Fact Friday and Arc Review: Women Win the Vote! 19 for the 19th Amendment by Nancy B. Kennedy

Image: W.W. Norton & Company

Women Win the Vote! 19 for the 19th Amendment by Nancy B. Kennedy. 120 p. Norton Young Readers/ W.W. Norton & Company. 9781324004141. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features Women Win the Vote! 19 for the 19th Amendment by Nancy B. Kennedy. This is a timely book to read as we approach the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment on August 20th. This collective biography devotes four pages each to nineteen well- and lesser-known figures in women's history plus eleven thumbnail bios of additional suffragists that includes three men. One of those four pages is devoted to illustration (unfinished in my arc) that features a quote from the subject, an archival photo and drawn art. 

Readers learn in the Epilogue that though women achieved the right to vote, many were still denied access to polling places along with African Americans, Native Americans and Asian with illegal fees, literacy tests or other "requirements." The back matter includes a Timeline, where readers learn that eight states took their sweet time to formally ratify the Nineteenth Amendment, with Mississippi being the latest at 1984! The plentiful back matter also includes two pages of black and white photos featuring banners; two pages of places to visit; seven pages of notes; four and a half pages of sources and an index. 

This attractively designed collective biography is a nice introduction to a complicated story. Just like our founding fathers, the white leaders of the movement had biases, a fact that the author discusses. Pair this with Evette Dionne's Lifting as We Climb: Black Women's Battle for the Ballot Box for a well-rounded introduction to the subject. Women Win the Vote! 19 for the 19th Amendment is an important addition to any library in these times when voter suppression is alive and well. 

#tbt: The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner

Image: Bloomsbury

The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner. 224 p. Bloomsbury USA, September, 2009. 9780802721730. (Own.)

#tbt features The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner. Gianna Zales is an excellent cross country runner. She lives for it. Unfortunately, she's also an excellent procrastinator. She has to collect twenty different leaves for a science project in less than two weeks or she's off the team. Of course, her best friend, Zig, did his early and has been gently reminding Gee. to start her project. Gee. has other worries too. Her beloved grandmother is becoming more and more forgetful, sometimes dangerously so. And, what could be worse that your dad driving you to school in his hearse?

The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z was Ms. Messner's debut novel. It won the 2010 E.B. White Read Aloud Award for older readers; was a Bank Street Best Book for 2009 and was named to quite a few State Award Lists. She was a seventh grade language arts teacher at the time. I reviewed it on my less-than-a-year-old blog, here. Her second book, Sugar and Ice was released a year later and that book was my first review assignment for School Library Journal!

Ms. Messner has written over 50 books since 2009 - from picture books to novels to works of nonfiction. You might recall a Fact Friday post for a book called Tracking Pythons. That was a fascinating informational book written by her.
Since then, Ms. Messner has written fifty books from picture books to easy readers to early chapter books to nonfiction to professional titles. You can follow her on Twitter, @KateMessner, and check out her website, where she also blogs regularly.

Arc Review: Redwood and Ponytail by K.A. Holt

Image: Chronicle Books

Redwood and Ponytail by K.A. Holt. 422 p. Chronicle Books, October, 2019. 9781452172880. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Tam is a tall, popular volley ball player. Kate is a poised, ponytailed cheerleader angling for captain of the squad. The two meet during seventh grade registration and hit it off.

Redwood and Ponytail is a sweet and gentle verse novel about an unlikely friendship that turns into something deeper. It captures all the joy and pain of first crushes and even features a Greek chorus. It's a perfect romance for middle grade readers.

Waiting on Wednesday: Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram

Image: Penguin Random House

Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram. 352 p. Penguin Young Readers Group/ Penguin Random House, August 25, 2020. 

Publisher synopsis: In this companion to the award-winning Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Darius suddenly has it all: a boyfriend, an internship, a spot on the soccer team. It’s everything he’s ever wanted–but what if he deserves better?

Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his trip to Iran, a lot has changed. He’s getting along with his dad, and his best friend Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, varsity soccer practices, and an internship at his favorite tea shop, things are falling into place.

Then, of course, everything changes. Darius’s grandmothers are in town for a long visit, and Darius can’t tell whether they even like him. The internship is not going according to plan, Sohrab isn’t answering Darius’s calls, and Dad is far away on business. And Darius is sure he really likes Landon . . . but he’s also been hanging out with Chip Cusumano, former bully and current soccer teammate–and well, maybe he’s not so sure about anything after all.

Darius was just starting to feel okay, like he finally knew what it meant to be Darius Kellner. But maybe okay isn’t good enough. Maybe Darius deserves better.

Teen Tuesday and Audio Book Review: Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Image: Penguin Random House

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. Unabridged e-audiobook ~7.5 hours. Read by Michael Levi Harris. 9780525638667. (Review of e-audio downloaded/ borrowed from public library.)

Excepting for Waiting on Wednesday posts, which are all about book that are coming and #tbt posts, which are all about books ten years or older that should not be forgotten, the remaining posts are mainly inspired by what I have recently read. Teen Tuesday usually features books for seventh and eighth grade readers that have slightly more mature content. The majority of my reading is of books that anyone can read. The last two YA books I read this summer, while quite entertaining, are a bit too mature for middle school and more appropriate for high school readers. So I reached back to 2018 in my reading archives to find one I loved, but curiously did not feature on Teen Tuesday.

Teen Tuesday features Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. Darius Kellner is a very depressed high school student who is obsessed with artisanal tea, all things Star Trek and Tolkien. He's overweight, not athletic and bullied at school. He also feels like he doesn't fit in at home. He calls himself a "fractional Persian" from his mom's side and thinks his "ubermensch" white father hates him. The family travels to Iran to visit his grandparents. Babou is terminally ill. Darius worries about his grandfather's judgment of him. He's worried because he doesn't speak enough Farsi. He's worried that Babou will think him weak because he takes medication for his depression. But Iran is a wonder to Darius. He finds himself accepted. He loves the culture and the food. He even makes a friend in Sohrab, who calls him Darioush, the Persian variation of his name. 

I often use the phrase, "heartbreaking and hilarious" in my posts. Though depression is a disease with serious consequences, there is an unfair stigma associated with it. In this heartbreaking and hilarious first-person narrative, Darius paints an intimate portrait of pain, of needing to belong and of learning to love oneself. Darius became a character of my heart. I may find characters endearing and memorable; but very few take up residence in my heart. 

I was so happy to have read this with my ears. When words and phrases in foreign languages are part of the narrative, I either skip over them completely or stop the flow to mangle them phonetically. New-to-me narrator Michael Levi Harris did a lovely job of portraying Darius in all his uncertainty, but also brought the melodic Farsi to life, adding to my enjoyment. 

Darius the Great is Not Okay was Mr. Khorram's debut novel. It won the William C. Morris Debut Award; the Asian/ Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature; was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist and was named one of TIME magazine's 10 Best Young Adult and Children's Books of the Year. Tune in tomorrow for some news about Darius!

Middle Grade Monday: Chirp by Kate Messner

Image: Bloomsbury

Chirp by Kate Messner. 232 p. Bloomsbury, February, 2020. 9781547602810. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Middle Grade Monday features Chirp by Kate Messner. Most children might experience anxiety or even anger at moving house, especially during the summer between seventh and eighth grades. Mia doesn't mind moving from Boston to Vermont. She'll be able to see her grandmother whenever she wants now and she's ready for a fresh start. She packed a big secret along with her gymnastics uniforms and trophies into the moving boxes. She's eager to learn all about her grandmother's cricket farm, especially when she learns that someone has been sabotaging the business. A mystery to solve is just the ticket to keep her mind from going where she doesn't want it to go. But keeping her secret affects Mia in big and small ways. As she recovers from an injury that allowed her to quit gymnastics without needing to explain why, Mia tries new activities, meets new friends and eventually finds her voice. 

This middle grade novel helps tweens understand consent in an age-appropriate way. Chirp joins a growing list of excellent mg fiction dealing with child sexual assault. This topic should not be relegated to the YA shelves because sexual assault, grooming and abuse occurs to children at any age and those victims need to know that they will be believed and that they are not alone. 

Ms. Messner excels at creating vivid communities peopled with interesting characters and supportive adults. She spins a good mystery too! And, I might be convinced to try eating crickets. Chirp belongs in all school, classroom and public libraries. 

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For Review:

Image: Scholastic Inc.

The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg. 396 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., September 1, 2020. 9781338325058.

Publisher synopsis: 
Aaron and Tillie don't know each other, but they are both feeling suicidal, and arrive at the George Washington Bridge at the same time, intending to jump. Aaron is a gay misfit struggling with depression and loneliness. Tillie isn't sure what her problem is — only that she will never be good enough.
On the bridge, there are four things that could happen:

Aaron jumps and Tillie doesn't.

Tillie jumps and Aaron doesn't.

They both jump.

Neither of them jumps.

Or maybe all four things happen, in this astonishing and insightful novel from Bill Konigsberg.

My crazy shepherd goes nuts barking at anything - the dogs across the way, the mail person (we had to move our mailbox to the curb), anyone strolling in my cul de sac and most especially any delivery person - UPS, FedEx, AZ, you name it. Packages are usually for my shopaholic hubby; but last Saturday afternoon it was for me! Made my day! Coincidentally, I had just finished reading The Music of What Happens with my ears. I am a huge fan. I cannot wait to dive into this one. 

Purchased: Spending the last of my AZ gift cards.

Image: RHGraphic

Stepping Stones (Peapod Farms #1) by Lucy Knisley. Colored by Whitney Coger. 218 p. RH Graphic/ Random House Childrens Books/ Penguin Random House, May, 2020. 9781984896841.

Publisher synopsis: This contemporary middle-grade graphic novel about family and belonging from New York Times bestselling author Lucy Knisley is a perfect read for fans of Awkward and Be Prepared.

Jen is used to not getting what she wants. So suddenly moving the country and getting new stepsisters shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

Jen did not want to leave the city. She did not want to move to a farm with her mom and her mom's new boyfriend, Walter. She did not want to leave her friends and her dad.

Most of all, Jen did not want to get new "sisters," Andy and Reese.

As if learning new chores on Peapod Farm wasn't hard enough, having to deal with perfect-at-everything Andy might be the last straw for Jen. Besides cleaning the chicken coop, trying to keep up with the customers at the local farmers' market, and missing her old life, Jen has to deal with her own insecurities about this new family . . . and where she fits in.

Image: Firefly Books

The Plastic Problem by Rachel Salt. 80 p. Firefly Books Ltd. September, 2020. 9780228102311.

Publisher synopsis: The shocking truth of plastic's impact on our planet — and what we can do about it.

The data is in and it's bad. We create and throw away too much plastic, and it is killing our planet. However, too many people have very little idea about just how far this problem reaches, and those who do know feel helpless with the enormity of the task at hand.

To fill this void and provide some hope is Rachel Salt's simple and transformative book, The Plastic Problem.

As a producer for the award-winning and wildly popular YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE, Salt is accustomed to taking big, complicated concepts and translating them into entertaining and easy-to-understand segments. She applies the same methodology to The Plastic Problem. The result is a critically important book that will change the lives of those who read it. Never before has the problem been presented in such an impactful way. Readers of any age will emerge from this book with a thorough understanding of the problem, its individual and global impacts, and — most importantly — hope for the future.
I have read and reviewed this already.

Image: Penguin Random House

Layoverland by Gabby Noone. 302 p. Razorbill/ Penguin Young Readers Group/ Penguin Random House, January, 2020. 9781984836120.

Publisher synopsis: Beatrice Fox deserves to go straight to hell.

At least, that's what she believes. Her last day on Earth, she ruined the life of the person she loves most—her little sister, Emmy. So when Bea awakens from a fatal car accident to find herself on an airplane headed who knows where, she's confused, to say the least.

Once on the ground, Bea receives some truly harrowing news: she's in purgatory. If she ever wants to catch a flight to heaven, she'll have to help five thousand souls figure out what's keeping them from moving on.

But one of Bea's first assignments is Caleb, the boy who caused her accident, and the last person Bea would ever want to send to the pearly gates. And as much as Bea would love to see Caleb suffer for dooming her to a seemingly endless future of eating bad airport food and listening to other people's problems, she can't help but notice that he's kind of cute, and sort of sweet, and that maybe, despite her best efforts, she's totally falling for him.

From debut author Gabby Noone comes a darkly hilarious and heartfelt twist on the afterlife about finding second chances, first loves, and new friendships in the most unlikely places.

Image: HarperCollins Publishers

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles. 392 p. HarperTeen/ HarperCollins Publishers, January, 2020. 9780062349194.

Publisher synopsis: In his first contemporary teen novel, critically acclaimed author and two-time Edgar Award finalist Lamar Giles spotlights the consequences of societal pressure, confronts toxic masculinity, and explores the complexity of what it means to be a “real man.”

Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she’s finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del’s right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he’s inadvertently signed up for a Purity Pledge.

His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn’t believe any girl is worth the long game. But Del’s not about to lose his dream girl, and that’s where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers’ questions…about sex ed.

With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can’t think about that too much, though, because once he gets the girl, it’ll all sort itself out. Right?

If you leave a comment, leave the link to your stack. I will pop by and to check out your stack!