New Kid by Jerry Craft
Published: February 5th, 2019 by Quill Tree Books
Genre: Graphic Novel, Coming-of-age
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages, Library
Rating: 5 stars
My Thoughts:
Middle Schooler Jordan Banks just wants to go to art school but instead his parents send him to a prestigious private school so he can get the best education possible. But he soon realizes there aren't a lot of kids who look like him.
Jerry Craft writes a beautiful and funny story. Jordan experiences tiny racist moments from people who would call him a friend to teachers he should feel safe with. One annoying kid is always asking inappropriate things about his home life like if his dad's in prison or about drugs in his neighborhood. One teacher keeps calling another Black kid in class another name; someone who attended a previous year and she had a hard time with him. She ends up expecting him to do worse in class and behave badly.
He expertly crafts classism in here as well as it comes up whether there are people there at the school who have financial aid and scholarships. Does the teacher handle that information well? And what about expectations from other Black teachers at the school? Do they expect more or worse of other Black students at the school?
It's all handled with thought and humor. My son and I both read this separately and had great conversations. I think this is a must-read for anyone in middle school and their parents. Overall, it's a fantastic story that talks about the many experiences Black kids and kids of color experience in schools with a White majority.
Guts by Reina Telgemeier
Published: September 17th, 2019 by Scholastic
Genre: Graphic Novel, Coming-of-age, Memoir
Format: Paperback, 144 Pages, Own
Rating: 4 stars
My Thoughts:
Raina Telgemeier writes a mini memoir about her anxiety in middle school. The way she is able to bring the issue to the forefront with humor and realness is a compliment to her fantastic writing skills that speak to both adults and kids. My son loves every one of her books and this one was no different. We both struggle with anxiety and recognized many of the same things she writes about. Great job to Telgemeier for being open about her experiences and helping kids and adults alike grappling with stress and anxiety. This makes it a lot easier to talk about and get more people talking about it.
The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet by Joseph Bruchac
Published: September 28th, 1988 by Puffin Books
Genre: Poetry
Format: Paperback, 32 Pages, Own
Rating: 5 stars
My Thoughts:
The poems are beautiful and the illustrations are too. Bruchac introduces various Native American poems from many Nations through a story of Sky Bear. My son and I both loved it.
A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry
Published: May 7th, 2019 by Greenwillow Books
Genre: Historical Fiction, Nature
Format: Kindle, 243 Pages, Own
Rating: 5 stars
My Thoughts:
This book is based on the travels of an actual wolf in Oregon, OR-7, who left his pack and traveled from his home more than a thousand miles through eastern and southern Oregon and up through northern California. Parry has created a beautiful and empathic journey for us to take with Swift/Wander. What does a wolf think about a road with cars on it that speed so quickly or about men with guns? What is the relationship between crows and wolves? What makes mountains to enticing for wolf packs? Her world-building is phenomenal. We see and hear and taste Swift/Wander meander and survive through deserts and hills and forests and even a fire. One truly feels like they're a wolf wandering for survival and trying to find a new place to call home. I can't recommend this book enough. This is one I read out loud with my son.
All three touch on good topics. I especially like the looks of the Wolf book but I worry the wolf leaves his pack to wander. I enjoyed a nonfiction wolf book last year by Nate Blakeslee that really taught me a lot. These are amazing animals.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Beautiful animals. We don't actually know why the IRL wolf left but there and fiction reason in the book that's a good one, well at least believable!
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