Tiger Daughter, by Rebecca Lim

     Sometimes I happen upon a book I wasn't aware of, and then, if luck is with me, the book I happen upon is a good one! That is the case with Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim. I admit I have not read any other books by this author, although it seems she has about 20 titles to her credit. She is Australian, which helped make this story even better because when I read books by authors from other places in the world, the language has some variety to it, and they sometimes approach common topics with a different eye (or pen!). All of this fits this book, and this author.

    Tiger Daughter is the story of Wen Zhou, a daughter of immigrant parents from China living in Australia who is trying to fit in and survive middle school alongside another immigrant boy, Henry. Wen's father is so strict and overbearing it is almost unbelievable at first, probably because, as a reader, I didn't want to believe a parent could be so controlling and cruel. As I read farther, I realized I was feeling a lot of what Wen must have been feeling, and at that point I was hooked in this story! She supports Henry in a way that is also beneficial to her own mental survival, and agrees to participate in an exam that could land them both in a school that would surely change their lives for the better, and give them a future that they don't see day to day being who and where they are.

    It's difficult to explain this story, sort of like some of my favorite A.S. King books, but I found that I couldn't put it down. Even a week after finishing the book Wen stays in my mind and I find myself rooting for her, and remembering that she is just a book character, not an actual human in my world. That, my friends, is the sign of a good book! The writing reminds me of some of my favorite realistic fiction storytellers; Sharon Creech and the late Patricia Riley Giff both come to mind. If this genre is something you enjoy or are open to, read this. You won't be disappointed! 5 paws!

Ban This Book, by Alan Gratz

     Ban This Book is not the newest title by this very good storytelling author, but it is being used as a school-wide book for this season here at River City so I also wanted to read it (along with my human, of course!). The title tells it all - a book about censorship and banning books, which means telling you what you can and cannot read (or see, or hear) based on one person's opinion (or sometimes a group of people) of what is appropriate. 

    In this story, Amy Anne goes to the school library one day to discover that her favorite book of all time - From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - has been banned, and thus taken off the shelf forever. She is incensed (which means she was more than just angry), and immediately began to find out why, what had happened, and how to correct it. She gets help in some unexpected places and the journey to fix what seems easily wrong is not so easy.

    This theme of banning books is timely, given it is Banned Books Month (October this year), and one of Vivi's last posts on this blog before retiring was the book Attack of the Black Rectangles, also a book about censorship and banning books. Banning books is a serious issue for those of us who like books - all books - and the idea of everyone - you, me, my human, everyone! Last year there were more challenges and banned books in the United States than any other year prior. More and more people are deciding it is their right to decide what you and I read. I don't know about you, but I will choose what I read, thank you very much!

    Ban This Book takes place in an elementary school, but Gratz is a great storyteller, and the message is a good one for any age or grade. If you are not already reading this book, stop by the library and check it out! I think you'll like it! 4 paws!

The Other Half of Happy, by Rebecca Balcarcel

    Hello, Readers!  My name is Zelda, and I am blogging to you today as a guest and friend of Violet's! I know she is trying to retire, and she asked if I wouldn't mind sharing a book with you that I just finished reading (Vivi and I and a few other dogs belong to an online dog reading group...we call ourselves the Tall Tails Reading Group!).  I'll try to do her past work justice...happy reading!!!

    The Other Half of Happy is the story of Quijana, a 12-year-old girl living in Texas and trying to navigate a lot of what many of you navigate on a daily basis - school, crushes, family...what makes this such a good story is the reality of Quijana's life, as well as how she does (and doesn't) meet her many challenges. Her younger brother is quirky and becoming more so all the time, and as the older sister she often has to watch him while their parents work or run errands, which is not as simple as it sounds!

    She is also trying to figure herself out, being born to a Guatemalan father and an Anglo mother. She doesn't speak Spanish, but is expected to travel to Guatemala with her family for the holidays. What she would rather do is go to Florida to see her other family, but to get there she would have to lie to her parents. The boy she likes seems to like her...but does he "like her" like her? 

    Author Balcarcel is a very good story teller, and with time I think you'll find yourself completely sucked into this story and Quijana's life. I will admit that it took me a minute to get into the story. The first third of the book seemed to drag a little. But I'm glad I kept reading and I hope you will, too, if you like above-average realistic fiction. Latinx perspectives, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, family struggles that are very realistically written...this book received a Pura Belpre Award, which means many others found it to be better-than-average as well! If you are still reading this post, give this book a try! Quijana is worth it! 4 paws!