase, “The only good n– is a dead n–.” The newscaster doesn’t say the word but instead indicates it with the n– instead. 
  • Another person on a social media thread comments about the black protesters, “Like monkeys in the zoo. Making sounds and throwing feces. Ooh Ooh. Fenced in! Tear gas! Tase their asses!” 
  • Brick sees that his friends are being arrested for protesting. He thinks to himself, “Cops and n–s in a game of chicken- who’s more afraid of the dark?” The word is spelled out in the book. 
  • Jennica and Melody stand with the protestors against White Out. One of the white supremacists yells at the group, “Oooh oooh ooh! Go back to Africa, you motherfucking apes!”  
  • After getting Shae’s dad away from the police officers, he is sedated and lying in the back of a car. Another man is trying to keep him upright but is struggling, and he says, “Fuckin’ Christ.” 
  • Brick swears in surprise at Jennica when she’s drunk and she kisses him. He says, “Jesus, fuck.” 
  • One of the cops is complaining about paperwork. He says, “Christ, look at all these arrest reports.” His co-cop says, “Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, for God’s sake.” They both laugh at his joke. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Someone on a news forum comments saying, “Why r u up here talkin bout blessings? Ain’t no GOD in this mess.” Many other people give their “thoughts and prayers” to the community. Another comment states, “You trippin. Prayers aint enough.” 
  • Shae Tatum’s funeral is held at a church. One little girl notes, “Ladies, ladies / loud ladies / big ladies / chewing ladies / sipping ladies / humming, Lord Jesus / humming, my baby / humming all the way to the cathedral sky.” 
  • The cop who killed Shae Tatum sits with his family at their home, holding a vigil for Shae. His wife lights a bunch of candles and says to her family, “Let’s pray.” The scene lasts for half a page. 
  • A news show discusses the intersection of faith, liberty, and rights. The guest on the program notes, “When a serial killer says God made him do it, we don’t let him off the hook for his crimes. Are we supposed to accept murder as a protected aspect of faith?” This discussion lasts for several pages. 
  • A commenter on a social media forum says about the verdict, “Life and death, reward and punishment, is the purview of God Almighty. Righteousness has been on our side from day one. #HeroCop.” 
  • One of the college students is deeply upset and is thinking of his friend who was killed by police. He thinks, “Don’t know what to make of a world without justice, of a God who turns our best intentions into the dark.” This point is not elaborated on more. 

Eyes that Speak to the Stars

A young boy comes to recognize his own power and ability to change the future. When a friend at school creates a hurtful drawing, the boy turns to his family for comfort. He realizes that his eyes have the power to rise to the skies and speak to the stars, shine like sunlit rays, and glimpse trails of light from those who came before. In fact, his eyes are like his father’s, his agong’s, and his little brother’s – they are visionary.

Inspired by the men in his family, the young boy recognizes his own power and strength from within. This extraordinary picture book redefines what it means to be truly you. The story celebrates the relationships between fathers and sons by showing the wonderful and loving relationship through three generations of men. Throughout the story, the boy comes to understand the beauty of his eyes—they are just like his family members’ eyes. 

The beautiful illustrations have elements that highlight how each member of the family looks similar. The pictures also have elements of the family’s culture in them such as dragon kites, the deity Mazu, and a café in Japan. However, when the boy begins to understand the power of his eyes, the illustrations feature fanciful celestial illustrations that reinforce the boy’s sense of power. As the boy stands on a planet, a starlight dragon behind him, the boy thinks, “I am the emperor of my own destiny. I read a bright future in the stars and will fight to make it reality.” 

While Eyes that Speak to the Stars celebrates an Asian boy, anyone who has been teased because of their physical appearance will feel empowered by the picture book. Even though Eyes that Speak to the Stars is a picture book, the figurative language may be difficult for young readers to understand. Therefore the story will need to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it themselves. If you’d like to introduce more stories that focus on self-love, check out I Am Enough by Grace Byers, Not Quite Snow White by Ashley Franklin, and Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’O.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • The story mentions Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, who is a deity popularly worshiped in various parts of Southeast Asia. Through Agong’s eyes, the boy sees “Mazu’s miracles showing mercy from on high.” 

Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs

Solimar, a soon-to-be princess of the kingdom of San Gregorio, is about to celebrate her fifteenth birthday. “After the quinceañera, she would be considered a princess of the world. And she would also officially be crowned Princess Solimar Socorro Reyes Guadalupe of San Gregorio.” 

Solimar’s home is known for its oyamel forest, a sacred place for the monarch butterflies that migrate each year. Solimar decides to watch the new generation of monarchs arrive in the oyamel forest. When Solimar goes to oyamel, she is surrounded by butterflies, who completely cover her arms and her rebozo, or shawl. Afterwards, Solimar notices that her rebozo looks as if it has “butterfly wings embedded in the fabric . . . and they’re shimmering.” The encounter with the monarchs gives Solimar the ability to predict the near future while she is wearing the rebozo and standing in sunlight. 

But then, on the eve of the kingdom’s annual supply trip, Solimar’s brother tells her, “He’s running away from home to join a ship because he doesn’t want to be king anytime soon, or possibly ever.” On top of this, when her father and brother set off on the trip, a neighboring king and his guards invade Solimar’s kingdom and take her mother and abuela hostage. The invading king plans to use Solimar’s mother and the rest of their family as a bargaining tool to force Solimar’s father to give him a thousand acres of their oyamel forest. Solimar hides just in time to escape the notice of the invaders and realizes it is up to her to find a way to warn her father of the invaders and their plans. Solimar, her bird Lázaro, and an enchanted talking doll set off on their quest down the river, in an attempt to “warn her father in time and change the destiny of her kingdom.”

Solimar is a sympathetic and strong female character that readers will connect with due to her determination and willingness to go against the mold. Though she is a soon-to-be princess, Solimar does not believe she needs to look a specific way to be considered royal. She explains that she prefers her hair short, and says, “Where does it say what a princess must look like?” She even argues with her brother and father for reform within the kingdom. She explains, “I wanted to change things in my kingdom. I have ideas about forming a council of men and women who advise the king and allowing everyone in the kingdom to vote,” instead of just men. 

Readers who enjoy fantasy and heroic journeys will love Solimar’s adventure to rescue her kingdom. This book occasionally showcases Spanish words, which can expand readers’ exposure to new vocabulary. The first time the Spanish words are used, they are typically explained in English, but readers will also be able to use context clues to identify the meanings. There is also a map of all the different locations Solimar visits as she journeys through the kingdom of San Gregorio at the front of the novel. 

Readers will sympathize with Solimar as she learns to appreciate her responsibilities to the kingdom. Solimar’s family also shows growth, as they ultimately decide to let their son, the prince, pursue the life of a sailor and “creat[e] a transport fleet for [their kingdom].” Another example of growth is when Solimar is hesitant to put on a crown, fancy shoes, and a gown for her quinceañera. Her dislike of these formalities symbolizes that she is afraid that in becoming a princess she will still not have a voice in making decisions that impact the kingdom. However, by the end of the novel, Solimar grows to appreciate her family, who trust her input and ideas and even appreciate the quinceañera’s formal ceremony. Overall, this book showcases the importance of family, friendship, and finding trustworthy people in tough situations. Readers eager to explore more books about friendship should also read A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi and A Hundred Horses by Sarah Lean.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • Abuela’s friend who practices enchantments, Doña Flor, tells Solimar what will happen if someone tries to steal the magical rebozo from her. Doña Flor says, “Anyone who tries to break the bond would suffer the wrath of the ancestral spirits,” which means, “Rage, madness, impending doom.”
  • A leader of a rival kingdom breaks into Solimar’s family home. “Mothers called for their daughters. Girls cried. Footsteps scuffled. Chairs tipped over. A man’s booming voice ordered, ‘Be quiet!’” Solimar’s mother, grandmother, and friends are trapped and kept as hostages. “Abuela glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of Solimar. Her eyes filled with alarm, and almost imperceptibly . . .Abuela waved for Solimar to go away.” Solimar stays hidden and escapes.
  • The guards from the rival kingdom surround Solimar’s mother, abuela, and their advisors. “One stepped forward and announced, ‘By order of King Aveno, you all are under house arrest and may not leave the castle.’” When King Aveno enters, he reveals he is holding hostages to “gain the advantage I needed to negotiate for the land I wish to buy” from Solimar’s father, King Sebastián. 
  • Solimar’s friend, Berto, talks about his father who “died five years ago.” Berto does not describe the event in detail. 
  • King Aveno snatches the rebozo from Solimar and suddenly “the sky darkened, and a wind stirred and steadily grew . . . From the forest, a dark, tornado-like cloud raced toward the stage. [The king’s spy] and King Aveno held on to each other in an attempt to withstand the fierce gale. The wind roared.” The tornado “lifted away, growing smaller and smaller until it vanished. When the wind and world quieted, King Aveno and [his spy] were nowhere to be seen. All that remained were their boots and Solimar’s crumpled rebozo.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • Occasionally, Solimar’s Abuela proclaims “for heaven’s sake.”

Supernatural

  • When Solimar goes to watch the migration of the monarch butterflies, she suddenly is surrounded by them: “A swarm of monarchs descended and swirled around her—a blur of black, orange, and coral—creating an iridescent mist as if she was swaddled in the softest and nicest blanket.” She starts to hear “a rhythmic humming” and is not sure where it is coming from as, “The song persisted, though, and grew louder and louder until it reached a crescendo of haunting voices.”
  • After her encounter with the monarchs, Solimar notices a mystical substance around her. “Glittery specks lingered in the air like suspended jewels” and her shawl, or rebozo, is covered in the magical substance. “One side looks as if the butterfly wings are embedded in the fabric . . . and they’re shimmering.”
  • After Solimar’s encounter with the butterflies, she can predict things, such as when her abuela is about to fall down a hill while searching for a specific herb. Solimar explains, “I’ve never seen that herb before. I just knew where it was and that she would fall. But I don’t know how I knew.”
  • Solimar’s friend Josefina tells Solimar, “[My boyfriend] asked to meet me tonight, but he was so serious and standoffish that I am worried his feelings for me have changed. What will he tell me?” Solimar instantly begins to predict a proposal, “Only that he loves you…” And sure enough, this prediction does come true. 
  • To see if her predictions are only lucky guesses, Solimar asks her friend Maria to, “Ask me something else. Maybe about the expedition. Something I couldn’t already know.” Maria says, “When I talked to [the stable hand] only an hour ago, he mentioned your father had just decided on the horse he would ride in the lead tomorrow. Which stallion will have the honor of wearing the king’s colors?” Solimar answers correctly, confirming she can make predictions while wearing the magical shawl. 
  • Abuela takes Solimar to see a folk healer, “where few dared to travel unless they needed to be rid of a curse or cleansed of evil spirits.”
  • The folk healer, Doña Flor, taught Solimar’s grandma how to use herbs to help heal ailments. Abuela says, “Her enchantment is for good . . . some things at Doña Flor’s house are charmed. Just . . . be accepting. That’s all I ask. Embrace the mystery and the peculiarities.”
  • Doña Flor tells Solimar, “Your rebozo is the swaddle for the butterflies. You are now their protector and inseparably connected to them.” Because of this, Doña Flor reveals that the magic of the butterflies in the shawl “are safely embedded. It’s part of the magic, as is the ability for [Solimar] alone to bear their intuition about the near future and what lies ahead.”
  • Though Solimar is now able to access the magical intuition of the monarchs, she knows “each day that it is sunny, [Solimar] must open the rebozo to warm and strengthen those you carry. Otherwise [the monarchs] will never have the stamina to take leave and cluster in the trees.” In addition, Solimar must avoid people asking her questions in the sun because, “For every question you answer, it drains a little of [the butterflies’] strength. If they lose too much they will surely die.”
  • Doña Flor has enchanted dolls that “begin to chatter.” Doña Flor tells Solimar that “their enchantment is strong, yet they are generous souls and very helpful.”
  • Abuela has tried to use spells. She says, “I tried to make a love potion on [my cat] and the stable cat, hoping to make them compatible. But I wasn’t exactly successful . . . But instead of falling in love with each other, they fell in love with the first inanimate object they touched. In [her cat’s] case, it happened to be that green woolen sock she carries everywhere.”
  • Solimar uses magic to figure out which way to go in the dangerous devil’s river. Solimar “heard the chorus again — mystical and ancient and with such harmony that her arms prickled and tears filled her eyes. A clutch of monarchs lifted from the rebozo, their wings beating in time to the rhythmic song, and trailed after the swarm toward the waterway on the right.”
  • The magic of the monarchs can move a canoe without Solimar paddling it at all. “The canoe glided to the right, following the monarchs’ path.”
  • Solimar uses her predictive abilities to help navigate a perilous labyrinth of caves. She reveals, “The tunnel on the right is navigable, but there is no through passage. The water is stagnant, and the air is foul-smelling. The one in the middle has a rock ceiling that eventually becomes so low that the only way to pass is by swimming beneath it, underwater. The tunnel on the left leads to a long corridor and a bat-filled chamber.” She makes it safely out of the caves. 
  • Solimar and her abuela plan to distract the invading guards with an enchantment. As the invaders sit in the middle of the room waiting for the greedy king’s decision about his hostages, “The awnings above the audience collapsed, spilling all manner of household items into the audience: feather dusters, wooden spoons, tea towels. . . Everyone who had been forewarned about the pastries and had not eaten them laughed as each guard picked up an inanimate object — and immediately fell hopelessly in love with it. At least for a few weeks, they would be as lovestruck and preoccupied as [Abuela’s cat], whose sweetheart was a green woolen sock.”
  • Solimar carries the rebozo and protects the monarchs that are magically embedded inside until they are strong enough to leave. At that point, “A wave of butterflies erupted from the oyamel forest. They dove and swooped around Solimar. . . The ancient song began, beautiful and melodic. The butterflies lifted the fabric, turning it around and around in the sun, and waving it so that it rippled until the creases fell away.” The last butterfly “emerged . . . the last one she protected landed on [Solimar’s] finger, then flew away to join the others in the oyamel forest.”      

Spiritual Content 

  • Solimar’s kingdom is home to “the oyamel forest,” a forest that draws in monarch butterflies. She explains, “Like everyone in the kingdom, Solimar believed that the ancestors of the monarch butterflies inhabited the oyamel forest, and that year after year, their spirits lured a new generation of butterflies to this spot during their migrations.”
  • In Solimar’s kingdom of San Gregorio, “the forest and the monarchs were revered and protected,” and the forest is often referred to as “the sacred place.”
  • Solimar ponders what draws the butterflies to the forest each year. “Isn’t it amazing that the butterflies, that have never been here before, arrive season after season at the same spot as their ancestors? Is it the magnetic pull of the earth or the position of the sun as the scientists suggest? Or do the spirits of their fathers and mothers whisper directions to them in a dream? Is it some magical intuition that allows them to know what lies ahead? . . . it’s a miracle.”
  • The dangerous river that prevents Solimar’s kingdom from trading goods is referred to as “Río Diablo,” or the devil’s river. 
  • When Solimar and her abuela visit Doña Flor for advice on Solimar’s ability to predict things, Doña Flor uses scents and vapors to help her. Doña Flor “stopped and picked a few leaves from one of the dried bouquets hanging from the ceiling and tossed them on the fire. A crisp fragrance, like a muddle of pine and mint, filled the room. Doña Flor waved the vapors toward her and inhaled deeply.” Abuela explains, “The strong scent of eucalyptus helps with remembering.”
  • Doña Flor explains that when any of the monarchs of the oyamel forest are weak, “on those occasions, the ancestral sprits of the monarchs choose a benevolent courier to protect the stragglers until they are strong enough to join the others” on their migration.

Jackpot

Meet Rico: high school senior and afternoon-shift cashier at the Gas ‘n’ Go who also takes care of her younger brother. Every. Single. Day. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she—with some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan—can find the ticket holder, who still hasn’t claimed their prize. But what happens when have and have-nots collide? Will this investigative duo unite. . . or divide? 

Told from Rico’s point of view, Jackpot highlights the difficulties of living in poverty. Many readers will sympathize with Rico’s struggles and relate to her insecurities. Rico is an interesting, well-developed character who believes poverty has stolen all her opportunities. In contrast, Zan has never had to worry about money. Despite this, Zan feels his only option is to work for his family’s company.  

In the end, both characters realize, “Everyone has choices. Are some of them hard? Yes. But if you want something bad enough. . .” Rico and Zan’s relationship gives both of them a new perspective and the bravery to take control of their lives.  

Even though Rico and Zan are completely opposite from each other, they each have universal teen conflicts that readers will connect with. Neither character allows others to see their true selves. Zan has closed himself off because he is afraid others will take advantage of him due to his family’s wealth. On the other hand, Rico’s life has been so consumed with work — schoolwork, her job, and caring for her brother — that she has no friends. In addition, Rico feels inferior to her wealthy classmates. Being friends with Zan teaches Rico that not having money doesn’t mean you’re not as worthy as those who do. 

Many teen readers will connect with Jackpot because of the interesting characters and universal themes. While readers will sympathize with Rico’s situation, Zan is the real star because his quirky behavior is humorous and endearing. Even though Rico and Zan are realistic characters, the conclusion is not quite believable. Despite this, Jackpot’s focus on class will leave readers thinking about how one’s class affects every aspect of life. In the author’s note, Stone explains that Jackpot reinforces the idea that “there’s a whole lot more to people than how much — or how little — is in their bank account.” Readers who want another book that explores classism should check out I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal and Class Act by Jerry Craft.  

Sexual Content  

  • Zan goes to see Rico at work. As he’s leaving, he “yanks” her forward. Rico collides “with his chest—then he’s wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me off my feet. . .” Afterwards, she is “legitimately hot all over.”  
  • ​​​Rico’s grandfather was “a white guy. . . he had a one-night stand with an . . . escort he’s pretty sure was black, then ten months later, my mom was left on his doorstep.”  
  • Rico’s mom got pregnant when she was in college. “She spent a month in Spain and came back pregnant. . . she didn’t know about his wife and kids. . .” 
  • Rico’s friend Jessica says, “Timberlake’s old news, but I’d totally have his babies if I weren’t so bent on having Ness’s [her boyfriend].” Later, it is revealed that Jessica and Ness are sexually active. 
  • Rico goes to a friend’s house where she’s surprised to see Zan. When Zan sees her, she describes how “he rushes over and scoops me up in what I can only describe as THE HUG. . . he holds me by the shoulders and basically eats every inch of my body.” 
  • After getting drunk, Rico wakes up next to Zan. Even though they are both fully dressed, Rico thinks that they hooked up and she just can’t remember it. An older woman tells Ric
  • o that after her first marriage broke up, she met Lionel. “Lionel really knew his way around a lady, if you catch my drift.” 
  • While Rico is working, an adult buys a Playboy magazine from the convenience store. 
  • Rico’s brother asks if she’s had a wet dream. He explains what he means. “They’re dreams where you’re doing it with somebody, duh. Mason’s big brother has them all the time and he pees out sticky stuff in the bed, so that’s why they’re called wet.” 
  • Jessica and her boyfriend are kissing when someone tells them to “get a room.” 
  • Rico and Zan pose as a couple in order to look at houses for rent. As part of the ruse, Zan tells the real estate agent that they “’had a little too much fun after winter homecoming, if you catch my drift.” Zan winks and pats Rico’s belly. 
  • Rico has an emotional moment and begins to cry. To comfort her, Zane “draws me in to him. The more I cry, the closer we get until I’m curled in his khaki’s lap like a toddler, sobbing into the neck of his perfectly pressed polo shirt.” After snuggling for a few minutes, Zane says, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you should probably get off my lap now.”  

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • Zan thinks Rico is acting “high strung.” He tells her, “We need to get you some good weed or something.” 
  • Jessica’s mother “drinks away most of her paycheck.” 
  • Rico goes to a friend’s house. The teens there drink alcohol and get “a bit tipsy.” 
  • Jessica wonders which one of the cheerleaders is in “therapy and on anti-anxiety meds.”  
  • When Rico’s brother has a fever, she gives him ibuprofen. 

Language  

  • Profanity is used often. Profanity includes variations of ass, asshole, bitch, crap, dumbass, damn, hell, pissed, shit and motherfu–.  
  • Lord, God, Jesus, and other religious names are used as explanations often.  
  • When Rico wakes up next to Zan, she thinks, “Might as well have a red letter T for tramp tattooed on my cheek.” 
  • Rico thinks someone is a douche-jackass and a son-of-a-bitch. 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • Zan is Catholic and goes to mass “when [his] grandma makes [him].” 
  • Rico thinks about God. “The whole God thing has always been a little suspect to me.” Rico’s mom would listen to the “sermon station” but this just made Rico question God’s goodness. “But for as long as I can remember, Mama has prayed without ceasing, and . . . well, I find it tough to believe this God character is so great when we continue to barely scrape by despite how hard Mama works and prays.” 
  • At one point, Rico thinks that God will “smite us [her and Zan] for all these lies we’re telling.” 
  • While at a wedding, Rico looks at Zan and thanks “whatever God is worshipped in this church for the fact that I’m already sitting.” 
  • Rico’s boss has heavy security on his computer. Rico explains, “He got new software just after the store was broken into and trashed by anti-Muslim douchefaces last August.”  
  • Rico goes to Zan’s house to eat dinner with his family. Zan’s father prays, thanking God for the food and his successful business. Then he says, “Lord, we thank you for our young Alejandro [Zan], and for the light that has recently graced his life, pulling him out of darkness—” Zan’s father was talking about Rico. 
  • Zan’s grandmother invites Rico to mass and then asks if Rico is a believer. The conversation gets interrupted before Rico can answer. 

Magical Imperfect

Etan is a twelve-year-old boy whose life is full of silence, earthquakes, and a bit of magic. He lives in a world that is both familiar and unfamiliar. The ground beneath his feet is constantly shaking, threatening to upend everything he knows. But despite the danger, Etan finds solace in the game of baseball, a sport that has been a part of his life since he was old enough to hold a bat.

However, Etan’s world is turned upside down when his mother is admitted to a mental institution. He suddenly finds himself unable to express his thoughts and feelings because his words are trapped inside his head. Without the ability to communicate, Etan feels isolated from the other kids his age since he is unable to reach out and connect with them.

But there is one person who understands him better than anyone else: his grandfather. Raised in a close-knit community of immigrants, Etan’s grandfather knows the value of acceptance and understanding. He doesn’t judge Etan for his silence, but instead offers him the comfort and support he needs to navigate this difficult time.

Not everyone in the community is as kind-hearted as Etan’s grandfather. When a local shopkeeper asks Etan to run an errand for him, this sets off a chain of events that will change Etan’s life forever. While running the errand, Ethan Meets Malia Agbayani, whom the boys at school have nicknamed “the creature.” At first, Etan is hesitant to approach her, but when he finally does, he discovers a kindred spirit. Despite her nickname, Malia’s voice is like music to Etan’s ears. She sees the world in a unique way, and her perspective helps Etan to find his own voice. As they spend time together, Etan realizes that outside of his community, there is a world full of people who are different but just as valuable. With this newfound understanding, Etan’s world begins to open in ways he never thought possible.

Etan is a truly endearing main character that will captivate the reader’s imagination. His journey through the obstacle of selective mutism is truly inspiring, as he learns how to overcome his personal struggles and create new friendships. As the reader follows his journey, they are taken on a fascinating exploration of his family’s rich Jewish history, with all of its intricate traditions and customs. Through Etan’s eyes, the reader is transported to a world full of magic and wonder, where anything is possible if you believe in yourself. With each passing chapter, the reader will feel more and more invested in Etan’s story, eagerly anticipating what will happen next and how he will continue to grow as a person.

Readers will also be captivated not only by the wisdom and mysticism displayed by Etan’s grandfather but also by the rich cultural context he provides. Through his tales from his homeland in Prague, the grandfather shares his deep knowledge of the Jewish religion and the Hebrew language. Moreover, his character serves as a powerful reminder that everyone has the ability to create magic in the world – all that is required is a strong belief and a heart full of love. The reader cannot help but be inspired by the grandfather’s teachings, and they will come away with a renewed appreciation for the beauty and diversity of world cultures.

The Magical Imperfect is a heartwarming tale that emphasizes the value of embracing diversity and the true meaning of unity. The author beautifully showcases the power of empathy and compassion, and how they have the ability to bring people together. Through vivid descriptions and relatable characters, The Magical Imperfect teaches us that our differences should be celebrated rather than feared and that we should strive to build bridges of understanding and respect. Overall, this book is an excellent reminder of the importance of kindness and acceptance in our increasingly diverse world. This is a rich, rewarding, and deeply moving story that is sure to touch the hearts of readers of all ages.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • Malia, Etan’s friend, introduces Etan to a spot that is full of magic. “These are the Sitting Stones. This is where the trees listen the most. The pool is magical . . . But this water is magic.”
  • During an earthquake, Ethan gets a small cut on his arm. His grandfather sees the cut and decides to show him the power of the clay. Grandfather pulls Ethan close “presses down his two clay fingers on the cut on my arm . . . The cut is gone. I search with my fingers, trace my skin up and down, and back and forth . . . Then it feels like the world starts to spin cold and warm all at once. . .” Ethan’s grandfather explains, “Your body, Etan, it’s experienced something from another time, an ancient thing giving its power to something new right now.”
  • Etan and Malia visit the Sitting Stones and he begins to wonder if the clay inside the pool could heal. He wonders if it would help heal Malia’s eczema issues.
  • Another object that is considered magical is a small green stone that Etan is given. The stone helps give him the strength to find words to speak. His grandfather explains,  “This, he says, is a bareket, an emerald, an ancient, powerful stone, like from the breastplate of Aaron . . . When you feel afraid to speak, hold the stone in your hand, tight tight tight, and it will bring you courage.” 
  • In order to heal Malia’s eczema, Etan and Malia combine his grandfather’s clay and the clay from the Sitting Stones pool. Ethan puts “clay on two fingers, dab it onto her face, around her eye. I [Ethan] pray, think of the trees, the pool, my green bareket, somewhere in the water . . . When most of the clay is off my hands, Malia starts humming, her voice like light. ‘Look!’ she cries. Her red, swollen arms are smooth, clear, like the red was never there.” To both of their amazement, the clay makes the redness disappear. 

Spiritual Content 

  • Etan’s family holds religion near and dear to their heart. His grandfather is a Jewish immigrant that uses his religion and the magic associated with it to teach Etan different lessons about life. He often reminds Etan how important it is to remember his heritage and the different objects that help represent them. When Etan’s grandfather leaves his workshop early, it is usually for a specific religious activity, like lighting the Shabbat Candles. “When he leaves extra early so he can be home to light the Shabbat candles. The candles, he says, they make us Jews.”
  • Etan’s grandfather has a small box full of valuables from his life in Prague. He believes that the objects within hold a magical power that each represents a different thing. The object most talked about in the book is the clay. “This is the last of the clay taken from the Vlata River by your ancestor, the Maharal himself . . . It’s the clay of the golem; it once made a terrible monster that defended the Jewish people in their time of great need.”
  • There are mentions of aspects of the Jewish religion throughout the text, but it isn’t until Etan begins to pray when using the clay on Malia, that there is a full string of Hebrew language used. “Baruch ata Adonaim Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.” This is the prayer that they say for bread at Shabbat.

Fast Pitch

Twelve-year-old Shenice Lockwood is the captain of her 12U softball team, the Fulton Firebirds, and she has only one goal this season: to win the DYSA 12U World Championship title. Not only would a championship reaffirm the obvious talent of her teammates, but it would also send a bigger, more important message to the softball world. That message would be that her all-black softball team belonged in their all-white league and deserved recognition and respect. 

However, when Shenice learns that her great grandpa JonJon’s baseball career was ruined by a crime he didn’t commit, she seeks the help of her Uncle Jack to uncover the truth of her family’s past. Faced with the pressure and the impossible decision between clearing her family’s name or leading her team to victory, Shenice must make a fateful choice that will forever change the game of softball.

From the start, readers will fall in love with the spunky, energetic Shenice Lockwood, who tells this story in her own humorous, yet authentic manner. Many readers will find Shenice’s heart to lead, love, and serve admirable. Her actions and decisions reveal a protagonist who’s determined to seek the truth and fight for equality. Whether it’s leading her teammates on a championship run, clearing an incident that put her great grandfather JonJon in jail, or admitting her feelings for her best friend Scoob, Shenice portrays the realistic struggles of a twelve-year-old girl amidst a topsy-turvy life.

Alongside Shenice, the book features several exciting side characters that push Shenice toward action and reflection. Whether it’s Shenice’s Uncle Jack, her hot-headed best friend Britt-Marie Hogan, or her teammates, Shenice’s interactions with these characters will keep the readers engaged with their quippy dialogue, profound revelations, and heartfelt conversations. Although Shenice doesn’t display drastic character growth, her view of softball does change, and she learns that some things, like winning a championship trophy, aren’t so important in the grand scheme of things. One of her teammates highlights this lesson by telling Shenice that “I did want to win, even just to make my dad proud. But what you were doing felt super important. And I think he would’ve been proud of me helping with that, too.”

Of course, the sport of softball plays a major role in the book, and readers will enjoy the frequent, fast-paced game scenes that break up the surrounding plotline. Thanks to the realistic plays, descriptions, and lingo, readers will feel completely immersed in the game of softball. The story also uses these game sequences as an important motivator for Shenice by reminding her of her great grandpa JonJon and her vow to clear his name.

By exploring the fractured relationship between the white and black communities, Fast Pitch addresses deeper topics such as discrimination in sports and the present-day struggles of the black community. Throughout its short eighteen chapters, the story captures the problem of inequality from a very mature perspective. Shenice’s troublesome experiences teach her to not ignore the past but to “dust [herself] off and get [her] head back in the game” despite the difficulties and hardships. As a result, she learns to overcome the various ways of discrimination in her life, like hurtful insults and Confederate flags. She chooses to pave her own future through the inclusion, recognition, and love for others on her softball team. Overall, Fast Pitch is more than just a softball story — it’s a tale that emphasizes the importance of love, family, and equality through a young girl’s quest to win a championship trophy.

Sexual Content

  • Shenice Lockwood’s parents listen to their favorite song and then, “they’re just smoochin’ away like nobody else lives here.”
  • Shenice develops feelings for a friend named Scoob. Her “face gets warm” and “palms go damp” when she’s around him.
  • On multiple occasions, Shenice says something about Scoob and how he makes her feel. For example, she wonders, “has he always had that cute mole under his eye . . . which for some reason is making my heart beat faster [and] which sparks all these swirly-tummy feelings?”

Violence

  • Shenice relays a memory where a girl slid into her ankle during a game. When Shenice tried to block home plate during a close play, the girl slid into her and “ripped through my tall socks and took out two large (for a nine-year-old, at least) chunks of my flesh. There was blood everywhere.” Her ankle is fractured.
  • Shenice slices her arm open on a shard of wood sticking out from a damaged door. She falls unconscious and finds herself in the hospital for treatment. “My right shoulder hits something that causes a snap, and then there’s a searing pain in my left forearm.”

Drugs and Alcohol

  • None

Language

  • When surprised, Shenice exclaims, “oh my god.” She does this several times. 
  • Shenice tells her best friend to “shut up.” 
  • Once, Shenice utters, “dang it,” in frustration.
  • One of Shenice’s teammates calls an opposing team’s girl an “apple-haired she-devil.”
  • “Idiot” is used once.
  • Once, the coach calls an opposing team “bigots.”
  • Several characters in Shenice’s team create creative nicknames for others, like “sour green-with-too-much-envy white dude.”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content

  • Shenice’s mom begins one breakfast with a prayer: “Let’s say grace and get to eating before Li’l Man inhales the table.”
  • Shenice’s mom says “A-MEN” to affirm that Shenice’s grandparents are watching Shenice up from heaven.
  • Shenice acknowledges that “divine intervention” has helped everything fall into place.
  • Shenice visits her Uncle Jack at the hospital. Shenice “did something I don’t typically do: I prayed.”
  • Shenice believes that her great grandpa JonJon and great uncle Jack are “together again in whatever nice place we go after we’re not in our Earth bodies anymore.”

Random Acts of Kittens

When Natalia Flores finds a lost cat with a litter of newborn kittens, she is desperate to keep one of them. Whether or not her mami says yes to a new pet, the rest of the kitties will need homes — and Natalia has the purrfect plan. With help from her friend Reuben, Natalia starts an anonymous online account to find each cat the right owner. But as her classmates apply, her matchmaking scheme gets more complicated. And when her former best friend Meera applies for a kitten, Natalia doesn’t know what to do. Will her attempt to spread kindness help heal their friendship, or simply tear her and Meera further apart? 

Random Acts of Kittens has a slow start because a lot of kitten facts are introduced. While the facts will be helpful for readers who don’t know a lot about cats, others may find the fact-heavy pages boring. In addition to the slow start, readers may have a difficult time connecting with Natalia because at first, she is very unlikable. She complains about not having any friends; however, it’s hard to sympathize with her because she tries to manipulate people and situations to get others to like her. Her main concern is how other people perceive her. Despite this, she does learn and grow through her experiences. 

Random Acts of Kittens has several positive aspects, including teaching the importance of finding animals a loving forever home. It also highlights the difficulty in finding families to adopt older animals. In addition, Natalia connects what she learned about kittens to her life. By taking care of the kittens, Natalia realizes that “I didn’t have to divide my love up between [the kittens]—I would always have more than enough to go around.” Natalia applies this lesson to her life because now she understands that her mother loves both her and her sister equally, even if she gives one more attention when needed. 

Many middle-grade readers will relate to Natalia’s conflicts with her family and friends. Even though Natalia’s life is full of conflict, in the end, she learns the importance of communication and forgiveness. The heartfelt conclusion shows Natalia’s personal growth when she makes amends with a former friend and prioritizes the kitten’s needs.  

The back of the book also explains how readers can help animals in need. The story’s positive message makes Random Acts of Kittens a book worth reading. Younger kitten-loving readers will find the Pet Rescue Adventures Series by Holly Webb an engaging series with plenty of cat cuteness. Cat lovers will also find plenty of action and adventure by reading the Warriors Series by Erin Hunter. 

Sexual Content  

  • Natalia’s gets a ride to school with her sister, Julieta, and her boyfriend, Hayden. “. . . Julieta got in the shotgun seat and kissed Hayden on the lips. Fireworks and sparkles were exploding in his eyes.” 

Violence  

  • At school, Natalia overhears two boys talking. One, Brigham, says, “My older brother used to shoot at cats up in the canyon. It’s a lot of fun.”  
  • The boy’s conversation reminds Natalia that, “Brigham had been kind of a bully when we were in kindergarten. Whenever I complained about him, the teacher said he was like a puppy that didn’t know his own strength. One day, he pushed me off the swing. I turned around and jabbed him with a one-two-three to the stomach. He never bothered me again.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • Brigham calls Natalia a weirdo and a loser several times.  

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • When Gigi, the momma cat, gets out of the house and can’t be found, Natalia prays. “In a desperate move, I closed my eyes right there in the middle of the sidewalk and sent a prayer to the universe for forgiveness, and for help.”  

Honeysmoke: A Story of Finding Your Color

Simone, a young biracial girl looks around her world for her color. She asks her parents and her classmates, “What color am I?” All of them have a different answer. The girl compares herself to different colors—the black of a tire, the color of chocolate, and finally her coloring pencils. By studying her parents, she finally chooses her own color, and creates a new word for herself―honeysmoke. 

Honeysmoke shows one young girl’s struggle to understand herself. Because she doesn’t look like the other kids at school, she tries to find the right word to describe her skin color. “Simone wants a color, one that shows who she is on the inside and the outside.” In the end, Simone realizes that she is a mix of both her mother and her father and she comes up with a word — honeysmoke — that reflects both of them. The last page of the story reads, “Colors are words. Words are colors. Discover your color word.” The page shows different colors and describes them with creative names such as bronze leaf, copper storm, sugar coal, etc.  

While many readers may not relate to Simone’s conflict, they will recognize the need to understand who they are and how they fit into this world. Honeysmoke encourages readers to embrace each person’s differences including their own. The story would be the perfect conversation starter about heredity as well as loving yourself. 

The illustrations have beautiful and vibrant colors that jump off the page. The students at Simone’s school are diverse and show how each student is unique. In addition, Simone’s skin tone is contrasted with everyday objects that young readers will be familiar with such as glue, teddy bears, and colored pencils. Each page has one to six sentences that use simple vocabulary that makes the message shine. 

Honeysmoke is a beautiful story that highlights the importance of accepting yourself. In addition, the story shows the importance of words and encourages readers to creatively play with words. Adults who are looking for a picture book with a positive message will find Honeysmoke an excellent addition to their library. If you’re looking for another picture book that encourages readers to love their differences, add Angus All Aglow by Heather Smith, Danbi Leads the School Parade by Anna Kim, and I Am Enough by Grace Byers to your reading list. 

Sexual Content  

  • None 

Violence  

  • None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

  • None 

Language  

  • None 

Supernatural 

  • None 

Spiritual Content  

  • None 

The Sea in Winter

Maisie’s life has revolved around ballet since she was four. Her friends, life, and dream of becoming a ballerina all revolve around her love of dance. However, during the critical period when Maisie and her friends are preparing to audition to attend premier dance schools, Maisie injures her knee. Confined to crutches and physical therapy, her injury may prevent her from ever dancing again. Her only hope is to get better by summer. 

However, as her injury persists, Maisie’s family takes a road trip. During this time, she struggles to be happy for her friends who are preparing for their auditions. Maisie also feels disconnected from her family’s happiness. Desperate to prove she’s recovering, Maisie forces herself to go on hikes despite the pain in her knee. Maise’s frustration with her injury makes her feel irritable. She lashes out at her stepfather and her mother during their trip, straining their relationship. Even though she regrets her outbursts, Maisie struggles to find the strength to apologize. 

Eventually, Maisie’s injury worsens because she pushes herself too hard during a hike. Maisie is rushed to the hospital, unable to walk or move her leg without intense pain. With her dream of dancing out of reach, Maisie breaks down and admits that she’s having trouble managing her emotions. She knows she must give up dance, but she feels like she’s giving up on herself. Her stepdad tells her, “None of this means you’ve failed. It just means that you’re moving forward. Which is about the bravest thing any of us can do.”

The Sea in Winter is a story about learning to grow from setbacks. It is an easy read with a simple plot and only a few main characters. However, at times the text is very descriptive, such as long passages about the scenery on the family’s hikes or the food the family eats. Because of these detailed passages, the book moves slowly at times. The overall message—finding the strength to move on during setbacks—is a good lesson, but it can get lost in these descriptions. 

Dancers would enjoy this book because of the use of dancing terms and the occasional flashbacks to Maisie’s ballet classes. These events might be better understood by people with an interest or background in dance. However, familiarity with ballet isn’t necessary because the main story happens after Maisie’s injury.

The book references the Makah and Piscataway cultures, two Indigenous tribes in North America. Maisie’s mother is Makah and her father is Piscataway. Her parents refer to stories about their tribes’ hardships to show Maisie that relying on others during hard times and connecting with one’s culture can help you through major life changes. In a time of grief, Maisie’s mother “turned to the teachings of my ancestors, for one thing. I looked back at our history of resilience and survival. How the Makahs managed to bring their community together, despite horrible events.” 

The narrator, Maisie, is very honest with the reader about how she feels, even when she struggles to admit it out loud. Maisie is in middle school, a trying time for children as they discover who they are and make decisions about their future. Growing up can be confusing and stressful – especially when things don’t go according to plan. Maisie’s frustrations are relatable to anyone who feels like the world is moving on without them. However, no one has to face the world alone. This story emphasizes the power of family as a support structure. It encourages someone who is struggling, to depend on the people around them when they encounter things they cannot handle on their own.

The Sea in Winter ends on a positive note for Maisie as she branches out into new interests and rekindles her relationships with her friends. Though moving on from dance and re-discovering herself is not an easy task, Maisie finds strength in sharing her feelings with others. She relies on her family and stories of perseverance and allows herself to dream new dreams and set new goals. The book ends with Maisie declaring: “I choose onward.”

Sexual Content 

  • Two characters on a TV show kiss. “Phillipe huffs in frustration, takes [Catriona’s] face in both hands, and kisses her on the mouth.”

Violence 

  • The book discusses a protest against the Makah Native Americans, who were legally allowed to resume their tribal tradition of whale hunting. Some of the protestors had signs and bumper stickers that said: “Save a whale, kill a Makah.”
  • Maisie’s father died while serving in Afghanistan. Maisie says, “I know that [my father] was killed in action before my first birthday.”
  • Maisie says that her stepdad’s grandfather, who they called See-yah, was abused in school for speaking his native language. “His teachers tried to beat the Klallam language out of him.” 
  • Maisie’s mother admits that she hit one of the men who delivered the news of Maisie’s father’s death. Maisie’s mother, “hit one of the men square in the chest, and slapped him across the face, before [she] collapsed in a heap on the floor.” 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language   

  • Maisie calls a TV commercial “stupid.”
  • Maisie snaps at her mom and says, “Why are you always on your stupid phone?”
  • Maisie says her injury is the result of “a stupid decision.”

Supernatural 

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer

Mary Golda Ross designed classified airplanes and spacecrafts as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and work.

Cherokee author Traci Sorell and Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross’s journey from being the only girl in a high school math class to becoming a teacher to pursuing an engineering degree, joining the top-secret Skunk Works division of Lockheed, and being a mentor for Native Americans and young women interested in engineering. 

Mary Golda Ross’s amazing life will encourage readers of all ages to pursue their passions by working hard. When Mary attended a state teacher’s college, the boys refused to work with her which motivated Mary to “get better grades than they did.” In her early career, Mary shared her love of math as a teacher. However, when World War II started, Mary went to work at the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, where she helped design fast-flying planes. Later, she worked on spacecrafts that “helped the Apollo space program send astronauts to the moon!” Even though Mary never received public acclaim, that didn’t bother her. Throughout her life, Mary continued to work hard and encourage young women to study math and science.

As the first female engineer for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Mary “modeled the Cherokee value of working together in mind and heart.” Mary also wasn’t afraid to ask questions. Even though Mary was the only female, she proved herself a capable engineer. “Her male colleagues respected her intellect, her drive to solve problems, and how she worked in the team.” These qualities allowed Mary to make a positive impact in the world. 

Mary’s experiences come to life in realistic illustrations that use muted colors. One of the best aspects of the illustrations is their ability to incorporate math and science. For example, one picture shows a series of images of teenage Mary using a microscope, helping with a science experiment, and performing another task; around these pictures are math equations. Pictures of planes and drafting pages are incorporated into many of the illustrations.

Even though The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer is a picture book, the story is intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Each page has one to four complex sentences that will be difficult for beginning readers to tackle on their own. In addition, the book contains some advanced vocabulary such as colleagues, orbiting satellites, concepts, and classified. Even though some readers will not understand all the book’s concepts during the first read, The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross is still an excellent book to share with young readers.

The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer is an American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award Honor Picture Book; this award to given to stories that represent Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity. This picture book is a must-read not only because it introduces a woman of importance, but also because “the narrative highlights Cherokee values including education, working cooperatively, remaining humble, and helping ensure equal opportunity and education for all.” To learn more about women who made notable contributions in engineering, read Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker and Mae Among The Stars by Roda Ahmed.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • None

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • None

Language 

  • None

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • None

She Persisted: Maria Tallchief

Maria “Betty” Tallchief was one of the most famous American ballerinas who trailblazed onto the international ballet scene, but her rise to prima ballerina did not come easy. As another installment in the She Persisted series, Maria’s story follows her from her early years through her rise to international stardom.

Maria Tallchief was raised as part of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma and moved to California as a child. Her mother signed Maria up for ballet, and she loved it. Although she faced adversity because of her mixed heritage, she persisted because she loved the sport. Desiring to be a professional ballerina, Maria worked hard and moved to New York City to pursue her dreams.

To help her stand out in the ballet world, “Betty” was encouraged to change her name. While she changed her first name to Maria, she adamantly refused to change her last name from Tallchief, as she was proud of her Osage heritage. Because of Maria’s hard work, she became one of the most famous American ballerinas, and she became the first American to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet and work with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, the famed Russian ballet company. Most famously, she performed the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. 

Among her other notable achievements as a ballerina, her signature role Firebird helped launch her fame, and she became the first American to perform at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. Even in retirement, Maria continued to dedicate her time to ballet, moving to Chicago and opening her own ballet studio. She also continued her work in fighting for Native American rights in the United States, proudly speaking of her Osage heritage. Many organizations in Oklahoma to this day have dance studios and awards in her honor, including the University of Oklahoma’s Maria Tallchief Endowed Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to college-level dance students.

Young readers will find Maria Tallchief’s story engaging even if they don’t understand the magnitude of her fame and the scope of her impact on the ballet world. To help keep readers engaged, the book has short chapters and black-and-white illustrations that appear every three to five pages. Maria’s perseverance shines throughout the book and will appeal to a wide audience. 

Readers who enjoyed Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen and other biographies will enjoy Maria’s story because both books show that dreams can come true. She Persisted: Maria Tallchief 

ends with a list of ways that readers can be like Maria and highlights the importance of working hard to achieve your dreams. She Persisted: Maria Tallchief will appeal to readers interested in dance; however, it is also a worthwhile book for all young girls to read because it encourages chasing your dreams through dedication and passion, even in the face of adversity. For more inspirational dance-inspired stories twirl to the library and check out Parker Shines On by Parker Curry & Jessica Curry and Tallulah’s Ice Skates by Marilyn Singer.

Sexual Content 

  • None

Violence 

  • To help readers understand Maria’s upbringing, the book gives a brief overview of the Osage Nation. The narrator describes, “In the 1800s, the Osages and other Native Nations suffered in the area known as Indian Territory, which got smaller and smaller until it made up only most of what is now the state of Oklahoma . . . many Osage children were sent to boarding schools, and Osage elders could only share their histories and traditions in secret.”

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • Maria developed arthritis later in her life, and she treated it with “herbs and Tylenol.”

Language 

  • Maria was often bullied by classmates for being Osage. Classmates made “war whoops” whenever they saw her. They asked her why she didn’t wear feathers in her hair. In addition, they made racist, hurtful comments about her father. They made fun of her last name, pretending to be confused by whether it was Tall or Chief.

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • Maria is part of the Osage nation in Oklahoma, and they have their own religious beliefs and practices. The book notes that her parents “took the family to powwows held in remote corners of the Osage reservation. If they had been caught, they could have gotten in trouble. At the time, Native American ceremonies and gatherings were illegal. (And they would remain illegal until Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978, when Betty was fifty-three years old!)”

The Hate U Give

Angie Thomas’ novel centers around Starr, a sixteen-year-old girl, who within the first thirty pages of the book witnesses her friend Khalil’s brutal murder at the hands of a police officer. The rest of the book follows Starr’s journey of grieving for her friend, testifying to the police, and also dealing with the instances of racism that occur at her predominantly white private school, Williamson. Starr ultimately agrees to testify before a grand jury, to combat their narratives that Khalil is a “drug dealer and gangbanger,” and also to testify that Khalil was doing nothing wrong; he was needlessly murdered. 

Identifying and combating systemic oppression is a major theme in The Hate U Give. In the hopes of getting justice, Starr decides to speak to the police about Khalil’s murder; Starr’s family, her father in particular, supports her decision. Starr realizes that speaking out, speaking to the police, and speaking to the grand jury and the media is ultimately her own way of fighting for Khalil. Starr thinks, “This is how I fight, with my voice.” In her televised interview, Starr risks being attacked by corrupt officers, as well as by gang violence as she implicates the gang’s leader by explaining, “Khalil was forced to sell drugs for him” because “his mom’s life was in danger . . . that’s the only reason he’d ever do something like that.” Starr also grows to realize that, “I don’t understand how everyone can make it seem like it’s okay he got killed if he was a drug dealer and a gangbanger.” Starr connects Khalil’s murder and police brutality in general to assumptions, “[the officer] assumed that we were up to no good. Because we’re black and because of where we live. We were just two kids minding our business. His assumption killed Khalil.”

Starr is an extremely sympathetic character who exemplifies feeling split into two different people: “Garden Heights Starr” in her hometown and “Williamson Starr” at her majority white private school. She desperately wants to feel “the normal where I don’t have to choose which Starr to be. The normal where nobody tells you how sorry they are or talks about ‘Khalil the drug dealer.’ Just . . . normal.” On top of grieving her friend’s death and trying to get him justice, Starr is navigating this sense of dual identity, which many readers may relate to.

Starr’s father is also an extremely sympathetic character and a strong role model for Starr. He talks about getting out of the King Lord gang. He says, “I became a King Lord when I was twelve. Shit, that was the only way to survive . . . Then I became a daddy, and I realized that King Lord shit ain’t worth dying for.” He describes being a “d-boy” and selling drugs as part of his job within the gang. Starr’s father went to prison for three years, “[he] took that charge” instead of letting the leader, King, go to prison for life. By the end of the book, her dad is organizing members from both gangs to work together to protect their neighborhood from riots as the grand jury verdict approaches. He says, “We all mad, but burning down our neighborhood ain’t gonna fix it . . . Y’all gotta come together somehow, man . . . For the sake of the Garden.”

Another major theme is Starr confronting toxic friendship—specifically with her friend Hailey from Williamson Prep. Starr feels distanced from her friend after Hailey “unfollowed my Tumblr.” Starr explains, “I once posted a picture of Emmet Till, a fourteen-year-old black boy who was murdered for whistling at a white woman in 1955. His mutilated body didn’t look human. Hailey texted me immediately after, freaking out . . .She couldn’t believe I would reblog such an awful picture.” Hailey also makes a racist comment to Starr when they’re playing basketball. Hailey says, “Pretend the ball is some fried chicken. Bet you’ll stay on it then.” Starr starts to confront Hailey by saying, “You made a fried chicken comment to the only black girl in the room.” But Starr is not able to truly call Hailey’s behavior out until later. Starr discovers that Hailey is bothered by Starr posting “Petitions. The Black Panther pictures. That post on those little girls who were killed in that church . . . ” Hailey said she did not want to see “all the ‘black stuff,’” showing her true ignorance and the underlying reason for her comments towards Starr. 

Readers who are prepared to handle frequent language and instances of violence will find Starr and her entire family to be strong and relatable characters who truly demonstrate what it means to advocate for yourself and for others. The Hate U Give shows a zoomed-in look at how systemic racism affects Starr, her family, and their community as a whole. The book ends with an important message, that “People are realizing and shouting and marching and demanding. They’re not forgetting. I think that’s the most important part.” These vital themes covered in Thomas’ novel make it a must-read. Explore more books that highlight racism and the need for change by reading I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Kimberly Jones & Gilly Segal and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi.

Sexual Content 

  • Starr mentions how the guys at the party “grind so close to girls that they just about need condoms.” She goes on to explain, “Spring in Garden Heights doesn’t always bring love but it promises babies in the winter.”
  • Starr’s friend, Kenya, tells her about drama with another girl. “You’re so lucky you go to that white-people school and don’t have to deal with hoes like that.”
  • Starr recalls her first kiss with her childhood friend, Khalil. They kissed at Vacation Bible school.
  • When Starr and her boyfriend, Chris, were kissing, her mom and uncle walked in on them. “They pointed out that friends don’t kiss like that.”
  • Starr describes the incident with Chris that made her angry. “Fooling around isn’t new for us, and when Chris slipped his hand in my shorts, I didn’t think anything of it. Then he got me going, and I really wasn’t thinking . . . And right as I was at that moment, he stopped, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a condom. He raised his eyebrows at me, silently asking for an invitation to go all the way.” Starr is angry because “he knew I wasn’t ready for that, we already talked about it, and yet he had a condom? He said he wanted to be responsible, but I said if I’m not ready, I’m not ready.”
  • Starr reveals that her half-brother, Seven, came out of a one-time encounter between their father and a prostitute, “It’s no secret that my big brother is a result of a ‘for hire’ session Daddy had with [a prostitute] after a fight with Momma.”
  • Starr and Chris begin to passionately kiss. “I kiss his lips . . . He kisses me back, and soon we’re making out like it’s the only thing we know how to do. It’s not enough. My hands travel below his chest, and he’s bulging in more than his arms. I start unzipping his jeans . . . ” But Chris stops her because she’s “not in a good place,” as she is extremely stressed waiting for the grand jury’s verdict.

Violence 

  • Starr meets up with Khalil at a party, when suddenly a fight breaks out and she hears, “Pop! A shot rings out. I duck. Pop! A second shot. The crowd stampedes towards the door.” Later in the novel, readers learn that a young boy was shot in an encounter between rival gangs.
  • Khalil explains that he believes the shooting may have been connected to the local gang violence. “Garden Heights has been a battlefield for the past two months over some stupid territory wars.”
  • While Khalil is driving Starr home, police pull him over because his tail light’s broken. For no reason, the officer is aggressive and forces Khalil out of the car. After the officer pats Khalil down “two more times,” Starr thinks the encounter is over. But suddenly, as Khalil walks back to his car, the officer shoots him three times. It is described in detail, “One. Khalil’s body jerks. Blood splatters from his back . . . Two. Khalil gasps . . . Three. Khalil looks at me, stunned. He falls to the ground.” This horrifying scene is described over five pages. 
  • Starr immediately runs to her friend and sees his body “in the street like it’s an exhibit.” While she sits with her friend’s body, “Officer One-Fifteen yells at me, pointing the same gun he killed my friend with.”
  • After Khalil’s murder, Starr has nightmares about another friend’s murder, her friend Natasha, who was killed by an unknown gang member in a drive-by shooting. “It happened six years ago, but I still remember everything from that day . . .Natasha was splashing in the water, all happy and stuff. Then—Pow! Pow! Pow! I dove into a rosebush. At first I thought it was me, ‘cause I had blood on my shirt. The thorns on the rosebush got me, that’s all. It was Natasha though.” Starr says, “[Natasha’s] blood mixed in with the water, and all you could see was a red river flowing down the street.”
  • Starr’s half-brother, Seven, says his stepdad, King, is abusive towards his mom and sisters. “He’ll beat her, she’ll put him out. Then he’ll come back.”
  • Starr’s dad saw his cousin being killed. He says, “A drug deal turned into a robbery, and he got shot in the head twice. Right in front of me.”
  • In Starr’s neighborhood, patrolling officers pull up to her father’s store and when they see his name on his ID, they force him to the ground. A cop yells, “On the ground, face-down!” Then, “The black cop keeps his knee on Daddy’s back as he searches him. He pats him down once, twice, three times, just like One-Fifteen did to Khalil. Nothing.”
  • While watching a basketball game with her family, Starr suddenly hears gunshots. “Glass shatters. Then, pop, pop, pop, pop. Gunshots. ‘Get down!’ Daddy yells . . . Momma’s on top of us, and she wraps her arms around us.” This scene goes on for two pages. Starr feels that this attack is “clearly a message for me” about her speaking to the grand jury. 
  • Hailey tells Starr that, “Somebody was gonna kill [Khalil] eventually,” and, “The cop probably did everyone a favor. One less drug dealer . . . ” Starr “slam[s her] fist against the side of Hailey’s face.” They fight for two pages.
  • Lesha, the King Lord’s gang leader’s wife, threatens Starr’s family. Lesha says, “Can’t wait till King fuck y’all up for letting that girl snitch on him on TV.”
  • Starr joins a peaceful protest and speaks to a crowd, but just as she begins speaking about Khalil’s death, the police throw tear gas at her and the other protestors. “The can of tear gas sails toward us from the cops. It lands beside the patrol car.” Starr picks up the can because “any second it’ll combust,” and “[chucks] it back at the cops.”
  • During the riots, Starr, Seven, and Chris search for her father. When they check on his store, they are trapped when, “A glass bottle with flaming cloth—Whoomf! The store is suddenly lit bright orange . . . Flames lick the ceiling and block the door.” This intense scene lasts three pages. All the protestors struggle to breathe because of the tear gas, but no one is shown to be gravely injured. 

Drugs and Alcohol 

  • The opening scene of the book shows Starr at a party, “A haze lingers over the room, smelling like weed.”
  • Starr tries a drink at the party, but spits it out because, “this is way stronger than what I’m used to. They shouldn’t even call it punch, just straight up liquor.” 
  • Kenya’s friends ask Starr about her school and the parties there. She asks, “I bet they be doing Molly and shit, don’t they? White kids love popping pills.”
  • Starr reveals that Khalil’s mom was not present for much of his life because she was “on crack.”
  • Rosalie, Khalil’s grandmother, tells Starr’s family that Khalil “was selling that stuff” to pay for Rosalie’s cancer treatments, but that “he wanted to stop” because it was so dangerous. 
  • Reflecting on her hometown, Starr says, “Garden Heights has dope boys on corners, but downtown people in business suits wait for crossing lights to change. I wonder if they ever hear the gunshots and shit in my neighborhood.”

Language 

  • The teenagers frequently use profanity such as shit, hell, damn, goddamn, bitch, fuck, and ass. 
  • A recurring exclamation in the book is one of Tupac’s expressions, “Thug Life,” which Khalil explains to Starr stands for, “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody.” He says it means, “what society gives us as youth, it bites them in the ass when we wild out.”
  • A member of the gang The Garden Disciples calls Starr’s brother the N-word and asks, “You Kinging?” Trying to find out if he is with the other gang.
  • Starr sees Khalil at a party and says, “The sea of people parts for him like he’s a brown-skinned Moses.”
  • Occasionally, Starr exclaims, “Thank Black Jesus.”
  • Starr discusses how everyone at her school expects her to date “the only other black kid in eleventh grade . . .Because apparently when it’s two of us, we have to be on some Noah’s Ark type shit and pair up . . .”

Supernatural

  • None

Spiritual Content 

  • Starr explains, “Problem is it would’ve taken Black Jesus to convince my parents to let me come. Now Black Jesus will have to save me if they find out I’m here.”
  • Starr discusses her family’s views on religion: “Momma became a member of Christ Temple Church when she was in Nana’s belly. Daddy believes in Black Jesus but follows the Black Panther’s Ten-Point Program more than the Ten Commandments. He agrees with the Nation of Islam on some stuff, but he can’t get over the fact they may have killed Malcom X.”
  • Before school, Starr’s father leads their family in prayer saying, “Black Jesus, watch over my babies today.”
  • Before Starr testifies in front of the grand jury, her father leads their family in a prayer: “Black Jesus, thank you for this blessing . . . Now, Lord, tomorrow is a big day for my baby girl as she goes before this grand jury. Please give her peace and courage . . . I ask for some mercy, God. That’s all. Mercy for Garden Heights, for Khalil’s family, for Starr.”
  • Starr’s father explains why he named his son Seven, “Seven, that’s a holy number. The number of perfection . . . you’re the perfect gift God gave me.”
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