Class Act (New Kids, #2) by Jerry Craft

Class Act by Jerry Craft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this 2nd book in the New Kid graphic novel series- Gordon, Drew and Liam as 8th graders in private school with issues developing as the school year goes on. Will their friendship survive.

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Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Bree and her Dad move from Brooklyn to Florida where her life in a new middle school takes unexpected turns. I loved Bree and her Dad's relationship and as she dives into her new life, she meets friends who help her take on learning how to swim, stop the negative thoughts and push only for positive thoughts and friends. I loved the way the author used swimming as a way to bring everyone together, also give a history of race and swimming, and coaching as a strong way to move teams and individuals forward. A must read!

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From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jenn LaGarde recommended this last summer and I purchased it right away but it took me a year to get to it----BUT what an amazing book! Taking place in 1982, Vincent Chin is days away from getting married when he and his friends get into an altercation in a bar and what results is his awful death, many ruined lives, and the reality that some people do get away with crimes (not going to jail). This thoroughly detailed & well researched book by Paula Yoo kept me turning the pages with the photos, the newspaper articles and the friends and family point of view. A must read for all---adults and teens will want to read about this pivotal moment in history, and one that continues to happen throughout history.

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Recitatif by Toni Morrison

Recitatif by Toni Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by: Zadie Smith and Bahni Turpin this short story written by Toni Morrison explores/lays out the story of 2 girls as youngsters meeting in an orphanage and they are bonded in their months together. After they leave, the reader meets them interacting as they run into each other. I love Bahni Turpin and she did not disappoint as the narrator but I was confused about Twyla and Roberta--their race and their experiences. I will be reading the story again for my Albright College Zoom Book Club and can't wait to discuss this story!

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A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Using a Greek Chorus to ask and raise questions, this was a story of what a good neighborhood and what it became when a new family moved in. Valerie has raised her biracial son in Oak Knoll, she knows everyone, is a professor, hold book clubs and has set opinions about ecology. When the Whitman's an upwardly mobile family moves in next door, trouble begins when Brad Whitman assumes Xavier is hired help, both parents keep a tight lock on their daughter, Juniper with a purity pledge and many restrictions. It really gets problematic when Xavier and Juniper become romantically involved and Valerie sues Brad Whitman over his destruction of an old oak tree. Delving into many themes and issues such as class, race, environmental concerns, love, lies, secrecy, consequences, family dysfunction and lawsuits this character driven book is heartbreakingly real. A must read!

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Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Juliet; she is real, funny, insecure except when she is not; leaving the Bronx for a summer internship with a writer in Portland Oregon who has written a feminist manifesto. Juliet comes out to her family before she leaves and that doesn't go entirely as planned. And when she arrives in Portland, there is a whole lot going on, Juliet's girlfriend broke up with her with a letter, and now that she is in Portland; Juliet is not really sure Harlow Brisbane is all she says she is...as she figures her life, her summer and her internship out, Juliet finds she will be alright, has many staunch friends looking out for her in Portland and don't forget her cousin Ava, and her mom!!! I learned alot as I read about Juliet and was glad I read this book! I loved Juliet's message and you will too!

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Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia Butler, illustrations Damian Duffy and adapted byJohn Jennings

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved reading this graphic novel as part of the 2018 HUB Reading Challenge. Octavia Butler's story, Kindred, is adapted into a totally scary, sad, time travel from 1970 back to pre-Civil War south. Dana is a young black woman newly married to Kevin (he is white) when she thrown into the South where a small white boy, Rufus, is drowning. The story is a horror of the indignity of slavery that Dana must endure and try to save Rufus (who is totally indoctrinated into the way the slave world works) the only way she can get back to 1970 is when she is almost threatened with death...I ached as I turned the pages for all the slaves on this plantation--the horrors they endured and what Dana and Kevin suffer as a result of trying to help. The oppression was bleak and frightening but the graphic novel format will grab teens and while reading they will be learning important aspects of history, slavery, women, science fiction and race; highly recommended!!!

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The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this jarring nonfiction book for #2jennsbookclub twitter chat to be held Thursday 2/8 at 8PM EST, this was a riveting read and I am sure the chat will be, too! Dashka Slater, the author, covered this story first in the NYTimes and this compassionate, achingly real story of 2 teens, a crime, on a bus in Oakland, CA. I learned so much about the juvenile court system from this book, the power of forgiveness, how choices can radically change lives, and how teens are many times misunderstood and need adults (lawyers, police, parents, school officials, court personnel) to really understand their choices, and how very important empathy is in every day life and could mean the difference in an incarcerated youth's life. I think everyone needs to read this book; teens, adults, school employees, lawyers, judges will all be impacted by Sasha and Richard's story. You can help but be torn apart with their story. If Sasha and their parents (Sasha identifies as agender) and Richard and his mom, were different - Richard's life could have been even more harsh (adult vs juvenile). Not many people could be burned as Sasha was and together with their parents, forgive and hold no animosity. Likewise Richard's mom knew what her son did was horrendous, stupid and unforgivable but she knew he was a 16 year old who did not always understand the impact of what he did (being in a juvenile detention at age 14) but she visited him every week, and became his supporter while apologizing and supporting Sasha's family. Highly recommended!!!

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