Kareem Between, by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

     Kareem is a 7th grade Syrian American living in Indiana. He goes to middle school and dreams of someday being the quarterback on his school football team. He lives with his parents and his siblings, even though his older sister isn't always nice to him. He does his homework, goes to classes, has friends, and loves the Chicago Bears (even though they haven't been a very good team in a very long time!).

    Austin is the coach's son, and the current quarterback of the school team. The team is also pretty bad, and they don't usually win. Austin promises to get Kareem a chance to make the team, in exchange for doing his school work for him. Kareem wants to play football so badly that he agrees. 

    Being Syrian American makes Kareem different than other kids at his school. When another Syrian family arrives in his community, Kareem is told to help Fadi, who will now attend Kareem's middle school, feel welcome. However, Kareem is trying to win Austin's favor at every turn, even when Austin refers to Fadi as "cereal". At the same time, Kareem's mother has returned to Syria to bring her parents back to the United States, but while she is there the U.S. declares a ban on Muslim immigration from various country's...including Syria. Kareem's mother is stuck.

    Kareem Between is the first middle grade book by author Safadi. It won the National Book Award last year, when it was published, which means it has been well received in the community of readers. It is a story told in verse, which I admit didn't really fit the story at first, but seemed to grow on me more the further into the story I got. It's a very important story, and part of a growing number of middle grade books that address the reality of our current world, where people are being separated based on their skin color and nation of origin. This book is important for all of us as we are reminded that the United States has always been a nation of people coming together from all parts of the world - not always easily, and not always peacefully - but we are a great, giant nation built of people from all over the world! This is a cause for celebration, as we continue to learn different languages, different cultures, traditions, religions - none better or worse than another. No person better or worse than another, no matter the color of their skin. 

    This idea does not occur easily for everyone, as our past and present continues to show us. It is up to us to use our voices to make this work. For everyone. You. Me. Him. Her. Them. Books like Kareem Between are a vital part of this ongoing conversation. I hope you read it, and books like it, to provide you with hope and inspiration when you need it to continue to make the world a better place, every day! 4 paws and a wag!

Homebody, by Theo Parish

     Homebody is a new graphic novel from author and illustrator Theo Parish. The memoir is an account of how Parish (they/them) came to accept themselves for who they are, from memories of being a child through teen years and college and into adulthood. It's a quick read, and the creative illustrations really add to the telling of their story. Growing up, Parish realized at points along the way that they were not boy or girl alone, but neither, and both. Parish calls this non-binary, but also refers to themselves as queer.

    Stories with such personal topics are getting more and more attention in the last year or two, but not for the right reasons. Groups of people around the country are working hard at eliminating stories such as Parish's, in the hopes that if the stories are not being written and read, somehow issues (and people) that include transgender, non-binary, LGBTQA+, or other similar identifications and acronyms will simply "go way". What I love about Homebody is that Parish is quite simply and honestly telling their story - of growing up knowing that the label they received at birth did not fit who they felt they really were. Like everyone everywhere in the world, as we grow we are discovering who we are! What we like, what our character is, who we want to be and what we want to do with ourselves and our lives. Parish's journey includes the search for gender identity. As a dog, mine didn't, but it is heartwarming to read about someone who is different than me, on a journey different from mine, but asking questions we all ask ourselves along our own journeys!

    I love the honesty of this book, and the creative ways Parish explains how understanding who we are is like finally coming home. They use a house in words and drawings to make the point that they are simply trying to find their own safe place, to be themselves and to find peace and joy in being who they are. I think that is something even this pup can understand and appreciate, which is what makes this book even more endearing. Parish is not asking the reader to be like them, but to be themselves, and celebrate who they are, and also who other people are. It's a simple message, on the surface, but one that causes a lot of division between people as well. I'm a dog, and I wag for most anyone! Maybe that's a lesson people can learn from me? 4 paws and a wag!

Rebellion 1776, by Laurie Halse Anderson

     The newest from master storyteller Laurie Halse Anderson, the author who brought you Fever 1793 and the Seeds of America trilogy. I had my human buy this from the store as soon as it was released, that is how tail-wagging excited I was to get my paws on this book!

    Rebellion 1776 tells the story of the American Revolution which began around 1776 and has a lot of roots right here in Virginia as well as northward into the New England states. The narrator is Elsbeth Culpepper, who has lost her entire family, except for her father, to smallpox. As things between England and the new colonists come to a head, the smallpox epidemic is beginning as well. This is a part of history that doesn't make the headlines in most books about this country's revolutionary period, but as Anderson shows it plays a huge part in events leading up to and during the Revolution.

    Anderson created the events of this story based on real letters written by Abigail Adams, wife of president-to-be John Adams, as she goes to Boston with an extended family and friends to receive the smallpox vaccination. Anderson begins each chapter with a quote from the era, some from Adams but also from others as well, and then weaves Elsbeth's story from the events described in the letters. Not a new idea, but a good way to write historical fiction, I think.

    As a "rabid" fan of historical fiction, I was really ready to "lap" this book up! And I'm glad I did, as I truly enjoyed it...but...I was hoping for a little more of the history going on involving the revolution than what Anderson offered. She relied heavily on the disease and Elsbeth's journey - which isn't a bad thing at all! - just not as much of the history as I had hoped for or expected. Don't get me wrong, Anderson is as strong a storyteller as anyone, and you won't go wrong reading her books. But Rebellion 1776, while really good, wasn't quite as strong as Fever 1793. That said, if you read and love Rebellion, treat yourself to Fever - it will stay with you for a very long time (the book, not the fever...). 4 paws!

A Duet for Home, by Karina Yan Glaser

     The latest release from the author of the Vanderbeekers 7-book series (which I have not yet read), A Duet for Home is the story of June Yang, her younger sister Maybelle, and their mom. After losing their dad and husband, the family becomes homeless, and mom goes silent. June is basically caring for Maybelle, as well as navigating a forced move to a homeless shelter. At the shelter, June befriends two pranksters, Tyrell and Jeremiah, albeit reluctantly at first. Together, these kids navigate life at Huey House, the New York homeless site where changes are coming - quickly! - and not necessarily good ones.

    Author Glaser explains in her notes her adult experiences with homelessness and it is clear throughout the book that she knows about the system that June and her family are thrust into. Through it all these kids all have hopes and dreams, as any kid does, but with the added uncertainties that being homeless brings. And June does so well as a teen "adult", which is commendable but also infuriating - why do some kids have to be adults long before they're supposed to be?

    A Duet for Home is a good book, although several times I found myself thinking forward of what I might read next. Sometimes that is just my doggie brain not being able to focus, and sometimes it's a sign that the writing, although good and important, isn't compelling. I can't immediately recall a book that this reminds me of, which is a good thing, I think! It isn't too "this author" or "that genre". It's a good book, just not amazing. If the topics I've mentioned have meaning for you, you would probably like this read! If not, it wouldn't be a bad book to choose as your next read, but I'm not sure it will be your all-time favorite. 4 paws.

I Must Betray You, by Ruta Sepetys

     Another wonderful, intense historical fiction book by one of my favorite authors, Ruta Sepetys. Her books are very well researched, very well written, and very heavy in their subject matter...but SO worth it!

     I Must Betray You is a story about the country of Romania, an eastern European country that for many years was under the control of a communist despot. Her book centers around main character Cristian, who lives in the capital city of Bucharest and is trying to survive terrible living conditions. The story takes place in 1989 - not very long ago! - and during this era people in many parts of Eastern Europe lived in fear; of each other, of the government, of the police. No one knew who they could trust, food was difficult to find, which also added to the tension of life. Electricity was inconsistent, which means many people lived in the dark and cold a lot of the time. People waited in food lines for hours for the most basic food supplies. Meanwhile, the country's leaders lived in wealth and abundance and pretended to the rest of the world that the entire country was living the same way. Many other countries were fooled for a long time, including the United States. It was very dark time for the people of Romania.  It happened only a generation ago.

    Anyone who is fan of historical fiction should read any of Sepetys's books. I have read three or four, and they are always excellent. Along with non-fiction writer Steve Sheinkin, she is one of the authors I always watch for when she releases something new, and try to read her new book when I can. They are pretty involved (well researched), and she chooses topics which usually involve people living in less-than-perfect situations. If that sounds at all interesting, give this book - or any of her titles! - a try. You won't be disappointed, but they will likely change you. 5 paws!

    

The Science of Being Angry, by Nicole Melleby

     The Science of Being Angry is one of several book by author Nicole Melleby, but I haven't read any of them before this. I discovered this book only recently, and was a little surprised to see that it initially came out in 2022. The paperback version was released less than a year ago, which is why it probably crossed my radar this school year.

    The title of this book is based on main character Joey, an 11-year-old who has anger issues that go beyond what most people experience when something happens that makes them mad, like stubbing a toe, for example. But for most people, that anger fades, usually as the frustration of the situation subsides. But Joey gets angry easily, and she acts on her anger, in as much as she doesn't have a single friend at school (outside of her two brothers). Her anger gets her family kicked out of their apartment complex, gets her suspended from school, physically harms one of her moms...and on it goes. Because of a science project at school based on genetics, Joey decides to find her biological father to see if he, too, has anger issues. Joey is desperate to discover where this anger comes from, why she can't seem to control it, and how to live without hurting everyone, especially the people she loves.

    The first third of this book was pretty...meh. It reminded me of one of those books you get at the book fair that you haven't heard of before but that costs only a couple of dollars - less than the books you have heard of - so you buy it, read it, and...forget about it. Thankfully, Melleby gathered some steam from that point and I started feeling more a part of Joey's life and her spiderweb of emotions and troubles.  In all, her story is really relatable as she tries to navigate something she has little control over, and has no idea why she is this way. She fears she is hurting the people she really loves, so one strategy she explores is creating distance from them, which doesn't make anything better, as you might imagine.

    The book received starred reviews from two of the publications that I look to when I'm looking for my next good book, which surprised me a bit. Being Angry isn't bad - in fact it's pretty good! - but it's not a 5 paw book, as the starred reviews would suggest. Hmm, maybe you will like it more than I did. It is a good story, and worth a read, but I can only offer 3 paws and a wag.

    I will watch for new releases from Melleby in the future, as I feel like the strengths she shows in this story will carry forward into perhaps a "fuller" book, start to finish. In the meantime, I'll keep watching for my realistic fiction superstars; Kate DiCamillo, Kwame Alexander, Jason Reynolds, A.S. King...

Brownstone, by Samuel Teer & Julia Mar

     A new graphic novel that I really enjoyed! Brownstone won a Printz Award this year, which is one of the awards given out each January by the readers of the American Library Association (a group of people all over the country who read a lot of kids books to choose the best of the best!). And rightly so! 

    Teer and Mar tell the story of Almudena, a 14-year-old girl living with her mom and doing the things teens do - go to school, wrestle with relationships, etc. Her mom gets the opportunity to travel with a dance team, and decides to leave Almudena with her father. The trouble is, Almudena has never met her father! She argues, but to no avail - mom drops her off at her dad's brownstone house in the Latina section of the city. Dad doesn't not speak English, and Almudena doesn't speak Spanish. In addition, Almudena thinks she is part Mexican because of her dark skin, but discovers her father is actually Guatemalan. She's not sure of the difference, but she slowly finds out. And, from the moment they meet on the sidewalk in front of his house, Almudena is put to work helping her dad renovate a really old, broken down house in the middle of the city. Did I mention they can't understand each other?

    As the book progresses, Almudena slowly becomes part of the neighborhood, and of her father's life, but not without a lot of bumps along the way. The only caution I offer with this story is that there are moments of strong language - teenagers talking like they sometimes do to each other, with colorful language that adults may not often use. But I never felt the bad words were out of place, and in fact everything about this book seemed very realistic, which made it funny, sad, maddening...all of those things we all experience in real life!

    A really good book, maybe not for younger readers, but most 7th and 8th graders (and above) will really enjoy this story, I think. 5 paws!