I am the current teacher-librarian at Olympia High School. I have worked as a teacher-librarian since 2013; prior to that I taught high school English for 11 years.
Arden Grey is a coming of age story through a female protagonist who is struggling to make sense of her parent’s recent divorce and incessant harassment from her peers at school. Arden has fell in love with film photography, she carries her camera around everywhere, capturing the little things in life; one of her prints becomes featured in a local art show – giving her the credibility for her art that she’s longed for. This book has a very diverse cast of characters; Arden is wondering if she may be Aromantic/Asexual, and is definitely attracted to girls (hence being a target at school); and her best friend is a trans boy experience his first romantic relationship with a girl; and Arden’s father newly out status allows him to date an old acquaintance.
This book deals with some heavy topics – and Arden’s struggle is clear. Fortunately through the heavy, there are true moments of light and acceptance. I think many kids will relate to Arden’s experience – there’s so much goin on in her life that it’s easy to connect to something; however, this is also what makes the story a bit less believable. I do recommend this for high school libraries.
Does the intrigue into the lives of kings and religious temple life from distant tropical islands interest you? How about gifted women who possess spiritual powers, enabling them to gain knowledge and secrets of the unseen world make for an interesting read? Lizz Huertauses flowery, descriptive words to bring you into the hearts and minds of her characters as they interact with Indir, the Dreamer, the seer.
Royalty passes the throne of power from the father to the son and song with this succession, comes change. Immediately, the new king tells his audience of the old traditions that, “I am here to usher in a new age.” The tradition of Dreamers is now threatened. What does Alcan, the new king want? Power. He believes power means having control over others.
But Alcan is also an angry person. Indir escapes from Alcan’s threats. Not until three quarters into our story is Indir told the source of this anger, the secret brother of Alcan. Even kings are not spared from the consequences of unfaithfulness in a family. You’ll just need to read for yourselves how Indir’s lost Dreamer is found.
For readers who equate “corn maze” with dread, this is your book. This perfect Halloween season story is narrated by Claire, a teenager who is about to testify in her sister’s murder trial. She’s a horror movie fanatic, but a total scaredy-cat of anything that moves in real life. The plot twists in cryptic ways and I certainly couldn’t have predicted the conclusion. It’s a real nail-biter and readers will have a hard time putting it down …to go to sleep (!?).
A Cinderella retelling. In this book author is able to spin a tale threaded with fancy balls and sweet romance at every corner.
Even though Cendrillon’s father dies in an untimely manner, and her new stepmother is anything but motherly, Cendrillon is able to find her way through French society and steal the heart of the prince himself… and his younger brother. Leaving the horrors of living with her stepmother to be married to the prince would be a welcome escape for Cendrillon, but she doesn’t feel as much of a connection to the prince as she does with his younger brother, but she must make a decision.
Cinder and Glass stays with the main theme of the original Cinderella, but is able to tie in more current ideas and slip in historical elements.
I liked that the characters were diverse in their personalities and interests. I disliked that the beginning was a little bit slow, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it.
For readers who equate “corn maze” with dread, this is your book. This perfect Halloween season story is narrated by Claire, a teenager who is about to testify in her sister’s murder trial. She’s a horror movie fanatic, but a total scaredy-cat of anything that moves in real life. The plot twists in cryptic ways and I certainly couldn’t have predicted the conclusion. It’s a real nail-biter and readers will have a hard time putting it down …to go to sleep.
In For for the Road, K.J. Reilly takes you on an unforgettable car trip with a mysterious cast of characters that you’ll root for all the way to the end.
When a car crash caused by a drunk driver tragically kills his mother, the only thing Asher sees in front of him is revenge. But during an epic car ride with newfound friends, he learns that there are other paths to chose from. Combining humor to make you smile, mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and interesting character dynamics, K. J. Reilly pulls you into a powerful read.
I loved the characters. All of the characters grieve differently, which shows that everyone is different. For example, Henry, a very old man who Asher made friends with. Henry’s wife died, and he hasn’t quite gotten over it. Henry carries his wife’s ashes in an urn that he takes everywhere. At restaurants, he’ll order for his wife even though she cannot eat it. Using characterization, readers can infer that he misses his wife very much.
Rees’s book is very well written and quickly immerses you into its world. There’s a plague that all young teens try to escape by seeking refuge in a run down castle; however, quickly realize that the plague is directly connected to demons. Most of the story is driven by the characters trying to stop the demons. Danger looms all around in this quick paced novel; characters are constantly questioning whether or not to risk the dangers in trying to survive, or to give up.
If you like creepy books full of unknowns and adventure; this book is for you.
This graphic novel is a creative with an intriguing twist on a classic horror story (Frankenstein), a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys graphic novels. Fiction, Magic, Science, Psychology, and Coming of Age are blended well in this story as the author delves deep into grief and its consequences.
Summary: Frances Ai has failed in her attempt to bring back her sisters soul, instead creating a new mind in her sisters body. This new being, M, struggles with the pressure placed on her as Frances tries to find any hint of the sister she lost.
I believe that the mechanics of magic within the story were altogether unnecessary, as they did not serve as more than occasional mentions and did not serve much purpose. The story would have been perfectly fine without mentions of magic.
This is an LGBTQ+ Romance set in the early 90s. Usually, I love books set within this time period because I was a teen during that era; however, this one falls short for me. The pop culture references sprinkled within the book are pretty obscure; I worry today’s teens will not have enough knowledge to understand the reference and grow bored of it, unable to relate.
I appreciated the way the author told of society’s attitude toward the LGBTQ+ community during that time period; however, I feel as though parts were very trite and predictable.
I also dislike the title – it feels like it’s trying to allude to Call Me by Your Name by Aciman (which it does not compare).
I do think that our high school libraries will have an audience for this title. I am curious to hear what today’s teens say about it it.
Author, Rachel Lynn Solomon, is a fellow Washingtonian – and her books are set in Washington State. See You Tomorrow is set on the University of Washington campus, with a ton of local references. It made the book more enjoyable for me because I could picture the places she describes.
This story isn’t a new idea – it’s very much like the movie Groundhog Day, in that the two main characters are caught within a time loop, doomed to live one single day over and over. In the process of discovering that they are in it together, Miles and Barrett begin to work together to figure out what, if anything, can break the loop. The two begin as strangers, who irritate each other. We see their relationship begin to morph into something more as they spend more time together and learn about each other. Half way through the book, the romantic tension is palpable.
Readers will enjoy the comedic elements, as well as the slow burn love story. There are a couple of spicy love scenes within, so readers should be aware of this going into it. There is also swearing throughout.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. Readers who are fans of Solomon’s other books, or Again But Better by Riccio will enjoy this one as well.
The book is definitely written at teens – the casual language and clearly defined vocabulary and anecdotes will hold the attention of teen readers. The thing I liked most about the language in this book was the use of “Global Majority” as the descriptor for BIPOC folks in the United States. This puts a constant reminder in the reader’s mind that the BIPOC population is NOT the minority – and even in the US this population will outnumber the White population within the next couple of years.
This book explains why it’s important to speak of and acknowledge white priviledge within our society. It’s main message is to listen.
The book is accessible and appropriate for grades 6-12. It’s a quick read; the audio version is read by the author, so it’s equally as good.
All My Rage follows Misbah’s journey in the United States as she struggles with opening a motel and her husband’s alcoholism. Years later, her son Salahudin and his best friend Noor face the challenges of Misbah’s poor health, the failing motel, and the racism of their town.
The reality of the “American Dream” is portrayed by the lives of Pakistani immigrants in a rural California town.
I loved that All My Rage was so brutally honest and that the author did not sugarcoat anything. She dismantled the flawed ideology that one must simply work hard for the american dream. The novel was a personal and raw look at the lives of immigrants and the struggles they face. The relationships between the characters was also well done. I especially liked Salahudin’s relationship with his father because it was complex and imperfect. I loved the poetic language in Misbah’s chapters and they were always beautiful to read. Also, I cried for the last twenty pages of the book and I really like sad and emotional books.
Realistic Fiction, Multiple POV, Diverse Characters, Religion, Trauma, Friendship, Romance, Social Commentary, Parental relationships.
Growing up in the kingdoms of Wenderall, Kiva Meridan has known political disrest her entire life. The only way she has survived ten years in Zalindov, a brutal prison camp, is the job of Prison Healer, which her father trained her in before he died. When Tilda Corentine, the leader of the rebellion, is captured and brought to Kiva’s infirmary, she faces a sentence worse than death: four trials which have never been survived, and are only achievable by those born with elemental magic. The only problem? Tilda is sick, barely able to move or open her eyes, let alone face four grueling Ordeals. Surprising everyone, even herself, Kiva volunteers in Tilda’s place. If she can survive, she has the chance of freedom for herself and for the Rebel Queen, but that chance is slim for a girl with no power over the elements. Kiva finds unlikely friends, mysterious love interests, and is deceived by false identities. Lynnette Noni’s writing is riveting, full of twists and turns and coded messages, and will have you at the edge of your seat. Her use of colloquial speech characterizes each personality in an engaging and unique way, and elements of magical realism are integrated with ease, creating a fantasy world that is relatively uncomplicated and easy for the reader to step into. If you are a lover of suspense, slow burn romance, and fantasy, this book is for you!
Bea dies in a car accident and wakes up in “purgatory,” an airport called Layoverland. To move on to Heaven, she must help 5000 people move on themselves! However, her first real assignment is the one who killed her. Can she help her killer? You should read this book because: It’s moving and thought-provoking while being funny and real. Bea is a fun, relatable character that you can hang out with. Genre: Realistic Fiction/ Fantasy
Riz the main character experiences dissociative experiences, memories of her father who passed away years ago. We watch as she holds on to the grief of her father’s death- almost a metaphor for keeping going and holding on to life and love.
If you enjoy books that are filled with emotion this book is perfect for you! I loved this book and could not stop
Reading it because it’s so easy to connect your own emotions with the characters.
Reviewer: OHS Student, Ffiona Right Where I Left You is a fantastic book by Julian Winters (Who is a WONDERFUL LGBTQIA+ author.) It shows a great bond between an introverted gay boy, and his outgoing bisexual best friend. It emphasizes the vast difference between expectation versus reality in a friendship. And shows the difficulties of the next finding your path in life, and the people you want to share it with. Right Where I Left You is 5 stars and a 10/10 in my book.
Reviewer: OHS Student, Ffiona Kiss & Tell was a cute book but could be a bit cliche at times. It highlights the struggles of being out of the closet, but staying true to yourself. It shows the difficulty of being seen for more than your sexuality, and skin color. Kiss & Tell shows examples of a healthy, and unhealthy relationship between two boys, and the importance of having friends and family to support you.
Kiss & Tell is a boy band on its first major tour. The main character, Hunter, goes through his first breakup with a boyfriend. The details of Hunter’s personal life are leaked and put in the lime-light.
This is a sweet romance set on a small town farm, between a home-town farm girl and long-lost Rockstar friend. The story is a pretty typical enemies to lovers tale – boy comes “home” to recover from one of many fame scandals; he’s in dire need of money, so selling the farm seems like the best option. Girl makes it her mission to treat the boy with “honey” in order to keep him from selling her home. There are many familial ties between the two, making the situation more complicated. Along the way the characters bicker, disagree, form a true friendship and an eventually romantic love. This story is very sweet – appropriate for ages 12+. Anyone looking for a warm, feel good read will enjoy this.
Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy is a memoir in graphic novel form. It is FANTASTIC! Huda writes of a time in her life when she moved from a large city where she was known as the “hijabi girl” to a small, predominantly Muslim community where nearly everyone adorned hijabis. This prompted a lot of questions for Huda in regard to her own identity. Who is Huda? The book follows her journey to find friends and fit in, but most importantly Huda’s self discovery shines through in the end. I feel all middle school and high school students will find this relatable, funny, and quick to read. I am choosing to put the book in our graphic novel section rather than the biography section because I think it will get more use.
The historical fiction WWII novel, The Enigma Game, is actually the “prequel” to Elizabeth Wein’s critically acclaimed Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire. I did not read her earlier works but this did not at all detract from my enjoyment of this well-crafted tale. The story is told in the voices of three young people brought together by the strange circumstances of war.
It is 1940 and 15-year old Louisa has recently lost both her parents at the hand of German forces. She is the child of a black Jamaican father and a white British mother, and has to suddenly be responsible for her own survival. She has a difficult time finding employment in her new English homeland because of racial prejudice and her young age, but is able to find a job in Scotland taking care of an elderly German-born ex opera singer.
Jamie, the second narrator, is a Royal Air Force flight leader stationed at a base near the Scottish village of Windyedge, where the story takes place. Ellen is the third voice, and she is a youngish volunteer driver for the military base, and grew up as a “Traveller,” the common name for the nomadic tribes of the British Isles.
Wein cleverly weaves a tale of espionage and wartime drama as seen through the eyes of her three main characters. A pilot from the German resistance leaves an Enigma code maker/breaker machine at the Limehouse pub, which is the central location for the main characters. Louisa, a classically trained musician, is able to crack German pilot code communications to help aid the Royal Air Force. The pacing of the story really varies with the voice, and I found Louis’s voice to be spunky and intelligent but somewhat contrived, as opposed to the other two older characters who seemed more genuine. I was most engaged with Jamie’s narration of dangerous flight missions. I think this story would resonate with WWII history buffs, and it has an impressive amount of historical detail that I found fascinating. Recommended grade level for this book is 9th grade and above. I give the book four out of five stars.
Mason Deaver’s 2nd novel, The Ghosts We Keep, is a deeply emotional story of a non-binary high school student losing his older brother in an accident. Liam Cooper is already having trouble maintaining friendships at school and is struggling with his place in the world and what he wants to do after high school, and the death of his brother makes him almost suicidal. It’s a believable story, and it was born of the author’s own grappling with grief. It moves pretty slowly and the main character might drive you a bit crazy, but you’ll hang on to the end in order to find out how Liam matures and survives this tortuous time. Genre: Realistic Fiction
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Reviewed by M. Losh, OHS Library Secretary
Main character, Spencer, was born biologically female but identifies as male. His early high school experiences have been riddled with bullying and threats to his life. At Spencer’s new school he decides to keep his transition a secret, passing easily as male. Spencer is a skilled soccer player, but encounters trouble playing for his new school’s team once the coach finds “female” listed as the sex on Spencers birth certificate. At this point, Spencer must decide if keeping his transition a secret is more important than playing soccer.
This book would interest student athletes as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. The character development is strong, the events unfold in a way that makes the reader want to continue to learn what happens. I highly recommend this book for all high school libraries.
This is a book about grief, addiction, family and finding your community. I went into this book with high expectations because I’ve loved every other book by Gayle Forman, but by the end of this read I was left wanting so much more. The main character, Aaron, is boring and had me often wondering why I couldn’t connect to him very well. The events unfold slowly with little development. The one redeeming aspect of the book is the way we see Aaron and his parents dealing with grief in vastly different ways; none of which are coping well, but all are still making their way through it.
The book is appropriate for both upper middle and high school students. There are characters dealing with substance abuse and addition as well as a character who dies of an overdose.
The old adage, “you can’t judge a book by its cover,” may be true, but I was entranced by the intricacy of the cover, and it was a bit metaphorical for this story of a complicated, dysfunctional family. Three sisters, Eileen, Claire, and Murphy live in a small town in rural Oregon with their perpetually stressed-out mom, and have only the dimmest memories of their father who died before Murphy was born. Their mom works long hours to provide for the family and pay down a huge medical debt incurred with their dad’s illness, and she becomes more and more emotionally distant from the girls as they grow older. Each sister is facing a tough sequence of events, but none knows what the other sisters are actually going through. The tight, protective sisterly bond they used to share in years past has been completely shattered by the flawed way the sisters handle their individual challenges.
Eileen, the oldest, stumbles on a dark family secret and deals with the news by keeping it a secret, and drinking (a lot). She’s always been a talented artist, but her soul is being sucked dry by her inability to process this secret and her creativity withers away. Claire, meanwhile, has lofty plans of attending an Ivy League college and escaping the confines of her homophobic town. She follows a social media personality that espouses the concept of “excellers” and “settlers.” Claire considers herself an exceller, and effectively shuts herself off from her family, whom she thinks are all settlers: they settle for less, while she rises above. Murphy is a magician-in-training who loves attention, but feels abandoned by her family. To top it all off, she forgets to care for her pet turtle and it dies right before Christmas, which just amplifies her sadness. She has a theory that she is just the spare tire of the family…forgotten, unseen, and unheard.
None of the girls is expecting a warm or cheerful winter holiday, but what they really don’t expect is the cryptic news Eileen gets from a local law firm that they had an uncle (their dead father’s brother) in a seaside town in Oregon. Not only that, he very recently died and bequeathed his estate to the girls, each sister to receive a third of the estate upon their 18th birthday. What follows is a stormy trip, weatherwise and relationship-wise. The house turns out to be a mansion, and a bit spooky at that, but the tale never really gets to a nail-biting pitch.
Ormsbee writes in a 3rd person omniscient point of view, with chapters dedicated to each sisters’ thoughts and experiences, interspersed with chapters detailing the past, and it can be a bit tiring bopping back and forth between them all. However, readers can also glean from each chapter why each sister feels and acts the way she does, and it gives an opportunity for more understanding and empathy. Even though the somewhat ominous cover alluded to the story as being a thriller or gothic horror piece, it is neither. Rather, the mystery in this sister-tale is more about assumptions, relationships, and family secrets. It would appeal to those who enjoy reading about complicated family dynamics, with a nice twist or two in the telling. The reader who is anticipating a dark and suspenseful murder mystery might be aggravated by the slow pace and micro-detail of every interaction. We should be grateful that Ormsbee had this unknown uncle lurking in the background because without his posthumous nudging, these sisters (and their mom) would have apparently gone down their own destructive paths and flamed out, which would have made for a depressing read. As it is, the themes of redemption and resolution may be what redeem this story as a whole.
This is a story about a community of “Doomsday Preppers.” The narrator, Becca, is a third generation community member, she’s been born into the world of safety at all costs. Now, as a soon-to-be-graduate, Becca desperately wants to leave behind the craze she’s grown up in. Fortunately she finds an ally in Roy, the boy that her parents have pre-arranged her marriage to, both are keeping the same secret: they do not believe in Doomsday. The only thing really holding Becca back is her younger sister; she knows that her absence within the community will put her sister in a dangerous position. Becca and Roy work together to devise a plan to help Becca’s sister and escape from the community.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well developed and the storyline is unique. As readers we root for Becca and Roy and wonder what the future holds for the two of them. You could hand this book to almost any student and there will be something for them to relate to.
