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Wicked Heir by Gwen Alyson

Author: Gwen Alyson

Summary: Wicked Heir follows Saoirse, the young Irish Fae Princess who enters and marriage arrangement with the charming Emrys, Crown Prince to the Northern Fae to avoid spending the rest of her life at the Matron House. Unfortunately the union is complicated by the appearance of, Kieran, a former lover with malicious intent who is determined to destroy their happiness. Wicked Heir is a heartfelt story of found family, overcoming fear, and celebration of what it feels like to find a true home.

Wicked Heir is a beautifully written story that I found myself reading late into the night absolutely fascinated by the characters on the page. The journey Saoirse goes on is dynamic as she learns her power and is given the space to grow and develop in her own power. Saoirse is surrounded by a cast of characters who represent home, giving her a found family where she is safe to find her own space in the world. The Dukes and Duchesses quickly became some of my favorite characters in the book and I really found myself attached to Cyprian and Isolde throughout the story. Isolde’s chaotic nature felt extremely familiar to me, but all the characters felt real, honest, and dynamic making the story come alive on the page.

Wicked Heir is dual POV following both Emrys and Saoirse within the story giving a perspective many romance readers yearn for. Emrys is self assured, but always emotionally available to the reader making him a complex hero when he second guesses himself or the advice others give him. Emrys is cheeky and fun as a hero and I can see so many women falling head over heels in love with him.

Overall, I loved this book and I can’t wait to see where the author will take the story next. It definitely falls into the adult category so be aware there are some steamy/spicy scenes in it but it’s a wonderful love story and you will find yourself falling in love with the characters along the way. If you are looking for a historical fantasy with a heavy dose of romance I highly recommend this book!

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Info 5420 Book Reviews

Children's Books

Young Adult Books

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Standing in the Need of Prayer by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by Frank Morrison

Category: Coretta Scott King Winner

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrator: Frank Morrison

Summary: Standing in the Need of Prayer is a children's book that retells Black American History through the words of a popular spiritual. It shows the progress that has been made but doesn't stray from the harsh realities of the history Black Americans have faced. It shows modern and historical leaders through the rewritten words of the spiritual, Standing in the Need of Prayer.

Justification: A Coretta Scott King winner is always a useful addition to any library but this one is unique in the way that it tells its story. Music is culturally and significantly important in many cultural communities and this book would be an asset in a music class teaching about the importance of music and how to break down lyrics in a way that tells a story.

Illustration: The illustration in this book is beautiful and powerful. From the beginning the illustrator does not shy away from difficult imagery, showing the harsh realities of life for Black Americans in the South. The imagery is jarring and scary but becomes more hopeful and exciting as the story continues. As history develops the imagery lightens up and becomes stronger and brighter representing kids as they see the world today.

Writing: The writing felt like a song. The writing in the book is a retelling of a popular spiritual, the history of which is strongly rooted in Black American culture. Spirituals were often sung on plantations representing hope amongst the struggles of slaves as they dealt with horrendous and dehumanizing treatment. The use of a spiritual to give agency back and discuss how far Black Americans have come since those days lends hope to future change and a renewal of the spirit in fighting for that change. While that is something that young children may not pick up on, it's a useful observation for adults reading the story because they can discuss how much history has changed over time.

Theme: The major theme in this story is hope. Hope for the future, hope for change, and hope for a world free of the strife of the past. This story goes from shades of brown and gray to a world of color showing how history has changed and opened up over time. The changemakers and leaders are shown in full color representing the hope they bring to the world. The words in the book become more hopeful and feature a call to action as the book progresses. The book's hope in the future is evident in every aspect and is a beautiful addition to any library or classroom.

Weatherford, C. B. (2022). Standing in the need of prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual. Crown Books for Young Readers.

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Where Wonder Grows by Xelena Gonzalez, Illustrated by Adriana Garcia

Category: Pura Belprè Winner

Author: Xelena Gonzalez

Illustrator: Adriana Garcia

Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press

Summary: Where Wonder Groes is about a young girl learning about the cultural significance of different natural elements in her Grandmother's Garden. While exploring the garden they learn more about the rocks and crystals important to their community and what they represent.

Justification: This book is a Pura Belprè winner and a valuable addition to any collection. González's books have a unique beauty and significance to them representing Indigenous communities and a connection to the natural world not represented in other stories.

Illustrations: The illustrations in this book were full of jewel tone colors and felt like dreams as I read through the book. The impressionistic style moves the reader through the story as if they are floating just outside of the periphery, experiencing a memory through the eyes of a young girl. The dreamy nature of the art style lends itself to the storytelling and helps the reader to picture more of the story than is given to us. Our imagination fills in the blanks and makes the story come alive in crystalline jewel tones as we look through the prisms of the crystal imagining ourselves within it.

Writing: The writing in this book is melodic and beautiful which lends itself to the dreamlike state of the illustrations. We feel as though we are floating through and experiencing the world through a prism, catching glimpses of words and fleeting moments of sage advice from the Grandmother. The writing contains wonder, and the text says precisely what it needs in each moment. There are pages with a lot of text and others with no text mirroring the moment that the characters are taking to breathe, live, and think in the moment.

Message: Where Wonder Grows is all about listening to nature and the ways it can heal and influence us as humans. The grandmother spends the book explaining how we can interpret different pieces of the natural world and how the rocks remind us of different aspects of ourselves. "They remind us how small we are in this big world . . . and how very powerful." Where wonder grows shows the importance of wonder in a world bigger than ourselves and the things we can learn about ourselves when we wonder.

González, X. (2022). Where wonder grows. Cinco Puntos Press.

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Hot Dog by Doug Salati

Category: Caldecott Winner

Author: Doug Salati

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary: Summer in New York City is just a little too hot for this adorable dachshund. While walking through the hot streets he collapses on the street and refuses to move so his owner takes him to the beach for a breath of fresh air.

Justification: I picked this book because I had read most of the other Caldecott books already and I thought it would be an interesting change of pace from the other books I have been reading. When looking at this book in a library it makes sense because it features a loveable main character in the dachshund and the universal annoyance at the heat of summer. It reminds me of a book from my youth, Hotter than a Hot Dog, which was an interesting throwback when reading this book. Hot Dog is a great read-aloud for classrooms getting ready for summer.

Illustrations: The illustrations in this book were gorgeous and flowing. Scenes in the city were full of reds and oranges, the pages claustrophobic and cluttered with people making the world feel like too much. This was contrasted with drawings at the beach which were more open and complemented by shades of blue and green. The words were few but the illustrations gave the reader the complete sensory picture throughout the book as it transitioned from bright morning colors to darker nighttime hues.

Writing: The writing in this book was purposeful and efficient giving voice to the emotions in the main character. The words were full of emotion, personifying the world around the dog in the way that the author imagines they are experiencing the world. "Moon rises, skyline shimmers" points out the aspects of the world the dog is noticing but doesn't contain all the other thoughts and worries humans might attribute to the world around them.

Themes: Hot Dog is about the importance of resting and how others help us to take time for ourselves when we are overwhelmed. In the beginning of the book, the dog is clearly overwhelmed and refuses to move so his owner takes him to find a breath of fresh air. This book is useful for a discussion where we talk about ways we can take a rest if we are feeling overwhelmed.

Salati, D. (2022). Hot dog: (Winner of the 2023 Caldecott Medal). Knopf Books for Young Readers.

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Mother Goose Goes to India by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal, Illustrated by Wazza Pink

Category: Poetry

Author: Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal

Summary: Mother Goose Goes to India is a book of popular nursery rhymes retold using Indian cultural symbols and language. The book explores the different names and cities in India while teaching students about important holiday traditions and experiences.

Justification: This is a great book for librarians interested in growing their diverse books collection or their poetry collection. Mother Goose Goes to India blends popular nursery rhymes that students might know with a diverse culture they may or may not have experienced. This can be useful in a library, reading class, or social studies classroom.

Illustration: The Illustrations in this book were vivid and endearing. The children in the book were diversely portrayed and the book featured Henna style artwork throughout the book. Henna is a dye that is used in India for temporary tattoos during weddings or holidays to celebrate. The inclusion of henna-style artwork in the book created something that was culturally relevant and beautiful but also acted as a celebration of the stories in the book.

Writing: The writing in the book mirrored the traditional nursery rhymes we all know and love but with a few twists. The author included words in Hindi within the nursery rhymes and changed aspects to better reflect Indian culture. This switch makes the book and the text more inclusive and more interesting for students reading the stories. When introducing this book into a classroom read-aloud or into the library it would be a great opportunity to share some of the beautiful differences in languages around the globe.

Theme: Thematically this book is a cultural celebration. At its core, it's about the fact that we are all connected through our love of language and stories even though we might express them differently around the globe. I found this book to be fun and engaging to read for students and will invite some fun discussions for teachers and students.

Sehgal, K., & Sehgal, S. (2022). Mother Goose goes to India. Simon and Schuster.

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Salt Magic by Hope Larson, Illustrated by Rebecca Mock

Category: Graphic Novel

Author: Hope Larson

Publisher: Holiday House

Summary: Salt Magic follows a young girl, Vonceil, on a farm in Oklahoma. When her older brother arrives home from war and marries a girl, Vonceil feels like she's losing her best friends and gets jealous. Suddenly a mysterious woman shows up and blames Vonceil's older brother for leaving her during the War and curses the family's water supply. Vonceil sets out on a quest to break the family's new curse interacting with some interesting characters along the way.

Justification: I have loved Hope Larson's Goldie Vance series since the beginning and my students have loved her books as well. When I was looking up graphic novel options Salt Magic popped up as one of the choices on the YALSA list and I knew it would be a great book to read and review. Larson's books are accessible from elementary to high school and are entertaining for all ages to read. This story is visually intriguing and unique in its world and cast of characters.

Illustration: The illustrations in this book are so interesting. It's set in Oklahoma but has this candyfloss, pastel color scheme that is unique to the setting of this book. One of the witches in the story has a type of magic that involves candy which influences the color scheme of this book. The bolder the colors the more the emotions are felt within the story. Considering the story takes place just after World War I, and in Oklahoma it opposes everything you expect the world to look like, which considering magic opposes everything Vonceil knows makes sense.

Writing: The writing was simple for this but the story was good. There were aspects of the plot that I didn't' expect and it was cool to be shocked along with Vonceil as a character. The characters who were from Oklahoma spoke had a clear accent in the writing, characters who represented magic were a bit more unusual.

Characterization: Vonceil starts out in the story as a jealous child and grows up to a mature young woman through her experiences in the story. We see Vonceil make sacrifices she never would have made at the beginning in order to protect those she loves the most. There is a full circle moment at the end of the book when she interacts with her brother's child and it's a story about a young girl finding her power and discovering what's important.

Larson, H. (2021). Salt Magic. Holiday House.

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The Strangest Thing in the Sea: And Other Curious Creatures of the Deep

Category: Nonfiction

Author: Rachel Poliquin

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Summary: The Strangest Thing in the Sea is about the various creatures that live in the ocean. Many of the creatures shown in the book live in the deepest parts of the ocean and have special adaptations to help them survive making them seem a little "strange" to an outsider.

Justification: This is a great book for elementary collections because of the knowledge it has about marine life. Not only does it teach about the various animals within the text, it goes into detail about animals that aren't normally featured in marine biology books. I worked at an aquarium and I didn't know half of these creatures but when I looked them up I immediately recognized them from the book.

Illustration: The illustrations were one of the best parts of this book. Although they were illustrated in a way that felt appealing to children they were very accurate. I was able to find photographs that mirrored the pictures I saw in the book. The book is really cool because it shows what the creature looks like before it shows the actual drawing of the creature. For example, with yeti crabs, the first page showed a pile of pirate skulls but then you flipped the page and saw the yeti crabs piled up instead. It showed how we might misinterpret something as strange at first but there is usually a reason something in the ocean looks the way it does.

Writing: The writing was unexpected. For each of the creatures, it gives a riddle and then solves the riddle when you lift the page. For Example, I live with hundreds of friends and together we look like a mountain of skulls, heaped like a pirate treasure at the bottom of the ocean." then it asks the question "Am I the strangest thing in the sea?" This book is extremely interactive with both the pictures and the text pulling students in who might not normally be interested in a nonfiction book about sea creatures.

Message: Things aren't always what they seem. Things that seem strange are unique and important in their own way. The environment needs all sorts to work and sometimes our environment impacts how we work which is shown through the creatures that are picked throughout the story.

Poliquin, R. (2021). The strangest thing in the sea: And Other Curious Creatures of the Deep. Kids Can Press Ltd.

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Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate

Category: LGBTQ+

Author: Harry Woodgate

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Summary: Grandad's Camper is about a young girl who goes to visit her Grandad. While visiting her Grandad he tells her stories of his late husband, her Gramps, and all their adventures in the camper over the years. Together they decide to fix up the camper and go on some adventures of their own in memory of Gramps.

Justification: LGBTQ+ books are all over the news but this book is a great example of a wholesome, sweet representation that shows a piece of our community. LGBTQ+ books are important for students who identify as LGBTQ+, have LGBTQ+ family members, or could potentially interact with an LGBTQ+ person in the future. These are all reasons this book is important and necessary in the library but also it's just a sweet wholesome story about a girl who loves her grandfather which is valuable in and of itself.

Illustration: The illustrations in this book are whimsical and detached which represents the memories that are being experienced through the stories that the young girl's grandfather tells her. The colors are bright, representing the happiness that Grandad shared with Gramps and the life he is still living sharing with his granddaughter.

Writing: The writing is simple and mirrors a Granddaughter talking to her Grandad. They each take turns in the dialogue interacting with each other "There's a big cherry tree, which if you shake just enough . . . Yum!" Lines like this draw the reader in when read aloud and help the children listening to the story become part of the story. The vocabulary of the story is accessible to young elementary schoolers and would be a good read-aloud for teachers who have inclusive libraries.

Theme/Message: The theme of this book is about the importance of sharing memories and enjoying time with the ones we love. The young girl gets the chance to spend time with her Grandad learning bout her Gramps and then gets to spend time fixing up the camper. The time we spend with people should be cherished and this is a theme applicable to all students in the classroom.

Woodgate, H. (2023). Grandad’s camper. Simon and Schuster.

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Blue by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Category: Bluebonnet Books

Author: Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary: Blue by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond is a history of the color blue or more specifically, indigo. The color has a vast history spanning from Afghanistan to the American South but is uniquely tied to workers and African American History.

Justification: This book is one of the Bluebonnet Award books but it's also a valuable nonfiction book about the unknown history of the color blue. For young students learning their colors, this may be more valuable for the vivid illustrations, but for older elementary students who have a well-established knowledge of colors, this could be an interesting perspective they haven't thought of before. Blue could be valuable in both a history or art classroom for engaging students in a unique way.

Illustration: The illustrations for this book are bold and colorful. They take up every inch of the page and are in a rainbow of colors, often sticking to one main color on each layout but mostly favoring the color blue. Blue is central to the story because blue is the story being told. When associated with other colors the eye is drawn to the blue on the page focusing our attention on what the author is pointing out in the text. The colors are engaging and interesting for children which lead them to become more interested in the book as a whole.

Writing: The writing is simple but holds a lot of weight, it reads like free verse and flows within the story from one page to another. The writing does have some high-level vocabulary such as "scarcity," "mystery," "holy," and "cruel" which if a child doesn't know the context they may have a hard time picking up on. It is worth pre-teaching those words in order to make sure the story is accessible

Theme: We often forget how much is tied to culture and how things became something we take for granted today. I remember when the book "Salt" came out and it went into detail about the complex history of something we all keep on our tables and in our kitchens and people were shocked by it. I'm a tea drinker and tea has a long history that a lot of people don't realize. Brew-Hammond brings in a lot of these ideas but makes them accessible for young kids who haven't had to interact with a big change in perspective before.

Brew-Hammond, N. E. (2022). Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

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The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Category: Newberry Medal Winner

Author: Donna Barba Higuera

Publisher: Chronicle Books

“The stories we tell ourselves make us who we are.” ― Donna Barba Higuera, The Last Cuentista

Summary: The Last Cuentista is about a young girl, Petra, who travels away from Earth with her family as a comet moves to destroy it. Petra and her family are part of a select few chosen by the government to escape the inevitable destruction of the earth due to her parent's value as scientists. Petra and her family will sleep for 300 years and awaken with new knowledge valuable to the community they will be a part of in the future. Petra loves stories and storytelling more than anything else and elects to learn great stories alongside her required subjects of botany and geology. Unfortunately, the journey goes awry and the ship is taken over by a dangerous group that changes everyone's plans, ejecting anyone from the ship who doesn't meet their standards. Petra wakes up and realizes that she must conform to fit in but holds her favorite stories close to her heart with the hope to tell them again.

Justification: This book is a Newberry medal winner which is always a valuable addition to a library collection. In addition to its Newberry status, it's an interesting book for collections that don't have a large science fiction collection. I think this book would fit best in collections for 6th - 8th-grade students as some of the themes could be a little mature or scary for elementary students. The book features a young girl from Santa Fe, New Mexico that speaks Spanish and tells many of the stories from Mexican and Indigenous communities.

Writing: The writing in this book was beautiful. When reading a book about a young girl who wants to be a storyteller the writing has to be beautiful to reflect the idealism of that young girl. The writing represents what Petra wants to become which I found really interesting as an adult reader, but I'm not sure a middle school student would pick up on. The text switches between Spanish and English flawlessly which was lovely to see represented in a Newberry winner. Spanish was always given first and English second which felt more honest to the character's experiences. As the audience, we were being let in on her thoughts and her life, not the other way around.

Characterization: Petra is incredibly mature and brave for her age. I cannot imagine having the reaction she has to her situation at my current stage of life so I'm even more impressed by the characterization. Higuera used the writing I mentioned previously to represent Petra and her idealism, but she also used other characters' responses to Petra to show Petra's effect on others.

Theme: The Last Cuentista is all about the strength we find in our stories and each other. Our hope comes from our history and the fact that we have overcome before and will overcome again. Petra is resilient to situations that adults couldn't even imagine and is kept alive and hopeful by the stories she tells which is a valuable lesson for all reading this book.

Higuera, D. B. (2021). The last cuentista. Chronicle Books.

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Eva Evergreen, Semi Magical Witch by Julie Abe

Category: Middle Grade Fantasy

Author: Julie Abe

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

“To show that I deserved this. That I'd fought for this with my blood, sweat, and tears, through the most frightening of storms and against even the most skeptical of mayors or meddlers. To show that someone like me could make her own dreams come true.” ― Julie Abe, Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch

Summary: Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch is about the young witch Eva Evergreen as she embarks on her quest to earn the title of Novice Witch. Eva is the daughter of one of the most powerful witches in the country but possesses only a little bit of magic herself. Despite the sneers from witches above her, she finds herself serving her year in a whimsical town along the coast helping people with her unique skill set. Suddenly a terrifying storm threatens the town and Eva worries her "pinch of magic" isn't enough to stop it.

Justification: Middle-grade fantasy is one of my favorite genres and age categories which is one of the reasons I decided to review it for class, but I also think it's important to review and evaluate books that aren't as well-known within the middle-grade fantasy genre. Students often read Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and are looking for something similar to read and this is the perfect book for those students. Middle-Grade fantasy is a relatively new genre and so many librarians and teachers haven't read and reviewed more recent books. I think it's important to include recent books written by diverse authors as options in curriculums and this book in particular is a great read-alike for students who love Harry Potter, Howl's Moving Castle, or has an interest in Studio Ghibli films.

Writing: Eva Evergreen is well-written and accessible to upper elementary and middle school students. The text is easy to read and whimsical with little spurts of sage advice sprinkled in throughout the text pulling readers of all ages into the story. Abe's description of the world makes the world magical in and of itself. “The scent of ink and freshly printed paper swirled invitingly in the air as I followed my parents into the bookshop.” The air moves and swirls around Eva, and the world reacts to her and her unique magic making her all the more special.

Characterization: I read a lot of middle grades and of all the middle grades I've read, Eva was one of the most wholesome and sweet characters so far. The characters in the story were dynamic and interesting and they felt unique to the world. Everyone had a story and meaning within the story. Ember, Eva's flamefox companion, was brought to life with their actions and reactions. Rin, Davy, and Charlotte were all fully realized and interesting with intriguing backstories of their own. This series has a second book and I'm planning on picking it up partly to know what happens to the side characters as well as Eva.

Theme: Eva Evergreen has a few central messages. The first of which is learning to love ourselves and our unique "pinch of magic." None of us do the same thing in the same way. We all have strengths and weaknesses and part of being human is learning how to make both of those work for us. The second message is the importance of friendship and the joy that relationships with others can bring us. There is so much that we can gain from being kind and friendly to others. That kindness almost always returns to us when it is right.

Abe, J. (2020b). Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

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Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole

Category: Novel in Verse, Poetry

Author: Olivia A. Cole

Publisher: Penguin Random House

"Poems are like underwear. Sometimes you want people to see them. Sometimes they're uncomfortable. Sometimes they're dirty, sometimes they're full of blood." -Alicia" — Olivia A. Cole (Dear Medusa (A Novel in Verse))

Dear Medusa is a novel in verse about a young girl named Alicia, who has been sexually abused and is struggling with PTSD. Alicia's story, like that of Medusa's, has been distorted by her classmates calling her horrible names. The classmates spread a reinterpretation that denies the harm done to her by a trusted adult. Alicia's story is raw, angry, and real but when she begins to lean on others, those relationships begin to grow and develop as she interacts with new ideas and new friends.

I chose this book because it feels relevant to modern teenagers. It's one that I haven't heard a ton about, but when researching books featuring poetry I found it was mentioned quite a bit for its discussions of sexual abuse, identity, and PTSD representation. These are experiences some teens will have and it's important to have books in the collection that represent those experiences as well.

Dear Medusa is a fascinating look at feminine rage in a modern teenager. As a high school teacher, I've noticed my students are progressively more interested in social change and getting to the heart of what's going on in the world. This book deals with the raw emotions that come after a great trauma has happened to them and is hard to read at times. It is uncomfortable sometimes to watch someone be so angry and emotional because we aren't taught that we're allowed to be that emotional making the necessity of this book all the more relevant. One of the incredible aspects of the book is the representation of discussion and its impact on Alicia. Alicia joins a support group and within that group is able to have discussions and learn about a wide range of experiences and perspectives. Through those changing perspectives she is able to channel the fire in herself and begins to heal. So much of Alicia's rage and anger stuck with me while reading and I found it hard to let go of after reading the book, but by expanding my understanding of the world I expanded with Alicia. This book is a piece for discussion because it picks apart society's view of young women and really makes you think about the words society uses to describe them. While I read a lot of poetry, I haven't interacted with a ton of free verse but the language in the book was powerful and made me as the reader feel like Alicia was real and standing in front of me. There were moments I found myself verbally responding to something she was saying which isn't a response I normally have. This book brought out many different complicated emotions that are important to grapple with and would make a few young adults reading this feel heard in a way they may not have been heard before.

Cole, O. A. (2023). Dear Medusa: (A Novel in Verse). Penguin Random House.

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Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Category: Printz Award Winner

Author: Angeline Boulley

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

“We love imperfect people. We can love them and not condone their actions and beliefs.” ― Angeline Boulley, Firekeeper's Daughter

Firekeeper's Daughter explores the deep expanse of grief and the complexity of love in all its forms. When tragedy strikes Daunis and the rest of the Ojibwe tribe, Daunis is pulled into an investigation exploring the heart of her community. Daunis's biracial heritage, knowledge of herbal medicine, and connections to the tribe allow her to go undercover as she endeavors to solve a murder close to her heart, all the while getting caught up in a complicated romance. On the cusp of adulthood, looking towards an unexpected future, Daunis's life and heart are on the line.

Firekeeper's Daughter has won many awards, including the Printz award making it a valuable book for high school libraries and curriculums. This book is for mature readers and would best suit eleventh or twelfth-grade readers due to the content of the book. Although this book does deal with mature themes and content it tells an incredible story and would lend itself to valuable classroom discussions surrounding grief, love, and indigenous cultures.

To be honest I feel like if someone in the book world hasn't read or heard about Firekeeper's Daughter at this point then they are missing out. I've seen this book all over the place thanks to Reese Witherspoon's book club and that was how I originally discovered it. I picked it up but wasn't sure what to expect going in because the synopsis for the book purposefully doesn't tell the full story. One of the major selling points of this book is its representation of the Ojibwe tribe and Indigenous cultures. The book talks about serious issues and the complicated history between law enforcement and the Indigenous community within the United States. The story discusses identity from the perspective of a biracial young woman and discusses grief with a depth that is raw and honest. Boulley's writing style lays everything out and is deeply complex. When I was looking for a quote to include at the top of the review I struggled because there were so many good ones to include in the review. I connected with the discussions of grief in the story. Our lives change dramatically when experiencing grief and Firekeeper's Daughter is so accessible because the author explores a unique identity through a universal emotion. The book takes place in a small community and I grew up in a small community. Everyone at my high school knew everyone else, and we all knew who was related to who or who was dating who. Not only was the school and community small, but many people within that community were united by their religion and where I grew up that was very important. Although my experiences are in no way similar to Daunis's experiences I found myself relating to many aspects of her story and the complicated nature of being both in and outside of your community. Firekeeper's Daughter is a fast-paced, complex young adult thriller that is a useful addition to high school libraries and young adult book collections.

Boulley, A. (2021a). Firekeeper’s daughter. Henry Holt and Company (BYR).

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We Are Not Free by Traci Chee

Category: Walter Award

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

“We are not free. But we are not alone.” ― Traci Chee, We Are Not Free

We are Not Free by Traci Chee is a book told in glimpses. It is the short interconnected stories of fourteen Japanese American teenagers experiencing World War II and the Japanese internment camps in the United States. The stories show different experiences and perspectives throughout the war from a young soldier, prisoner, aspiring starlet, female baseball player, and many more. The teens grew up together in Japantown, San Francisco but were moved to a relocation camp during the war eventually beginning to evolve and change all going in different directions throughout the story but staying connected through their identity and unique experiences.

I picked this book to review because it's one I've seen everywhere lately! This book is a Printz Award Nominee and a Walter Award Nominee and has been nominated for quite a few young adult literature awards. This book is a great addition to a young adult literature collection in a high school and would be a wonderful addition to the curriculum as well. This book is historical fiction which allows for discussions around the experiences of Japanese Americans in World War II and about an aspect of history that isn't discussed quite as much in the history books. Books like We Are Not Free can be a great introduction to the historical fiction genre and a starting point for valuable classroom discussions.

We Are Not Free was the book I was the most excited to read on this list because it was the book I had heard the most about but knew the least about in terms of the plot. Because the story follows fourteen different teenagers the fourteen voices are extremely distinct. One character writes purely in poetry, another communicates his experiences as a soldier, one is optimistic and hopeful, while another is pessimistic and scared. The characters range in age, family dynamics, and sexual orientation. I listened to the audiobook and read the physical book at the same time. The audiobook mirrored the physical book by having a full cast, and different narrators voiced different characters and it changed the dynamic drastically. I found myself connecting to each story in different ways. There were little tidbits that pulled me into each story making its themes universally accessible to readers of all experiences and ages. I will fully admit going into this that I didn't have a ton of knowledge about the Japanese internment camps in America. I knew they existed but I didn't know much about how they worked or the day-to-day experiences. This book created a vivid picture and understanding in my mind leading me to seek out more information about this part of American history. There is mature language and mature themes in this book but they are necessary to understanding the reality of what these teenagers were going through. I highly encourage anyone interested in reading this book to read it and go in with an open mind.

Chee, T. (2020). We are not free. HMH Books For Young Readers.

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With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Category: YALSA (Best Fiction for Young Adults)

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Publisher: Quill Tree Books

“I've had a lot of things to feel ashamed about and I've learned most of them are other people's problems, not mine.” ― Elizabeth Acevedo, With the Fire on High

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo is a book following Emoni Santiago, a young mother who is trying her best to juggle high school graduation, her home life with her daughter and Abuela, and her culinary talents. Emoni's life is hectic but she loves her time spent cooking and has a talent for making food with just the right ingredient that the person eating it needs. Emoni decides to take a culinary class her senior and despite a rough start, she leads the fundraising committee at the urging of her teacher in order to get the opportunity to go to Spain with the rest of the class. While in the class she meets Malachi and a new relationship begins to blossom.

With the Fire on High is a book that represents many modern-day teens that aren't often represented. The book features a teen mother of African and Puerto Rican heritage thriving in life and that's not something I've seen a ton of in young adult literature. This book is written by a reputable author with a unique writing style and is featured on the YALSA list and has been named one of the Best Books of the Year by New York Public Library.

The experiences and responsibilities that Emoni carries on her shoulders are unlike anything that I ever personally experienced as a teenager, but that's what makes this book so important. The diversity and representation in this book are its strongest suit. As a teacher, I have met students like Emoni and I have seen the importance of including books like this within the curriculum or in the library. One of the aspects that makes the book unique is the writing style of the book. Elizabeth Acevedo writes using a modern poetic style and it makes Emoni's voice and character stronger from the beginning. The writing is imperfect, but so is Emoni but that imperfection is where the character finds her strength. This book is all about learning to thrive in difficult circumstances and learning that at the end of the day, you'll be taken care of by the world when you are taking care of others as well. One thing I think is important to note with this book is that it does discuss some mature topics but those topics are extremely important to understanding the character. Overall the book's representation and storytelling lend itself well to a high school collection and will continue to be important over many years.

Acevedo, E. (2019). With the fire on high. HarperCollins.

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Crave by Tracy Wolff

Category - Young Adult Fantasy

Author: Tracy Wolff

Publisher: Entangled Teen

“There’s not much to be afraid of when you’ve already lost everything that matters.” ― Tracy Wolff, Crave

Crave by Tracy Wolff is a Young Adult novel following Grace in her senior year at Katmere Academy. Arriving in the middle of Alaska for school after her parents died, Grace discovers that her new school is nothing like what she expected. Grace's Uncle Finn is the headmaster, and her cousin Macy is a student but both are reluctant to reveal much about the school promising to help her settle in despite the unusual stares and behavior of the students from the moment she arrives. The school feels older than anything in Alaska should be and the students seem different from other teenagers she has met. When the handsome Jaxon Vega cryptically warns her to stay far away from Katmere Academy Grace finds herself more intrigued by what the school has to offer and finds herself in a world she never knew existed.

If you've heard about this book, you've probably been on tiktok within the last few years. When I was going through the books I wanted to read for my class I knew I wanted to pick a book that has gone viral on booktok due to the fact that tiktok is so accessible to so many students in high schools now. As a librarian, it's essential to know what books are trending, and what is becoming popular on social media. Hence, you have those books available within the library for students to read. Not everything trending on tiktok is appropriate for teenagers and it's important as a librarian to go through and make assessments individually based on your community and experience but the Crave series is a YA series which makes it a great pick for a high school library and one of the reasons I thought it would be a good review pick.

Crave is a book I didn't expect to love when I picked it up. I grew up amidst the rise of the Twilight books. I have always disliked anything with vampires and found myself going into this book expecting it to be atrocious but falling in love with the characters and how it was written. The book is written from the perspective of a teenager and uses slang and character commentary to establish that we are reading from the perspective of a modern-day teenager. For example, “Nothing to do but admit that—obnoxious smirk or not—this boy is sexy af. A little wicked, a lot wild, and all dangerous.” Although I have heard others criticize that aspect of the book I found it interesting because it allowed the character's voice and thoughts to center the reader's focus within the story. Grace is an ordinary girl amongst extraordinary beings and her control of the story is captivating for the reader in a world where it doesn't make sense that she would have so much control. Although Crave isn't the next great literary work of art, it's one of the most entertaining books I have ever read. I found myself yelling at the book and at Grace while listening to the audiobook and it was because I noticed more as a reader than she did. Grace is fairly oblivious to anything that doesn't match her view of the world and her experiences in life which has the reader on the edge of their seat when they notice things Grace misses. But the entertainment didn't stop there, the ending was completely unexpected and I can't wait to see where the story goes next. I have plenty of books to get through before the school year starts and I'm determined to find out what happens next!

Wolff, T. (2020). Crave. Entangled Publishing.