I'm From Here Too

I saw I'm From Here Too by Kashmira Sheth recommended on a list of new middle grade books and so got it from the library. The book description says, "Anoop is many things: a brother, a son, a grandson, a friend, a middle school student, and a budding writer. He is also Indian American and Sikh. When he joins a new class, separated from longtime friends, aspects of his identity—especially his long hair, covered with a patka—draw attention in new and uncomfortable ways. At the same time, his beloved grandfather in India is nearing death, leading Anoop to think about faith and identity and his place in the world, especially as attacks on American Sikhs accelerate and he is reminded of his grandfather’s experiences during Partition. Can the tenets of his faith—equality, justice, service, honesty—help Anoop navigate life? Can he even maintain them?"

This book was SO GOOD. I was originally a little turned off by the cover (yes, I sometimes judge books by their covers) but wanted to give it a chance. The book was written in verse and pulled me in from the beginning. I always wanted to pick up the book to keep reading. I loved Anoop's journey with his faith and trying to handle things in the right way with his bullies. I loved how this book will help children better understand the Sikh faith and be more understanding of kids who wear a patka to school. I loved Anoop's friendship with his friend Jacob, his relationship with his siblings, his trip to India, his teacher, etc. Lots of great stuff in this book.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

We Still Belong

I saw We Still Belong by Christine Day won the 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award winner for best Middle Grade Book and so got it from the library.  I've been meaning to read a Christine Day book for awhile, so I'm glad I finally got around to it! The book description says, "Wesley is proud of the poem she wrote for Indigenous Peoples’ Day—but the reaction from a teacher makes her wonder if expressing herself is important enough. And due to the specific tribal laws of her family’s Nation, Wesley is unable to enroll in the Upper Skagit tribe and is left feeling “not Native enough.” Through the course of the novel, with the help of her family and friends, she comes to embrace her own place within the Native community."

This was a light-hearted read with some important lessons, and it helped me understand Native American culture a little better (things like blood quantum laws). I liked Wesley as a character and appreciated the moments where she made an effort to be kind to those around her. This was a sweet book overall.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Louder Than Hunger

I saw Louder Than Hunger by John Schu on a list of new book recommendations for 2024. The book description says, "Jake’s an outcast. He’s so lonely that he just wants to disappear. He used to have friends, but now that he’s in eighth grade, he just has the Voice in his head. The Voice tells him not to eat and not to trust anyone. The less he eats, the bigger Jake feels—but he knows it could kill him. Only with help at Whispering Pines, a residential treatment facility, does his life slowly start to get better. But will it be soon enough?"

This was a super quick read due to being written in verse and pages with lots and lots of space. I was engaged the entire book and was just rooting for Jake and hoping that he could get the help he needed and overcome this really hard condition. There was really sad stuff in there too, and the book just felt really real. I thought this was a beautifully written and super important book, and it was even more meaningful that it was based on the author's own experience with anorexia as a teenager. Definitely recommend this read.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Aniana Del Mar Jumps In

I saw Aniana Del Mar Jumps In by Jasmine Mendez on a list of Pura Belpre honor books and so got it from the library. The book description says, "Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most—and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat."

I liked this book! I thought Aniana was an awesome character, and I really felt for her in her struggles. I was frustrated by her mom during the book (her extreme religious beliefs, her inability to cope with her own trauma at the detriment of her child, etc.) but felt like the book ended in a positive way. I enjoyed the book being written in verse, including lots of poetic devices like shape poems and things like that included throughout the book. Good read.

* * (2/3 = Liked it)

Black Cake

I read Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson for a book club with my mom and her friends. The book description says, "In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves. Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to 'share the black cake when the time is right'? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?"

This was such a great book! It took me a few chapters to get into it, but then once I had some uninterrupted reading time to dedicate to the book, it pulled me in. I loved the story, the mysteries in it, the characters and the heavy things each one carried. I thought the flashbacks and switching perspectives were handled perfectly by the author--I was never confused or lost even with lots going on. I really liked how things came together in the end and just thought this was a beautiful story.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Tom Lake

I read Tom Lake by Ann Patchett for my book club. The book description says, "In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today."

I listened to this book on audiobook, which was recommended by a few members of the book club who had already read the book because the narrator is Meryl Streep. And I will say, the narration was amazing. I usually struggle with fiction audiobooks because I can't follow the story, but not with this one. It drew me right in, and even though I had a hard copy of the book, I didn't want to switch over because I was really enjoying listening to it. Her voice was just perfect and engaging. Overall, this was a great read. I thought the story was fun to follow and written in a creative format, and I loved the author's character development. I loved Lara and her husband and girls and hated Duke and respected his brother. Just lots of emotions connected to the characters. It's hard to describe what made the story so charming and good, but it just was. Some of the words on the reviews that stuck out to me as great descriptors of the book include poignant, reflective, quiet, and reassuring. This book did have more language and sexual references than I usually like to read, so that was the downside for me.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Shark Teeth

I found Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston when searching online for recommendations of new middle grade books. The book description says, "Sharkita 'Kita' Hayes is always waiting. Waiting for her mama to mess up. Waiting for social services to be called again. Waiting for her and her siblings to be separated. Waiting for her worst fear to come true. But Mama promises things are different now. She's got a good job, she's stopped drinking, stopped going out every night--it's almost enough to make Kita believe her this time. But even as Kita's life is going good, she can't shake the feeling that everything could go up in flames at any moment. When her assistant principal and trusted dance coach starts asking questions about her home life, Kita is more determined than ever to keep up appearances and make sure her family stays together--even if it means falling apart herself.  As the threat of her family being separated again circles like a shark in the water, the pressure starts to get to Kita. But could it be that Kita's worst fear is actually the best thing that could happen to her family . . . and to her?"

This was SUCH a good book! The book pulled me right in, and I often wanted to pick up the book to read more. I loved Kita as a character and thought the author did a wonderful job making her real. She went through such difficult things, and I loved her relationship with her siblings, her best friend, and the wonderful adults at her school. The book had me crying at the end, and I just loved the balance of the ending between happily ever after and realistic. Great read. 

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Telephone of the Tree

Telephone of the Tree by Alison McGhee caught my eye on the new-book shelf at the library. The book description says, "Ayla and her best friend Kiri have always been tree people. They each have their own special tree, and neighbors and family know that they are most likely to be found within the branches. But after an accident on their street, Kiri has gone somewhere so far away that Ayla can only wait and wait in her birch, longing to be able to talk with Kiri again. Then a mysterious, old-fashioned telephone appears one morning, nestled in the limbs of Ayla's birch tree. Where did it come from? she wonders. And why are people showing up to use this phone to call their loved ones? Especially loved ones who have passed on. All Ayla wants is for Kiri to come home. Until that day comes, she will keep Kiri's things safe. She'll keep her nightmares to herself. And she will not make a call on that telephone."

This was an interesting read. The beginning (like the entire first half plus some) was super slow for me, and I think it was because Ayla was in denial and it just felt like she (and the story) were kind of stuck. But then things shifted, and the book became super heartfelt and beautiful. I teared up a bit in the end sections of the book, and I thought the book taught some beautiful lessons about grief and losing those we love.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Across So Many Seas

I read Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar at the recommendation of my sister Molly. The book description says, "In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, Benvenida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish, and must flee the country or be killed. They journey by foot and by sea, eventually settling in Istanbul. Over four centuries later, in 1923, shortly after the Turkish war of independence, Reina’s father disowns her for a small act of disobedience. He ships her away to live with an aunt in Cuba, to be wed in an arranged marriage when she turns fifteen. In 1961, Reina’s daughter, Alegra, is proud to be a brigadista, teaching literacy in the countryside for Fidel Castro. But soon Castro’s crackdowns force her to flee to Miami all alone, leaving her parents behind. Finally, in 2003, Alegra’s daughter, Paloma, is fascinated by all the journeys that had to happen before she could be born. A keeper of memories, she’s thrilled by the opportunity to learn more about her heritage on a family trip to Spain, where she makes a momentous discovery. Though many years and many seas separate these girls, they are united by a love of music and poetry, a desire to belong and to matter, a passion for learning, and their longing for a home where all are welcome. And each is lucky to stand on the shoulders of their courageous ancestors."

This was a really great book. I loved all the different stories and how they tied together, and I loved that the author's ancestry and culture influenced the story. There were some stories that were super heartbreaking, others that had more positivity, but it was fascinating to learn about all these different time periods and what it was like for the girl in the place/time she lived and how being Jewish affected her life. I thought this was a really nice read that kept me interested. The ending was very satisfying.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)