Wave by Diana Farid

Wave by Diana Farid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a great book, everyone must read- they will love Ava (Persian American) and Phoenix's voices as OCD, cancer, surfing, families are discussed. The words are beautiful and the beauty of surfing and friendship made this reader so happy to have found this book!!!

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Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story of a family that was once happy and with a father who loves them and leaves them, a mother who descended into alcoholism, and two brothers and two sisters who love surfing and use it to get through their life. As the book rises to a crescendo we see how each family member deals with their lives and loves. A great book that kept me turning the pages!

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Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman

Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh how I loved Gayle Forman's middle grade book! Bug looks forward to her summers at the beach with her brother, Danny while her mom works for the mayor's office. But during this summer of 1987, there is a serial killer on the loose in California. Now Bug's summer has changed and she is so not happy about it. But with the arrival of Frankie, a few years older, Bug's summer expands. Dealing with cultural and social issues; the friendship of Bug and Frankie has many highs and lows. I loved Phillip, Bug's neighbor who is colorful, loves to cook, and calls his friends by their full names, no nicknames, thank you very much. Danny is a very supportive older brother, which Bug knows but she does not understand why they can't go to the beach everyday like they used to and why does he need to be called Daniel anyway? I loved seeing the Venice beach and characters through Bug's eyes and I cheered for Bug's demand to know what secrets her family is keeping from her. I could not stop turning the pages of this lush, lovely book that needs to be read by everyone.

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Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz

Samira Surfs by Rukhsanna Guidroz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I so enjoyed this middle grade novel in verse about Samira and her family who flee from Burma to Bangladesh while she valiantly tries to repair her trauma of the journey, losing her grandparents and slowly rebuild her life. With her brother, she learns the alphabet and how to read; she makes friends, learns to swim and surf, while keeping it a secret from her parents. I rooted for Samira, loved the illustrations, and think kids who read this will be encouraged to try surfing! There was beauty in learning about her culture, sadness in sharing her losses with her friends, and seeing how the townspeople react to others being persecuted (her people, the Rohingya) and moving into their town.

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When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for the Albright College Zoom Book Discussion---it was recommended by Sue's husband and what a great read!!! It is about a family that has suffered death, earthquakes, and neglect and what happens when a sister thought dead is alive--the world of Kit and her mother is rocked. What transpires is a sister searching for another sister, meeting a wonderful man in New Zealand, and how life is affected by the many horrors that can befall a person. I loved Kit, Dylan, and Josie and wept for their neglect by their parents and what happens as a result. The mystery and romance were so suspenseful I could not put this book down.

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In Waves by A. J. Dungo

In Waves by A.J. Dungo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a beautiful, haunting graphic novel! Thank you to Jennifer LaGarde for this wonderful recommendation- graphic novel, memoir of love, grief, and honor. A.J. Dungo weaves his love of Kristen, who has been stricken with cancer but keeps a fierce love of life, surfing, and friends and family as the illness ravages her. Interspersed with chapters on the history of surfing narrating the heroes Duke Kahanamoku and Tom Blake, done in beige, white and black illustrations---the chapters on Kristen, her cancer, their love of surfing with friends is painted with aqua blue, white and black. Haunting, yet riveting, I loved learning about the history of surfing while being ensconced in A.J.'s life and love of Kristen, a romance at once so sad but honoring his memory of Kristen.

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