Juvenile Crime—A Look Behind the Curtain

 

Anger is Only a Shadow , a contemporary young adult novel by award-winning author Elizabeth Acevedo, is a necessary and moving story for anyone who has dealt with mental illness in their families, with being a multicultural person or known youth with criminal backgrounds.  The main character is a D.C. high schooler, Lil, the middle child of immigrant parents from the indigenous Taino people of El Salvador and the Afro culture of the Dominican Republic. Most of the story is her experience in a youth detention center while waiting for her court hearing and the rest of the story is what her life is like after being released to her family but with an ankle monitor. Her older brother, who has always been looking after her, has gone away to college, but his behavior has changed and not in a good way. She feels burdened with finding out what is going on with him and her parents aren’t sure what to do. 

Lil reveals the positive influence that the poetry teacher at the youth detention center had on her through the “I Am From” writing prompts she is assigned. Even after leaving the center she still writes her own poems that reflect what’s going on in her mind at different points in the story. This is the strongest element of the book for me. Through Lil’s writing, her character goes through a process of seeing what is holding her back and getting to the place where she belongs. Even with several setbacks, the transformation that Lil goes through offers hope to others going through similar circumstances. 

Another strong aspect of the story is Lil’s relationship with her Abuela who is going through memory loss. She sometimes speaks in her native language and this reminds Lil of how much her brother loved the stories that her Abuela told them. This connection to her heritage is what ends up being a big factor in helping her brother at a dire time. Prior to reading this book I had read stories about characters with mental illness, however this is the first time I have read about a younger sibling who witnesses her older sibling’s mental health decline.  Acevedo provides additional mental health resources at the end of the book. 

Of course Lil’s time returning to school after the fallout of her crime is also an important part of her story. As a teacher myself, it reminded me of how much may be going on in the lives of my students that affects their behavior at school. It also makes me question some of the school rules that are strictly enforced without being able to make exceptions for students with special needs. Although it was sad to see that her two best friends, who were with her during her crime, were no longer at her school, it made her pivot to others that she had always been curious about from afar. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone age 13 and up. Acevedo’s writing is reminiscent of Neal Shusterman and Angie Thomas, as they all express their stories with similar heart and authenticity. 

Thanks to NetGalley for sharing an advanced reader copy for me to read and review before the book is published in September 2026. 

The Pools: A Fairy Tale Set in Modern Day

When an author branches out of their typical writing style and format, it takes a reader with an open mind to judge the book on its own merits, rather than from what the author typically writes. That is the case for The Pools by E. Lockhart. I have read all of E. Lockhart's other works and was expecting much of the same in this story, yet, I was surprised at each turn of the plot.  

In The Pools, the reader is introduced to Lexie, a mysterious teenager who arrives to town to live with her aunt, ill mother and little sister. The fresh water pools in the town are what drew Lexie's family there with the hopes of healing her ailing mother. There is a deep town lore about the pools from a long time ago when people who bathed in them got turned into birds. As Lexie settles into her new life, she also partakes in the pools and meets Chester, a fellow high school student with a mysterious past he is keeping from Lexie. Their relationship grows in sweet ways despite having their disagreements at times. Although the last argument they have is the final time they see each other before Chester, along with Lexie's younger sister and three other community members disappear after using the pools. Without spoiling the story, the burden of bringing them back to their human forms is what drives Lexie to the surprising conclusion. 

The strength of The Pools is the verse format that Lockhart uses to propel the story forward and develop the characters.  It feels like a fairy tale being told but in a modern-day setting. The themes are universal, however, and that is what makes the story stand out. 

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read and review an Advanced Reader Copy since the book publishes on October 6, 2026. 

Less toxic masculinity, more community support

Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar is already one of my favorite books of 2024. When I was entering middle school, I read a lot of Judy Blume and Ann M. Martin books because they wrote about real growing pains that my friends and I were experiencing.  Now I can add Ultraviolet to that group of stories that encapsulates what it's like to be 13, developing first crushes, heartbreak, and learning how to navigate your emotions without hurting others. 

In this novel in verse, Salazar follows Elio, a Mexican-American boy who has a core group of friends and looks to his dad to teach him what it means to "be a man."  According to his dad, it's not allowing yourself to feel any negative emotions and to embrace a macho attitude.  Thankfully, Elio's mother steps in and gently guides him to fully embrace the changes he's going through and to allow himself the time and space to heal from being hurt. Elio's two younger sisters, who typically get on his nerves, turn up for him when he is at his lowest point. 

My favorite part of this book is how Salazar writes authentically from the perspective of teenagers.  Their dialogue is completely believable, even using the most up-to-date slang of our current times: "no cap" and "rizz" make their way into the conversations throughout the story. She also weaves in the power of social media, group chats, and consent into the tale as Elio faces big decisions over how to deal with his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend who is taunting him.  Elio's problems are realistic so readers can possibly work through similar issues they are having through the story. 

As a teacher, parent, and school librarian, I would highly recommend this book to upper middle grade readers (6th grade and up).  The story's open and honest conversations about bodies and hormones between the grownups and teenagers can show readers how to respectfully have these important conversations by using accurate language and some humor, at times. I also appreciate Salazar showcasing a broad range of side characters who are also dealing with similar coming-of-age feelings. The last part that I especially enjoyed is how much Spanish is used in the story.  Being an immigrant myself, I can attest that hearing your ancestral language is powerful, using it yourself is even more moving, and finally seeing it printed in a published book is beyond feeling seen.  It signifies your experience as a person with a another language and cultural background that is just as a part of your identity as any other part. 

Be sure to checkout this novel as it is released in April of 2024 and Salazar's other books. She is a master storyteller who will have you laughing at one point and reaching for the tissues at another. For a read-alike to this book, I suggest the young adult book by Lamar Giles, Not So Pure and Simple:

Thanks to Net Galley for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. 

 

Blackout: NYC modern-day romance

There are some authors whose books I will read no matter what.  Now imagine my delight when six of these writers collaborated on one book!  Blackout the anthology of short stories by the best writers of today: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon, is a must-have in any high school library collection.  The setting is exactly the same for all of the writers' tales: in NYC a massive blackout takes over the city and from there the stories take form.  From exes competing for the same summer internship to new crushes developing at a home for the elderly, there is a range of love stories for everyone to get into. There are even LGBTQIA relationships that develop with such care that no reader will be unaffected by them.  This is the perfect example of Black joy for young adult readers on up. 

What stood out to me about these stories is that they continued in the form of snapshots throughout the whole book.  It reminded me of a film or play taking place at the same time with fadeaway shots dimming at the close of a chapter and then picking up at the start of another one as the next part of the story unfolds for the characters there.  One might think this would be hard to keep track of all of the storylines, but this is where the writers truly shine in their depth of developing each character and their motivations.  One suggestion I have is to help those who have never been to NYC understand the layout of the boroughs, is to include a map to help with the movement of the storylines. The cover is also beautifully designed, by Erin Fitzsimmons, and has a surprise underneath the book jacket! I cannot decide how to display it in my bookshelf...

 Other anthologies that Blackout reminded me of are Black Boy Joy and Ancestor Approved. These are more for middle grade readers while Blackout is more for high school aged readers. 

Jagged Little Pill: The Novel, how music inspires a story

Jagged Little Pill was one of the first albums I bought and when I listened to the music of Alanis Morisette, as a 13 year old, I could feel the emotion behind her lyrics.  In high school I won front row tickets to her concert when she toured with Garbage and even got to meet her backstage!  She was every bit of lovely and kind as I imagined.  It continues to be one of the best moments of my adolescence. Here I am, 27 years later, reading the young adult novel of the same name based on the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical by Eric Smith, Diablo Cody and Glen Ballard.  This is the first novelization of a musical that I have read and it didn't disappoint!  

The story is told from alternating points of view of five teenagers: Frankie, Jo, Nick, Phoenix and Bella.  It's the middle of the school year in a Connecticut suburb and nothing will be the same after a party that gets out of hand when Bella gets violated and the evidence is spread across social media.  Everyone's expectations of how they should respond in the wake of this incident drives the story:

• How will Nick, Bella's love interest who was supposed to look out for her act when his mother insists that he do nothing to jeopardize his college plans?  
• How will Frankie, Nick's adoptive sister, and her best-friend-with-benefits, Jo, support Bella along with their social activist club to make sure justice is served?  
• What can the new student, Phoenix, do to help as he falls for Frankie while taking care of his mom and hospitalized sister?

Using the musical and album, it's a journey for each character to get introspective as they risk losing the people they love in order to be true to themselves. The adults in the story have as many problems, if not more than the teens as they apply social pressure to everyone around them, including themselves.  This is a dynamic story where every character's choices have much to be debated.  Readers can think about how much race fits into their expectations of people's sexuality along with the #MeToo movement.  Who gets believed and why?  How do you communicate with someone with whom you've crossed the line of friendship? What do you do when you suspect your parent of having an addiction?

This book also stands out to me and will resonate with young adult readers because the authors interweave texting and chat conversations between the characters.  This is a more realistic way of storytelling as today's young people communicate in this way and will more likely read a book that includes this component of dialog.  

Teens can also choose an album or song that speaks to them and write a story idea inspired by the lyrics.  This type of writing prompt can help adolescents find the beauty in storytelling and even match other books with songs that would go along well with them!  As a fan of movie soundtracks, I love it when books name songs being played so I can play them and the story comes alive in a different way.  Literacy is about so much more than the words the page. It's a complete sensory experience if you allow yourself to engage in it. Smith includes a link to the cast recording so readers can listen to it for themselves:

Now that I have read the novel I am ready to watch the musical!  

How to Become a Planet: removing the stigma of mental illness

How I Became a Planet is a middle grade, realistic fiction novel by Nicole Melleby.  The main character is Pluto, a 7th grader, who is on the verge of being sent away from her home on the Jersey Shore to live with her Dad in the city.  The only way she can stay is if she shows progress from her diagnosed anxiety and depression by:

• completing summer school
• reconnecting with her ex-BFF
• doing what her mom asks

Only when Pluto meets Fallon, another person with her own to-do list, does Pluto get the support she needs to come to terms with her new normal.  

This is a heavy topic, much like Sharon M. Draper's Out of My Mind, where the neurodiverse internal dialog takes center stage.  I would add this book to my school library collection and have it for my home library for my middle grade daughter because Melleby's portrayal of Pluto and Fallon's relationship is a positive one for young people to see.  Their romantic relationship organically grows out of their friendship with a supportive community to foster their identities.  I hope that more middle grade writers incorporate characters who have complex mental illness needs, as well as more characters who have non-cis-gendered identities.  

Here is an interview with Melleby to learn more about this book.  Melleby has also written many other middle grade books, see below:

70 Favorite Middle Grade Fantasy Books

Click HERE for a Google Slides presentation from Spring 2021 that included books from our school library.  I have added many more since then and will update the slideshow with our newer books from this Fall. 

In August of 2021 I recommended these reads for our 5th graders. These include Realistic Fiction, Fantasy, Scary, Historical Fiction, and soon I will add Biography and Nonfiction.  

Do you have more that you recommend? Add the title or series name in the comments below!

Last Night at the Telegraph Club: a Young Adult historical fiction coming of age tale

Last Night at the Telegraph Club the 2021 National Book Award for Young People's Literature written by Malinda Lo is a story that has yet to be told in the arena of young adult literature. Lo deserves the award for her portrayal of Lily Hu, a 17 year-old Chinese-American daughter of immigrants who settled in Chinatown in San Francisco.  The year is 1954 and the Red Scare is is buzzing all around Lily and her community. She must be careful with whom she associates or else it could spell trouble for her family.  What ends up happening not only affects Lily's future, but also those around her.  

With the tone of a coming of age story, Lo reminds the reader of what it's like to be a teenager trying to figure out who you really are.  When Lily sees an advertisement for The Telegraph Club with a male impersonator or cross-dresser, something in her is awakened. She feels drawn to the club and finds a fellow classmate, Kath, who has an in there.  Once Kath introduces Lily to the club and the people inside, a whole new world opens up for Lily.  A world where others who feel like her can feel normal.  How can Lily return to the person her family expects her to be after she's discovered her feelings for women?  

The best part of this story is when Lo uses the flashbacks between Lily's storyline with ones about her parents and her aunt.  Their own circumstances and journeys to the U.S. to where they are in the 1950s sheds much light on their actions.  As I read the story I kept telling myself if Lily only knew her own family's struggles with their identity in the U.S., then she could open up to them about her own apprehension about where she stands.  

As a former history teacher, I also enjoyed the timelines that Lo includes that show the year, Lily and her family's major moments, and parts of world and American history that have affected Chinese Americans since they were first brought to the U.S. to build the trans-continental railroad.  As the daughter of an aerospace engineer, I enjoyed the development of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as Lily's other passion is studying space travel.  Thankfully her aunt is a human computer for the program and encourages Lily to pursue her interest in math, science, and engineering.  This part of history is interesting for readers to compare to Katherine Johnson and her pioneering work she did for NASA.

This story is an important one for people to read who may not be familiar with the experiences of Chinese Americans.  It's also a history of how the LGBTQ+ community has had to seek out safe spaces to be themselves.  It surprised me that in the ever-inclusive city of San Francisco, there was once a time that it was illegal for homosexuals to even congregate in public.  The end of the novel is full of more information that Lo explains served as her basis for all of the storylines in the book.  Readers who are interested have a number of resources to use to continue learning about more people who lived during this time and left their mark on the country. 

Angel of Greewood: romance set in a tragedy

 

Angel of Greenwood is a historical fiction young adult chapter book written by Randi Pink.  Set 11 days before the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, the story alternates point of view between teenagers, Angel and Isaiah.  On the surface, they couldn't be more different: Angel is there to serve others, she's interested in studying and is always home tending to her ailing father.  Isaiah on the other hand is always out of his house he shares with his mother.  He has many hook-ups and runs around town with the community bully, Muggy.  After Isaiah notices Angel dancing at church, he cannot get her out of his mind.  He invokes the help of their teacher to give them a summer project delivering books to the community so they can have a chance at a relationship.

On the surface this is a romance of two interesting characters, however there is so much more to this story than that.  Pink brings alive the community of Greenwood in detail so that by the end of the story, the characters who remain and are affected by the massacre feel real.  The tension in the story lies in the fact that the attack is coming and each chapter reminds the reader through a countdown.  Another tension is the way Isiah and Muggy's relationship changes.  Readers can relate to when a friend's actions caused anxiety and when one needs to decide to cut ties with them.  The will-they-won't-they romance between Angel and Isaiah is a beautiful unfolding.  Although they debate about the merits of writers, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, they truly listen to one another and come around to understanding the other person.  

I highly recommend this book to 8th graders on up to adults.  The subject of the community in Tulsa is not taught very much in schools so this is an accurate feel for what it was like there, how the residents created this free space to thrive, and how they protected their own interests.  For further reading, Pink includes her sources and notes about the attack.  I am grateful that she set her romance story in this setting because it shows that even in the worst tragedies, the universal theme of love still resonates. 

Hearts Unbroken: a young adult #CreekVoices tale of love and hate

 

Hearts Unbroken is a young adult chapter book written by New York Times best-selling author and former KU Jayhawk, Cynthia Leitich Smith.  Universal themes of caring about others resonates through each page.  

Lou's entering her senior year at a Kansas City high school and she's just broken up with her popular, jock boyfriend who made fun of her Creek heritage.  Lou's dedicating her time to focusing on school and her family, especially since her younger brother, Hughie, is a freshman and he makes it into the musical production of the Wizard of Oz to the dismay of many in the community who want to see white students cast in the big roles.  The town becomes divided on if it makes a difference as to who plays the characters and if those casting decisions affect the purity of Baum's story.  Hughie even gets threats in the mail that scare Lou.  Although Lou was definitely not on the lookout for romance, she is swept up in the arrival of Joey, the new Lebanese-American student who is working with her on the school newspaper.  Will she be able to follow her heart and make better choices that will strengthen her identity?

What stood out to me about this story was the network of community support that Lou has throughout her ups and downs.  Lou asks her father, how do you tell someone you care about them with the fear of rejection at hand?  He says,

"What I wouldn't give for this to be the worst problem you'll ever have.  But, pumpkin, caring about somebody isn't trivial.  It can keep you going."  

Readers can discuss times that they've had people express their care towards them and who they care about the most in the world.  

Another part of the story that I appreciated was the role of the librarian in the story!  It showed how librarians are trained to connect the right person with the right book.  For example, the librarian buys a book for Hughie, If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth of the Onondaga Nation.  Readers can ask their librarians for topics that interest them and have a conversation about books and authors that they may try out.  

The overarching theme is how racism seeps into the daily lives of minorities.  Lou talks with her classmates whose parents are leading the charge against people of color holding main character roles in the musical and the classmates confess that they hear racist conversations in their households.  They thought that Lou would assume that they shared these racist ideas as their families did, but Lou tells her friend, "You're not your parents."  This is a powerful moment where readers can decide what to do and say when they realize that their families have racist or prejudiced opinions about others.

Readers can find real life examples of when traditional White roles have been cast to people of color.  In the story, the role of Dorothy goes to Chelsea, a Black student who is a talented performer.  This is similar to when the live action movie of The Little Mermaid cast Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel and there was pushback from some Disney "purists" who believed this was not a good choice. Readers can share their opinions about where they stand on this issue.

Smith also touches on the racist background of the Wizard of Oz writer, Frank Baum.  Hughie discovers this while researching his role and finds editorials from a South Dakota newspaper that Baum wrote advocating for the genocide of Native Americans.  What's impressive is that Smith doesn't just write about them in passing, but has the actual primary sources from the newspaper printed in the chapter.  Readers can discuss what options people have when learning about the true nature of creators from the past.  I don't want to spoil the story so I won't mention what Hughie does here, but readers can share if they agree with Hughie's decision or not.

Lou also faces conversations about race and prejudice with Joey since he is Lebanese.  Readers can think about the stereotypes associated with people from the Middle East and how they can go about talking about those with others.  I'm impressed by Smith as she weaves all of these important topics into an entertaining, heartwarming story about a Creek young woman coming into her own. Lou's not perfect and that is something to which everyone can relate!

Smith's website has a treasure trove of resources for book clubs and more. I hope young adults and adults read and discuss this award-winning book.

MuslimVoices Romance: Saints & Misfits and Misfit in Love

Saints and Misfits is a realistic fiction, young adult book written by S.K. Ali.  It's about 15 year old American Arab-Indian girl named Janna who is struggling in her life.  She has been sexually assaulted by a prominent member of her mosque and she is developing a crush on Jeremy, a classmate who is not Muslim at all.  Janna wants to expose her assailant but is afraid of the backlash she could receive from her religious community.  Ali expertly writes about the different ways people express their religious beliefs and it is an eye-opener for those who want to learn beyond the Muslim stereotypes.

Misfit in Love is the sequel to Saints and Misfits but it can stand on its own.  In this story it is summertime and Janna's plan is to move forward with her feelings for Nuah, the boy who was there for her when she was assaulted the year before.  It's her brother, Muhammad's wedding and for Janna, that is the perfect time to reveal to her friends and family that she also has feelings for Nuah.  Except the wedding's not going as planned, Nuah is acting detached and Janna's even more confused when she meets two more men who are attending the wedding: Haytham, the handsome poet/singer who is amazing with kids and Layth, the equally handsome, yet broodingly mysterious one who has his own struggles he's keeping within.  The wedding is also a time that Janna can finally spend with her mom and possibly, her mom's new love interest since divorcing her father.  The weekend is full of family, relationship breakthroughs, laughter, music, dancing, swimming, eating, family and friendship.   The Janna who starts the story is not the same one who finishes it.  

 Ali explains the nuances within the various types of  Muslim cultures and brings into the mainstream the way modern-day people's Muslim faith is a part of their daily lives.  She tackles the complicated dynamics of joining families with different cultural roots, even while sharing a religious one.  I learned a lot about Muslim wedding ceremonies, nikahs, burkinis, dabke dances, niqab hijabs and many more terms that I enjoyed looking up while reading this story. Here is her interview for Entertainment Weekly where Ali discusses Misfit in Love and more!

 

Perfectly Parvin: a PersianVoices rom-com

Perfectly Parvin a debut young adult chapter book by Olivia Abtahi is a romantic comedy and coming of age story about a Persian-American 14 year old named Parvin and her first few months of high school.  It is a good book to understand the dual identity many people face in their lives and the issues that go along with that.  Parvin's half-Persian but she looks like she is 100% Persian.  Her American mom cannot give her any advice about grooming, colors to suit her complexion or help her with her Farsi schoolwork.  Parvin relies on her aunt who lives in Iran for guidance and she is hoping to get a visa to come and visit soon.  Being an adolescent and going through puberty as your friends of other nationalities and cultures go through their own struggles is what shines in this story.  

Parvin's love life seems to be off to a good start when she ends the summer with her crush, Wesley, who asked her to be his girlfriend.  Once the school year starts, though, Wesley breaks up with her claiming she is too loud for him.  Parvin is convinced that if she can get a cute sophomore, Matty, to ask her to Homecoming then that will prove to Wesley that she can be the docile, quiet and mousey girl that he seems to really want her to be.  But is that who Parvin truly wants to be?

Her friends, Fabian and Ruth, want her to avoid the plan and just be herself.  While she gets closer to her goal, Parvin attends Farsi school and gets tutored by Amir, a 100% Persian classmate.  She is herself around him and he develops feelings for her.  What should she do?  This is when her aunt can help her but when she is detained by ICE at the airport that puts Parvin's family into emotional stress.

This is a well-written, realistic book about the cost of fitting in, finding your identity and being a good friend to those around you who want the best for you.  I enjoyed Parvin's journey and especially appreciated the cultural information about her friends' backgrounds, too.  

Listen to Abtahi talk about her book HERE on Vimeo.  She also on a panel on body positivity on Vimeo, too.

 

I Wanna Be Where You Are: YA music/dance/art rom-com

 

I Wanna Be Where You Are is a young adult chapter book by Kristina Forest.  It is a coming-of-age novel that mostly takes place over the course of a week when Chloe schemes with her best friend to sneak out of town to audition for a dance company when her mother forbade her to do that.  When her next-door-neighbor, the annoyingly cute Eli, blackmails her to tag along for the road trip, Chloe is forced to go along with it.  This is when the adventure begins for both of them.  From accidents to romantic tension and snippets about a mysterious history between them, there is a lot to contemplate while enjoying this story.

Chloe's father passed away from a car accident when she was little and she, too, got hit by a car just last year.  Her mother has increased her over-protectiveness of Chloe to the point where Chloe doesn't think she will ever get to leave the house after graduation.  Eli is dealing with his parents' divorce and sister going away to college.  He fell into some self-destructive habits and there is no coming back from deciding to major in art rather than pre-law for college.  Through the story, Chloe and Eli confide with each other on some topics, but not others.  Readers can consider what they would do if they were in Chloe and Eli's shoes.  How would they handle the pressure they are put under by their families.  How are they more alike than they know?

The story goes by quickly and by the end of it the reader has gotten to know these two characters so well that they just want them to be happy.  Are they happier together or having gone through the week supporting each other enough to get them to be honest with their families?  

I enjoyed the banter between the characters, their language, references and musical choices were all authentic.  Readers will also feel comfort in being in Chloe and Eli's world.  Will they commit to their own developing identities or give in to what their parents want for them?  This is an important idea to which teens can relate.

Forest, the author, gave a great interview on the Fierce Reads blog where she gave some background on how she came up with the idea for this book.  Readers will be able to learn more about its origins and read an excerpt from the novel.

We are home: A Pho Love Story

 A Pho Love Story is a young adult, romance debut novel by Loan Le, about rival Vietnamese restaurants in L.A. whose owners have a long history of animosity and competition. Imagine the mess that ensues when their high school seniors, Bao and Linh, become partners for a school project and end up falling for each other!  This is an important story about how family and cultural pressure can influence the children of immigrants.  Rather than communicate their needs and wants, immigrant children often go-with-the-flow and end up stressed.  A Pho Love Story is a richly layered story full of humor, bonds, love and hope.  It resonates strongly with people who straddle dual cultures and don't want to let anyone down, including themselves.

As a teacher, librarian, and parent, I would use this book to discuss many topics with readers. Starting with the main characters, Bao and Linh, whose point of view changes with every-other-chapter.  Bao accuses Linh of being a liar because she isn't forthcoming with her family about her true passion of painting.  Readers can take a side and debate who is in the right and wrong in this situation.  

Another topic for discussion is how Bao and Linh go about their romance.  At first they hesitate to partner up because for their entire lives they were told by their families that it was taboo to associate with the other.  Despite their apprehension over being seen by someone in their community circle they embark on a friendship which grows into a romance.  Do readers agree with how the events unfolded?  Were there any times when they could've come clean with their families?

I just loved the friendship between Bao and Linh.  The more time they spent together the more they discover all that they had in common: they both recognize their Vietnamese culture along with the pressure to make their families proud.  It is unique to live in America where, as the children of immigrants, they are exposed to more avenues and opportunities than their parents.  Communicating this with their parents is difficult because their parents are unknowledgeable about how these experiences lead to future success.  Readers can talk about anyone in their life whom they feel like can understand them and their background.  

As the child of immigrants myself, I connected to this story especially when Linh was looking at old photographs of her parents from Vietnam.  She notices how happy and idyllic the scenes are and thinks, "It seems impossible to think that outside the frame of this photo, the country they knew was changing rapidly.  And yet here they were: joyful."  It would be interesting to pose this question of what is happening outside of the frame when looking at photos as primary sources with students.  Although countries go through so much change that their citizens are pushed or pulled to emigrate, the constant that they feel is family, cherished moments and unforgettable memories.  This is universal.  Which is what hurts when in the story there is a racist posting online with the person telling those in Little Saigon, "go home!"  Bao responds by writing an op-ed titled, "We Are Home".  His message is that immigrants are real people with a past that needs to be listened to in order to understand why they would leave their homes in order to make a better life here.  In the wake of the anti-Asian hate-crimes on the rise recently, his writing hits hard.

Le also captures what it is like when your secrets are revealed to your parents.  When the truth is out and you have to deal with the shame that stems from disappointing them, but also the other side of the feeling that what you did and hid from them was something that felt perfectly natural to you.  Linh calls the aftermath of her parents finding out as, "Terse. Cold. Punishing."  Readers can talk about times when they kept secrets from their loved ones or friends.  What was keeping them from being honest? Did they find ways to get through it? 

The most uplifting part of this whole story is the network of support that Bao and Linh have through their friends, teachers, neighbors, and family members who see their struggles and encourage them.  Like when Linh's aunt says to her, "Be the brave, honest person I know you are."  Readers can name people in their lives who provide this advice and kindness to them.  Maybe they are that support system to others in their lives.  Why is it important to form and nurture these relationships?

All in all, I absolutely loved this book. I'd recommend it, even to adults, because it has universal themes and good knowledge to bestow about Vietnamese history, food, language, and culture as a whole.  For example, how to pronounce PHO: it rhymes with, "huh?" Thank you, Loan!  I had never read a book with Vietnamese characters that I can recall and I cannot wait to read more from this amazing author.

Not So Pure and Simple: a rom-com for the ages

Not So Pure and Simple, by Lamar Giles, is a multi-layered story aimed not just for a young adult audience, but for adults who have opportunities to understand better what this generation is experiencing.  

The story introduces Del, a high school junior who is ready to jump at his chance to ask out his crush, Keira, now that she's available.  Only she has joined her church's Purity Pledge Alliance group and is not showing any interest in Del.  So he decides to join the group, too, in the hopes that he can spend time with her.  

What ensues is nothing what Del expects.  At times the story evokes laugh-out-loud situations and conversations between the characters.  At other times the story provokes multitudes of questions about what our youth face today in terms of pressure, posing, and getting their questions answered fairly.  The epic conclusion leaves the reader satisfied as the paths for the characters continue to stretch well-beyond the pages of the story.

The best part of this book's coming of age arc for Del is the support he gets from his family.  They allow him the space he needs to attempt to be his own person, but they provide guidance when those attempts fail.