Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell is the third and last book I read because it's on the required reading list for an online workshop on revising your verse novel that I will be attending later this year thanks to my Highlights Foundation scholarship. A nuanced story in verse exploring multiple perspectives, Mascot reminds us that activism must be intersectional for it to be meaningful. Ms Williams, an eighth grade teacher, invites her class to debate whether the mascot of the school should stay. Callie is convinced that there's no room for debate. It's absurd that people think it's okay to appropriate to use a copper-toned, muscled, tomahawk-wielding caricature as a mascot. Others, however, believe that the mascot honours Native American tradition and it is absurd to replace it with something else. Six eighth-graders from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs begin to talk … [Read more...]
A Melody in Mysore
With Independence Day just around the corner, it's the perfect time to read A Melody in Mysore by Shruthi Rao, a new addition to the Songs of Freedom series. I've thoroughly enjoyed most of the books in the series, some more than others. Set in different parts of the country in the first half of the twentieth century, each book is a snapshot of what it might have been like to be a child during the independence struggle. Growing up in Mysore, Leela is relatively cocooned from the British rule. Under the Maharaja, many feel safe. The British struggle isn't relevant to their lives. But as the freedom struggle sweeps across the nation, questions emerge. How long will they be sheltered? And if Leela wants to join the movement, how can she? The answer is in the title itself: through music. Music isn't for everyone, but Leela discovers just how powerful it can be. Leela's bond with … [Read more...]
Restart
What if you got the chance to start your life all over again? Would you make any changes? Restart by Gordon Korman is a powerful story about getting a second chance. The story opens with Chase Ambrose in hospital. He's fallen off his roof and forgotten everything about who he used to be. And when he returns to school, he doesn't know what to make of the way everyone reacts to him. Slowly, he discovers he was the worst kind of bully. Even as he remembers who he used to be, he needs to decide who he wants to be. I've read just one other book by Gordon Korman, Schooled. Just like in Schooled, it's the characters who drive the story, although the plot is gripping too. Chase Ambrose, erstwhile bully, has us feeling for him, wanting to forgive everything he's done, no matter how bad it may have been. More, each character is vividly drawn--from the other bullies to the girl who's … [Read more...]
Living with Adi
As one of the judges of the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2023, I was delighted to see Living with Adi on Duckbill's list! Even when I was reading the draft, I enjoyed the story and the pace, as well as the way it tackles difficult themes. A sensitively told story about a neurodivergent boy, Living with Adi is a vivid portrayal of complex family life. Employing a range of narrative voices, Zarin Virji tells an engaging story. The book is peopled with well-rounded characters, and Adi's grandmother Shirin's voice was my favourite! I love her no-nonsense attitude and her humour, even though she is the least accepting of Adi's neurodivergence. Living with Adi tackles ASD both gently and realistically. The author portrays a range of attitudes to neurodivergence, from Adi's mother Delna's sense of isolation when she seeks help to deal with Adi, to the bullying Adi faces in school. Each … [Read more...]
Starfish
On nearly any list of "must-read" verse novels for middle-graders, I come across Starfish. I finally read it, and I completely understand why it's on so many lists. There are so many things -- some small, some big -- that make this book special. Twelve-year-old Ellie has Fat Girl Rules to protect herself. She must never draw attention to the way her body jiggles. She should try to be invisible, never make waves. She even holds a pillow in front of herself without even realising it to hide her body as best she can. She knows, however, that her problem is not her being fat. Rather, it is how other people make her feel because she is fat. And the other people, unfortunately, start with her family. Specifically her mother who uses fridge magnets to draw Ellie's attention to articles about losing weight. And her brother, who loses no opportunity to mock her or look at her with … [Read more...]
Where the Heart Should Be
I love historical fiction, and I love novels in verse. And I love Sarah Crossan's books. When all three come together, the chances of my not liking the book are very low! I've read two books (that I remember) about the potato famine in Ireland - Esty's Gold and Twist of Gold. They were both powerful stories, just like Where the Heart Should Be. When people are torn apart, when families die, when the divide between the rich and the poor continues to grow, what is morality? What must we do when the law is on the side of the mighty instead of on the side of the right? And worst of all, where do our loyalties lie when we fall in love? Nell is educated. She loves poetry and can quote it, both in Irish and in English. In fact, she always has a book of poems with her. Even so, she can be nothing better than a scullery maid in the Big House, the house that Lord Wicken rules with an iron … [Read more...]
In the Beautiful Country
Verse novels are beautiful. I love how sparse and hard-hitting they are, and I've been reading them all the more because I've been writing verse too. Uncontrollable came out last year, and Fishbowl will be out later this year. But I read In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo because it's on the required reading list for a workshop that I'm excited to attend later this year. I'm honoured to have received a Highlights Foundation scholarship for an online workshop of my choice, and I've chosen one on revising my verse novel. In the Beautiful Country is the first book I've read for the workshop! The United States of America is the beautiful country. At least, that's what it is called in Taiwan, which is where Anna, aka Ai Shi, is from. But is it a beautiful country when she cannot understand what her schoolmates are saying? Is it a beautiful country when she is teased and bullied for … [Read more...]
How to Win an Election: A Most Unreliable Guide
It's voting season, the best time to read How to Win an Election: A Most Unreliable Guide! I would argue, however, that any time is a good time to read the book because it's hilarious, light, and fun. When Sachin is disqualified from standing for the middle school elections, he does the next best thing. He becomes the campaign manager for his best friend Mini. He comes up with the best ideas. Taco Tuesday! A new snazzy name for Mini--eM! A rap song! Unfortunately, someone is out to sabotage their campaign. A lizard--whose species Sachin recognises--soils a competitor's nomination papers. A rap song maligning another candidate is written on the bathroom mirror. Everything is carefully chosen to frame Mini and Sachin, right up to the time that Mini is disqualified too. The duo must clear their names, and they engage in undercover spying, a little bit of lying, and a chase to … [Read more...]
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Recently, I reread The Girl Who Drank the Moon and then looked through my blog to see what I'd written about it the first time I read it. That's when I realised I hadn't written about it at all! It's such a gorgeous read that I have no idea how I skipped writing about it! As often happens with me, I was drawn to the book by its gorgeous cover. And when I started reading, I was enchanted. Detailed world-building, intricate plotting and a delightful balance of seriousness and humour come together in this middle-grade work of fantasy. Most of all, though, I love how poetic and beautiful it is. The Protectorate is always shrouded in a fog of sorrow. This is because every year, on the Day of Sacrifice, the youngest child is given up to appease the Witch in the Woods. No one knows why the Witch wants babies. But everyone knows that if the Witch is not appeased, she will destroy the … [Read more...]
Twitch
Often, I read books like Twitch with a very clear agenda in mind--to decide whether to read it with my book club. One chapter in, and I was sure I would not. The beginning seemed rather too violent for me to read with a group online, when I cannot necessarily gauge how each child is reacting to it. It's a terrible scene, which comes alive with a graphic description of how a group of bullies would kill a pigeon. The next chapter seemed equally violent, but by then, I was sucked into the story. And soon, there was no stopping me. I read on and on, enjoying the pace, the descriptions and the style of the story. I love the gentleness of the narrative, and the fact that it lets the reader fully experience the poetry and beauty of nature. Twitch, the protagonist, is a sensitive, observant character, who makes us listen to the dawn chorus as the birds around him awake. He makes us feel the … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Next Page »