When Alina is selected to join her class’s advanced math group, she is faced with the best and the worst of her new school. Between incessant bullying, the struggle of trying to impress a group of friends from a completely foreign culture, auditions for the school play, and an embarrassing last name, Alina has a whole lot on her plate. … More The Unlovable Alina Butt by Ambreen Butt-Hussain
The emotional core of Tig lies in its exploration of identity and belonging. Tig’s journey towards healing is not linear; it’s a messy, unpredictable path marked by setbacks and small victories. … More Tig by Heather Smith
A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey tackles grief, relationships, and family dynamics through the lens of a teenage girl who just lost her mother to dementia and is on a path to losing herself, too. … More A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey
YAing News is back for the week of August 12! … More YAing News: Week of August 12
Reading about Benji continuing to stand up for himself and his family throughout the book was inspiring. Following along with his journey felt worthwhile: I wanted to know how he was going to tackle the various problems that were thrown at him, and to see him grow and change as the book progressed. … More Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton
How far would you go for a reality show? What if you had nothing left to lose? After Dex’s life collapses when his ex-girlfriend dumps him publicly on a stream, he receives a once in a lifetime opportunity to escape his real life and star as one of six contestants on Dropped!, an internet reality show. … More Dropped! by Alice Kuipers
An interview with Marianne Boucher … More 5 Questions for Marianne Boucher
Julia is courageous, determined, and confident, but still, above all, she identifies as a swimmer. Therefore, when she feels like that part of herself is stripped away, she begins to question who she truly is and spirals over what her future will be like if she cannot be the swimmer she always dreamed of becoming. … More Julia On the Go! Swimming into Trouble by Angela Ahn, illus. Julia Kim
The dynamics of Russell’s family were definitely a highlight of my reading experience. His family is very unconventional, but the scenes where they interact made me laugh and want to know more about them. Most of the scenes they appear in, they are setting up a game of Fishbowl which I would have loved to be a part of. … More The Ballad of Darcy and Russell by Morgan Matson
The Longest Shot uses tools to make its occasionally heavy information easily digestible. Soon and Chiang wisely split Larry’s life story into eight shorter sections, giving the chapters titles based on their contents. I found this format helpful for divvying up reading time and seeing what might come next in Larry’s life. The two authors also collaborated with illustrator Amy Qi to bring life to Larry’s story. Qi’s vibrant images draw the eye to key moments in Larry’s life, reaffirming them in the reader’s mind. … More The Longest Shot by Chad Soon and George Chiang, illus. Amy Qi
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