Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram

Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This 2nd in the series is just as awesome as the first book!!! Darius has it all; a boyfriend, a place on the soccer team with friends who look out for him and a job at the tea shop he loves, until things begin to change. As Darius continues to struggle with his depression, he finds his dad is depressed again, he can sense tension in the house and doesn't know why. He is still be being bullied by Trent but his best friend, Chip is being nice to him now. Author Adib Khorram does such a stellar job with his characters, the plot and of course a high school setting. I really love Darius, his cousin Sohrab, his friends on the soccer team who understand he is gay and stand up to bullies. But in this book, the family struggles while his father has to travel, his mother is working long hours and Darius grandmothers are staying with Darius and he questions if they even like him! I look forward to more Darius books, BUT if there are no more, I will certainly read any Adib Khorram book because he gets teens, their drama, their mental and physical struggles. This book is a must read but also a must is Darius the Great Is Not Okay!!!

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Booked by Kwame Alexander

Booked by Kwame Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so glad I read Booked for a twitter chat; we had quite a lively discussion on this book and I highly recommend it to boys, girls, middle grade and high school. Kwame Alexander is just the most awesome author when it comes to novels in verse. His perfect use of words to get his meaning across, allowing readers to infer, and tell a realistic story about a boy, his friends and parents, and his love of soccer, was perfect. Nick Hart is an 8th grader who loves soccer, likes a girl in his dance class, has a great friend in Coby, and is just trying to figure out who he is. Kwame Alexander has penned another book kids will relate to, love and keep passing around to their friends to read. I liked his treatment of the adults in Booked, especially Mr. Mac, the librarian who was front and center, excited about books and his students and went the extra mile. Nick's mom was awesome too- she knew her son, kidded around with him, played games and practiced hard with Nick. Things were not easy for Nick but with all his family and friends, he is able to work his way through life, school, and bullies. Highly recommended!

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