July Read Harder update

Another month, another update. My ambitious goal was to finish four books: The 1619 Project, Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, These Violent Delights, and Flip the Script. Did I do it?

No. No, I did not do it. Still working my way through The 1619 Project. It is not a book you blaze through. I did complete my other three challenge books though (sort of. You'll see.), and I'm working my way through this one.

Amira & Hamza: done. Overall, I liked it. I thought the Big Bad could have been a little bigger and badder, but otherwise, solid middle grade story. It isn't much longer than this, but ICYMI you can read my review of it here.

These Violent Delights, whew. I actually had to sub in Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi because, while I am enjoying These Violent Delights, there are some ick elements that badly trigger a phobia I have to the point where just sitting here typing this is making me feel vomit-y. I'm still going to read it, but I have to do so very slowly, so I figured tagging another book in for this challenge, since I already had a few options I had been trying to choose from, was better than just slowly chipping away at it for however long it takes me to get through. Travelers Along the Way, I'm happy to report, did not make me queasy! It was a great read, an interesting spin on Robin Hood and fascinating to read more about the history of that area of the world. (Update: Squeaked finishing These Violent Delights in too! It was solid. Gross, but solid.)

Flip the Script was cute. It took on a serious topic, but overall was an easy read with a nice ending. I enjoyed it! Very hopeful, sweet main characters. Two thumbs up.

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So...August books? (I almost forgot I needed to pick August books. Whew.) Challenges seventeen and eighteen.

#17: Read a YA book by an Indigenous author. In a fun twist, I just got a couple YA books by Indigenous authors to read with my book club! I'll be doubling up and reading A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair for this challenge and with my book club.

#18: Read a comic or graphic novel that features disability representation. I'm picking two for this one - El Deafo by Cece Bell and Just Roll with It by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie. I know the Deaf community doesn't consider Deafness a disability, so I was on the fence about including that one, but I recommend it a lot at school so I want to read it anyway. So...there you go! August books!

Rust in the Root - Justina Ireland

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided - between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology - otherwise known as Mechomancy - not the traditional mystical arts.

Laura disagrees. A talented young queer mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage's license. Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane's Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the damage caused by the Great Rust, and meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice. But as they're sent off on their first mission together, they discover evidence of mystical workings not encountered since the darkest period in America's past, when Black mages were killed for their power - secrets that could threaten their lives and everything they've worked for."

AHHHHHH WOW. I picked this book kind of on a whim for my YA book club, not sure how it would go, and I am so glad it ended up on my radar because it is incredible. I literally just finished it and am still reeling a bit from my journey, so I'm going to give myself a moment to process and then come back and try to review it properly.

Okay, I've taken some time, and I'm here to tell you that I'm still thinking about this book, almost a week after I finished it. The way Justina Ireland weaves magic and fantasy elements into history is masterful, and the subterfuge and plot twists had me on the edge of my seat the entire book. Peregrine and Skylark had me rooting for them right away, and while I had a hard time letting my guard down about anyone else, I couldn't help but love Grimalken, Crystal, etc. The characters, the worldbuilding, the storytelling...out of this world. 

Also, the number of just...MASTERFUL lines in this book. Have you ever read a book and been constantly torn between "This is so gripping, I cannot stop reading" and "holy shit, I need to write this line down NOW because it is amazing"? Read this book and you will have. It felt like every page or two there was a sentence that had me reaching for a pen. I already said that the weaving of reality and fantasy was A+, but seriously, the way Ireland used the tension between the Possibilities and Mechomancy as commentary on real-world conflicts...chef's kiss.

Please read this book. It's so good.

Grand Canyon Reader nominees!

My favorite part of each school year is talking about that year's Grand Canyon Reader nominees with my students and then seeing which books they vote for throughout the voting period. I love trying to guess which titles will be popular, and while sometimes I'm right on the money, there are always one or two surprise frontrunners that I never would have expected. I've been trying to read as many nominees as I can in order to make more informed guesses, so I'm going to put share lists of nominees for each category and see how many books from each list I can read this school year. Let's start with...picture books!

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

Cat Problems by Jory John

Change Sings by Amanda Gorman

Fatima's Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq

Flashlight Night by Elisabeth Hasselbeck

I Don't Want to Read This Book by Max Greenfield

Nina by Traci N. Todd

Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler

Tomatoes for Neela by Padma Lakshmi

What's Inside a Flower? by Rachel Ignotofsky

Note: This is a fake booklist being used to help my students practice evaluating information found online. For an accurate list of Grand Canyon Reader nominees, you can find the award website here.

Key Player - Kelly Yang

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"The Women's World Cup is coming to Anaheim, and everyone has soccer fever - especially Mia! The US team is playing China in the finals, and Mia feels like her two identities are finally coming together. But when her PE teacher gives her a C, Mia tries to pull up her grade by scoring interviews with the championship teams. It's not so easy when...

1. The two teams are hunkered down in secret hotels in Pasadena and not taking any media requests.

2. Mr. Yao is back at the motel - as a co-owner! Jason is sure his dad deserves a second chance. Mia is not so sure.

3. Mia's parents are trying to buy a house of their very own, which turns out to be a LOT harder than they thought!

As Mia aims for her goals, she'll have to face strikers from all corners, as well as her own fears. But if anyone can find a way to win big, it's Mia Tang!"

An excellent end to an excellent series! While it still has its serious moments, it was pretty fun reading about Mia giving soccer a try, sleuthing out where the US and Chinese soccer teams were staying, and ultimately getting to meet both teams. I also really enjoyed her, Lupe, and Jason all have their own plotlines running through the main story. All four books spent time on Mia's friends, but I thought this one did an especially good job of sharing the spotlight, and getting some extra time with some of my favorite side characters before wrapping up the series was a nice way to go out.

Since this is wrapping up a four-book series, I figured instead of a long review, I'll answer a few book discussion questions instead.

Question 1: What did you like best about this series?

Mia, Lupe, and Jason's determination. I love the way they use their voices to push for change and fight for their dreams. Even when the adults who should be encouraging them (looking at you, racist ass school counselor!) tear them down, they push back and advocate for themselves.

Question 2: Which other character would make an interesting protagonist?

Oh, I would 1000% read a dual narrative with Mia's parents! I would also love a book about Shen or Mia's grandparents.

Question 3: What do you think of the books' titles? Are there other titles you would have chosen?

I really enjoyed the way the titles tied in to important moments/themes from each book. Front Desk is a title that becomes more heartwarming with every book you read, since working the desk at the motel is such an important thing for Mia. When the Three Keys title significance was revealed, I actually "awwed" out loud. Room to Dream could basically be the series title, it's what Mia's journey is all about. And Key Player could refer to Mia, but it could also refer to Lupe, fighting for her school's Math team or to Jason, standing up for himself with his dad and following his dreams. Such poignant title choices, I love them all.

The Canyon's Edge - Dusti Bowling

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Nora's birthday marks the one-year anniversary of the worst day of her life. To distract them both from the memories of the horrible shooting that killed Nora's mom, her dad surprises her with a trip to explore a slot canyon deep in the Arizona desert. But in the twisting, winding depths, the unthinkable happens. Suddenly, Nora finds herself lost,

alone,

at the bottom of a canyon,

in the middle of a desert.

Separated from her supplies, she faces dehydration, venomous scorpions, deadly snakes, and, worst of all, the Beast who has terrorized her dreams for the last year. To save herself and her father, Nora must conquer her fears - and outsmart the canyon's dangers."

Oh my god. This book. It's a bit long for a middle grade book, just over three hundred pages, but after part one (about thirty pages in) it shifts to being a novel written in verse and is a pretty quick read. (I read it in less than a day, but I also could not put it down.) It is a beautiful book - different blends of poetry styles, incorporating images, just...so evocative.

We see a bit of Nora's dad in the book, but for most of it the reader is alone with Nora. Through her reflection and flashbacks, we get to know more about her parents, her best friend, and another woman who was involved in the shooting when Nora lost her mom. I was impressed with how well-developed her friendship with Danielle and her connection with both her parents were, given that we pretty exclusively get to know each of them through Nora's memories. Solid writing.

I was also blown away by the atmosphere Dusti Bowling created in this book. Setting the scene, building up tension and fear, generating a sense of urgency...maybe it's because I spend a lot of time hiking in the desert, just started getting back into rock climbing after not doing it since I was a teenager, and, like Nora, am terrified of heights, but I was biting my nails this entire book. There was one point in particular, after Nora's encounter with a bark scorpion, where I was terrified out of my mind for her. Just incredible. If you, like me, enjoy the occasional stressful surviving-in-nature realistic fiction, I highly recommend picking this one up.

Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds - Samira Ahmed

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"On the day of a rare super blue blood moon eclipse, twelve-year-old Amira and her little brother, Hamza, can’t stop their bickering while attending a special exhibit on medieval Islamic astronomy. While stargazer Amira is wowed by the amazing gadgets, a bored Hamza wanders off, stumbling across the mesmerizing and forbidden Box of the Moon. Amira can only watch in horror as Hamza grabs the defunct box and it springs to life, setting off a series of events that could shatter their world—literally.

Suddenly, day turns to night, everyone around Amira and Hamza falls under a sleep spell, and a chunk of the moon breaks off, hurtling toward them at lightning speed, as they come face-to-face with two otherworldly creatures: jinn.

The jinn reveal that the siblings have a role to play in an ancient prophecy. Together, they must journey to the mystical land of Qaf, battle a great evil, and end a civil war to prevent the moon—the stopper between realms—from breaking apart and unleashing terrifying jinn, devs, and ghuls onto earth. Or they might have to say goodbye to their parents and life as they know it, forever.…"

 This was a quick read and I didn't take many notes, so it's going to be a short review. Character development was mostly solid - I really enjoyed Amira and Hamza's relationship, and I thought the two Jinn that brought them to Qaf were both great and balanced each other out well. I did feel like development was frontloaded and the characters that appeared early were fleshed out really well, while then development got skimpy as the book went on, but I suppose that's to be expected...there were just a couple cases where the reader got strangely little given the importance of their role in the story.

I thought the adventure started out very strong, with high stakes and a time crunch. But again, it seemed like partway through the book that fell off a little. Almost like "ope, this book is getting too long, gotta wrap it up!" I was much more engrossed in the earlier challenges than I was in the last couple of Big Deal final challenges - no spoilers, but when they came up against the big bad, I thought maybe it was a fake out because it seemed too easy given all the buildup to it. That said, it was still a good story, and I think my students would get into it. Adding it to my school library, for sure!