You Gotta Read This!
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Title: Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer series #1)
Author: Laini Taylor Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (March 28, 2017) ISBN13: 978-0316341684 Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Topics/Themes: Personal Identity, The Power of Stories, Imagination, and Dreams Recommended Age Level: 14-19 Awards / Recognitions:
Summary: Lazlo Strange loves books and stories. Growing up an orphan, his dreams and imagination have been his only safe haven, and ones he feeds and nourishes from the myths and fairytale section of the Great Library of Zosma he now works for. Specifically, since he was 5 years old, he has been enraptured with the mythical city of Weep: a place of unimaginable happiness and opportunity. Lazlo dreams of someday crossing the massive desert that supposedly separates Zosma from the city of Weep, leaving his life behind. But his lot in life as a lowly librarian, not to mention the dangers of traversing the desert, prevent him from ever being able to fulfill his dream. That is, until, the Godslayer and his band of legendary warriors from Weep appear in Zosma. In one day, Lazlo, and the rest of Zosma, find out that Weep is far from mythical, is in fact very real, and it has a very real problem of its own. Lazlo jumps at the chance to not only visit the city he loves, but to help rescue it from whatever caused it to disappear from history 200 years before. In the adventure that follows, Lazlo uncovers more than a lifetime of mysteries surrounding Weep, including how the name “Godslayer” was earned as he pieces together the identity of a blue-skinned goddess that continues to appear in his dreams. Professional Reviews: “The characters are carefully, exquisitely crafted; the writing is achingly lovely; and the world is utterly real. While a cliff-hanger ending will certainly have readers itching for book two, make no mistake—this is a thing to be savored.” – Maggie Reagan, Booklist 2017 “Gorgeously written in language simultaneously dark, lush, and enchanting, the book will leave readers eager for the next.” – Jane Putch, Publishers Weekly 2017 Weep [the main city in the story] becomes a laboratory in which Taylor examines slavery, trauma, memory, and appropriation, ending this first installment with a cliffhanger that leaves readers wondering if healing is even remotely possible. Lovers of intricate worldbuilding and feverish romance will find this enthralling.” – Kirkus Reviews 2017 Personal Insights: This book is 100% going to be on my top list of the year. I normally don’t go for the romance side of things, but even with the romance aspects, the fantasy world building and story far surpassed anything else I have read in while. The fantasy components had a unique spin of influence from middle eastern culture and there was a diverse set of characters represented, both racially and in terms of sexual orientation. I will say that this story has some very heavy topics, namely the aftermath of sexual assault, that are key components of the story that would definitely require a more mature mindset (middle school would probably be a bit too young for readers) Everything is tastefully done, however, and there are no graphic scenes as it is more hinted at in the memories of some of the characters. The romance itself has some elongated steamy scenes, but there are no explicit details. Any sex that does occur is skimmed over, focusing more on the kissing, hand-holding, and gentle caresses. Like I said earlier, this component is not my cup of tea, but I do know that there are many readers out there who eat this stuff up (my wife being one!) I listened to this book via audiobook, and the narrator, Steve West, does an amazing job with the performance. I would highly recommend listening to this book! Notable Quotes: “You’re a storyteller. Dream up something wild and improbable," she pleaded. "Something beautiful and full of monsters." “Beautiful and full of monsters?" “All the best stories are.” “It was impossible, of course. But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming.” “I think you’re a fairy tale. I think you’re magical, and brave, and exquisite. And I hope you'll let me be in your story.” “And that's how you go on. You lay laughter over the dark parts. The more dark parts, the more you have to laugh. With defiance, with abandon, with hysteria, any way you can.” “You think good people can't hate?" she asked. "You think good people don't kill?"[...}"Good people do all the things bad people do, Lazlo. It's just that when they do them, they call it justice.” “Life won't just happen to you boy, he said. You have to happen to it.” “As for fairy tales, he understood that they were reflections of the people who had spun them, and were flecked with little truths - intrusions of reality into fantasy, like toast crumbs on a wizard's beard.” Readalikes: (Summaries from GoodReads) Daughter of Smoke & Bone (series #1) by Laini Taylor - Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out. When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself? Deeplight by Frances Hardinge (2019) - The gods are dead. Decades ago, they turned on one another and tore each other apart. Nobody knows why. But are they really gone forever? When 15-year-old Hark finds the still-beating heart of a terrifying deity, he risks everything to keep it out of the hands of smugglers, military scientists, and a secret fanatical cult so that he can use it to save the life of his best friend, Jelt. But with the heart, Jelt gradually and eerily transforms. How long should Hark stay loyal to his friend when he’s becoming a monster—and what is Hark willing to sacrifice to save him? Shadow and Bone (#1 in trilogy) by Leigh Bardugo (2012) - Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
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4/29/2020 0 Comments Story Thieves by James Riley
Title: Story Thieves (Story Thieves series #1)
Author: James Riley Publisher: Aladdin (December 15, 2015) ISBN13: 978-1481409209 Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Action/Adventure Topics/Themes: Personal Identity, The Power of Stories, Imagination Recommended Age Level: 9-13 Awards / Recognitions:
Summary: Owen Connors’ life is incredibly boring. Between school, homework, and chores, he wishes with his whole heart that real life could be more like his favorite books, and that he could have the life of his favorite character, Kiel Gnomenfoot (a boy wizard-in-training who fights a mad scientist trying to wipe out the world of magic in the name of science). All that changes when he accidentally witnesses a girl in his class, Bethany Sanderson, climbing OUT of a book while they are in the library his mother runs. As impossible as it seems, Owen discovers that Bethany is half-fictional herself and that she has been searching through books in order to find her missing father. In exchange for keeping Bethany’s secret, Owen makes a deal that she has to take him into any one book of his choice. His obvious choice is the Kiel Gnomenfoot series, since it’s been his lifelong dream to visit, and Bethany tentatively agrees. But as he soon finds out, his ENTIRE dream may yet come true as he gets stuck in the story and is forced to live out Kiel Gnomenfoot’s final adventure, regardless of how it ends. Professional Reviews: “A droll and clever opener likely to leave readers breathless both with laughter and anticipation.” – Kirkus Reviews 2014 “Aimed at avid readers (the Kiel stories are a spoof of the Harry Potter books), this series starter is packed with humor, adventure, and twists, and it bodes quite well for the second volume. Giddy, book -based fun.” – Sarah Bean Thompson, Booklist 2014 Personal Insights: This book (and the entire five book series) absolutely blew me away. This book was recommended indirectly when someone in one of my classes offhandedly mentioned their love of the author, James Riley, and I figured I would give it a chance. I am SO glad I did because I now own the entire series, am forcing my wife to read them as well, and I will be definitely recommending this series to any middle school kids that are looking for something fun and exciting. This story can be appreciated on so many levels: for kids who are already avid readers, they will love the nods and homages to famous books and other nerdy bookish things. For those who are more reluctant readers, the nonstop action and dry wit humor will capture the love of kids who don’t like reading the slower paced and realistic fiction that is often required reading in school. The characters are well developed and appealing, the storyline is brilliant and witty (and also incredibly meta!), and my attention was captured for every last page, which is a considerable claim given that each book in the series is at least 350 pages. Added audiobook review: I finished this book as a hybrid of audiobook and reading the physical book (which is the first time I’ve tried that) and the narrator, Kirby Heyborne, performed fantastically and played each character better than I could have imagined them in my own head. Very much worth your time to listen to this book in audiobook format if that is your preference! Notable Quotes: “The second rule they taught us in librarian school is that you can have as many favorite books as there are books.” "Don't worry. Maybe you just haven't found your favorite book yet. I honestly don't think anyone has. Just when you think you might have a favorite, something better comes along." “Why imagine a world in your head when you could just go visit another one in a book?” “Embrace the impossible! Find the magic within! BE MORE FICTIONAL.” "You don't ever speak to me again, do you understand? And if you ever tell anyone about me, I'll find the deepest, darkest math book I can find, and drop you into the most boring part!" Readalikes: (Summaries from GoodReads) If you liked this book, you HAVE to read the rest of the series. Seriously, start there. It only gets better, and there are 4 more books to read!! The Revenge of Magic (The Revenge of Magic series #1) by James Riley (2019) - Thirteen years ago, books of magic were discovered in various sites around the world alongside the bones of dragons. Only those born after “Discovery Day” have the power to use the magic. Now, on a vacation to Washington, DC, Fort Fitzgerald’s father is lost when a giant creature bursts through the earth, attacking the city. Fort is devastated, until an opportunity for justice arrives six months later, when a man named Dr. Opps invites Fort to a government run school, the Oppenheimer School, to learn magic from those same books. But life’s no easier at the school, where secrets abound. What does Jia, Fort’s tutor, know about the attacks? Why does Rachel, master of destructive magic, think Fort is out to destroy the school? And why is Fort seeing memories of an expelled girl every time he goes to sleep? If Fort doesn’t find out what’s hiding within the Oppenheimer School, more attacks will come, and this time, nothing will stop them! The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories series #1) by Chris Colfer and Brandon Dorman (2012) - Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought. Book Scavenger (Book Scavenger series #1) by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and Sarah Watts (2015) - A hidden book. A found cipher. A game begins . . . . Twelve-year-old Emily is on the move again. Her family is relocating to San Francisco, home of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger, a game where books are hidden all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles. But Emily soon learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold and leads to a valuable prize. But there are others on the hunt for this book, and Emily and James must race to solve the puzzles Griswold left behind before Griswold's attackers make them their next target.
Title: To Night Owl from Dogfish
Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer Publisher: Dial Books (February 12, 2019) ISBN13: 978-0525553236 Genre: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Epistolary (story told exclusively through emails) Topics/Themes: Friendship, Sisterhood, Unconventional Families Recommended Age Level: 10-15 Awards / Recognitions:
Summary: Avery Bloom and Bett Devlin couldn’t be more different. Avery is intense, bookish, no-nonsense, and a follow-the-rules-at-all-costs kind of girl. Bett, is outgoing, spontaneous, fearless, and a bit of a rebel. On top of all that, they live across the country from each other, Avery in New York and Bett in California. By all means, they never should have met in the first place, but here they are, emailing each other after they find secret correspondence from their dads, who, unbeknownst to the girls, are dating and quite a bit in love. Their dads have a plan to send them to summer camp together to get to know each other and hopefully become friends, because possibly, one day, they might become sisters. Neither girl wants to change or upend their lives and they make a pact to do everything they can to NOT become friends because their dads SURELY won’t get married. But as they are shipped off to camp, plans quickly go awry as the two girls find themselves on a summer adventure neither of them could have seen coming. Before they know it, they are facing a far worse crisis: they have become each other’s’ closest friend but their dads are breaking up. Faced with the ever uncertain future, the two girls do everything they can to get them back together to have the family they never even knew they wanted in the first place. Professional Reviews: “An imaginative and compelling middle-grade novel depicting modern friendships and modern families.” – Katherine Hickey, School Library Journal 2019 “Featuring a dramatic climax and a host of surprising twists, the novel affirms that families conventional and unconventional are families just the same.” – Publishers Weekly 2018 “A sweet and amusing tale that celebrates diversity while reinforcing the power of love and the importance of family.” – Kirkus Reviews 2018 Personal Insights: If I had to give an elevator pitch for this book (and it was to someone who remembers the 90s) I would describe this book as a modern day retelling of “The Parent Trap”. (Which feels REALLY weird to say about a movie that came out in my lifetime….) This book was able to capture so many warm and fuzzy emotional moments, as well as many complex and deeper topics that come from having complex and unconventional families, all within the epistolary medium of emails. I also had a unique perspective with this book in that I listened to the audio book rather than reading the physical book (something new I have been trying out recently!). I have to say, I was VERY impressed with the audio book narrators. Not only did they have a different actor for every character, but they all performed incredibly well. The only odd part was when the narrators read the email subject headings verbatim including the “RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE…” that comes from a long chain of email correspondences. But that is a small complaint that is vastly overshadowed by the performances given. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of this book! Notable Quotes: “Gay people having families doesn't seem like something anyone should have to shout about anymore. Some people are a lot more interested in raising kids than other people. From what I can see, the person most interested usually does the best job" -Bett (Dogfish)” “I really like reading stories with an unreliable narrator, because the person telling you what happened can't be trusted with the facts and you have to figure it out. Maybe when it's your own story, you're always going to be an unreliable narrator" -Avery (Night Owl)” “But I think it's not bad to have a blowup with someone you really care about. Once that happens, you can be even closer. Maybe because sharing bad things as well as good things means you're in it for real. That's what being honest with someone does." -Avery (Night Owl)” “I don't know why they try to sell smaller candy bars as being more fun than the bigger ones. That's just a lie" -Bett (Dogfish)” “No one’s supposed to tell anyone, “You two shouldn’t love each other.” But maybe, also, no one’s supposed to tell anyone, “You two should love each other.” Readalikes: (Summaries from GoodReads) The Best Man by Richard Peck (2016) - When Archer is in sixth grade, his beloved uncle Paul marries another man—Archer’s favorite student teacher. But that’s getting ahead of the story, and a wonderful story it is. In Archer’s sweetly naïve but observant voice, his life through elementary school is recounted: the outspoken, ever-loyal friends he makes, the teachers who blunder or inspire, and the family members who serve as his role models. From one exhilarating, unexpected episode to another, Archer’s story rolls along as he puzzles over the people in his life and the kind of person he wants to become…and manages to help his uncle become his best self as well. The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne (2016) - Fizzy is a good Southern girl who just wants to be perfect. And win the Southern Living cook-off. The being perfect part is hard though, since her parents’ divorced and everything in her life has changed. Wary of her too-perfect stepmom and her mom’s neat-freak, dismissive boyfriend, she’s often angry or upset and feels like a guest in both homes. She tells herself to face facts: She’s a “leftover” kid from a marriage that her parents want to forget. But she has to keep all of that to herself, because a good Southern girl never yells, or throws fits, or says anything that might hurt other people’s feelings—instead she throws her shoulders back, says yes ma’am, and tries to do better. So Fizzy tries her best, but it’s hard to stay quiet when her family keeps getting more complicated. Fortunately, the Southern Living cook-off gives her a welcome distraction, as do her new friends Miyoko and Zach, who have parent issues of their own. Two Naomis by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and Audrey Vernick (2016) - Other than their first names, Naomi Marie and Naomi Edith are sure they have nothing in common, and they wouldn’t mind keeping it that way. Naomi Marie starts clubs at the library and adores being a big sister. Naomi Edith loves quiet Saturdays and hanging with her best friend in her backyard. And while Naomi Marie’s father lives a few blocks away, Naomi Edith wonders how she’s supposed to get through each day a whole country apart from her mother. When Naomi Marie’s mom and Naomi Edith’s dad get serious about dating, each girl tries to cling to the life she knows and loves. Then their parents push them into attending a class together, where they might just have to find a way to work with each other—and maybe even join forces to find new ways to define family.
Title: The Terrible Two (The Terrible Two series #1)
Author: Mac Barnett, Jory John, and Kevin Cornell (Illustrator) Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (January 13, 2015) ISBN13: 978-1419714917 Genre: Graphic Novel/Text Hybrid, Humor Topics/Themes: Friendship, New School, Rivalry Recommended Age Level: 8-12 Awards / Recognitions:
Summary: Miles Murphey is the new kid at school in Yawnee Valley, a small town known for its cows. Miles knows that on your first day at a new school you get to be whoever you want to be, but he only wants to be who he worked hard to be at his old school: the number one prankster. On that first day, however, he realizes he has some stiff competition for that title as an anonymous prankster outwits him at every turn, threatening to frame him as the principal hunts down the source of the escalating prank war. To make matters worse, the principal has partnered him with the obnoxious goody-two-shoes student as his guide and the school bully has targeted Miles as his newest prey. Is this rival going to be his mortal nemesis or can Miles form an alliance and combine forces to pull off the greatest prank in the history of pranks? Professional Reviews: “Coauthors and friends Barnett and John have created a fast paced, laugh-out-loud novel sure to appeal to those who appreciate a good prank and have a sense of justice. The caricature-like protagonists, particularly the childlike adult characters, add to the absurdity of the book, and the evolving relationship between the Miles and Niles is pure fun. Cornell's varied graphics perfectly capture the humorous tone and add their own comic appeal. This is a good candidate for reluctant readers and a natural next read for fans of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series.” – Juliet Morefield, School Library Journal 2015 “Cornell's goofy cartoon illustrations (especially the blasé cows) add giggles aplenty. Fluffy, fast, fun reading for fans of Clueless McGee and the Wimpy Kid.” – Kirkus Reviews 2014 Personal Insights: As the reviews above mention, this book favors humor above all, and the hybrid of illustrations and text make for a perfect book for reluctant readers in grades 3-6. The authors have a simple and straightforward writing style that oozes deadpan humor and paired with the hilarious illustrations that perfectly match the text, I found myself chuckling to myself many times through this book, even reading it through my adult lens. I can imagine that kids, particularly the more ornery boys in a class, would get a kick out of this book (and series). Notable (and silly) Quotes: “Principal Barkin had a list of suspects that was exactly one kid long.” “That was a rhetorical question! Don't you even know what a rhetorical question is?" Miles didn't know whether to answer.” “Inside, Miles was wild, sweaty, jittery. Outside, Miles was boring, normal, like a shoe box.” Readalikes: (Summaries from GoodReads) My Like as a Potato by Arianna Costner (2020) - Ben Hardy believes he's cursed by potatoes. And now he's moved to Idaho, where the school's mascot is Steve the Spud! Yeah, this cannot be good. After accidentally causing the mascot to sprain an ankle, Ben is sentenced to Spud duty for the final basketball games of the year. But if the other kids know he's the Spud, his plans for popularity are likely to be a big dud! Ben doesn't want to let the team down, so he lies to his friends to keep it a secret. No one will know it's him under the potato suit . . . right? The Detention Club by David Yoo (2011) - Sixth-grader Peter Lee, in a desperate attempt to regain the popularity he had in elementary school, discovers that serving detention can win him important friends, much to the dismay of his over-achieving eighth-grade sister, Sunny. Desmond Pucket Makes Monster Magic by Mark Tatulli (2013) - Someday Desmond will be famous for his special effects wizardry, but for now he's just trying to make it through sixth grade at Cloverfield Memorial Junior High, which means he needs to stay one step ahead of the school's disciplinary officer, Mr. Needles. The only problem is Desmond just can't stop pulling pranks---like the time he attached a shrieking rubber goblin to the toilet seat in the teachers' bathroom. Mrs. Rubin screamed so loudly her wig flew off! Or the time he put giant motorized worms into the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria. Or the time Desmond and his best friend, Ricky, arranged for a three-headed ghost to crash his sister's slumber party. Rachel still hasn't forgiven him. And now Desmond has to stay prank-free for the rest of the year, or he won't be able to go on the class trip to Crab Shell Pier, home of the Mountain Full of Monsters ride! It's going to be tough, but Desmond has to try.
Title: The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
Author: Ben Philippe Publisher: Balzer + Bray (January 8, 2019) ISBN13: 978-0062824110 Genre: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult Topics/Themes: Friendship, New School, Identity, Navigating High School Recommended Age Level: 14-19 Awards / Recognitions:
Summary: 16-year-old Norris Kaplan must adapt to life in Austin, Texas when his mother gets a new job at the university there. It wouldn’t be so bad, except that Austin is literally the polar opposite of Montreal, Canada, where Norris has lived up until now. Not only does no one care about hockey and the heat is unbearable, but his best friend is still in Montreal and he is a black French-Canadian kid in the middle of cowboy country. Snarky and witty Norris has resolved to build an ironclad emotional barrier to keep everyone out to protest his new life while secretly keeping a “field guide” journal of everyone he meets to humor himself. All he has to do is keep his head down and run out the clock for a year, which is when his mother promised they would move back if he truly didn’t like it there. But his loud-mouth and sarcastic ways attract more attention than he planned from unexpected friend and foe alike, not to mention falling head-over-heels for a girl. Suddenly his straightforward plan to get back to Montreal gets a lot harder than he expected. Professional Reviews: “Readers looking for a diverse, fun, coming-of-age tale need not look any further than this fantastic debut.” – Reindardt Suarez, Booklist 2018 “A witty debut with whip-smart dialogue that will find much love among fans of authors like John Green and Jason Reynolds.” – Kristin Lee Anderson, School Library Journal “Philippe has a gift for dialogue and touches on a few instances of racism with sensitivity and humor in this crowd-pleaser.” – Publishers Weekly, 2018 Personal Insights: This book is jam-packed with such wit and snark, that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud many times while reading this book. On top of that, Philippe is able to seamlessly add several deeper layers to this story such as immigrant heritage and racial identity that allow this story to transcend a stereotypical high school fiction book. Norris as a character is likeable while still exhibiting realistic flaws that pushes this clichéd setting into a unique and compelling story. Readalikes: (Summaries from GoodReads) The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney (2007) - Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles (2020) - Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she’s finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del’s right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he’s inadvertently signed up for a Purity Pledge. His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn’t believe any girl is worth the long game. But Del’s not about to lose his dream girl, and that’s where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers’ questions…about sex ed. With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can’t think about that too much, though, because once he gets the girl, it’ll all sort itself out. Right? Frankly in Love by David Yoon (2019) - High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo--his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their parents’ traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. His parents have one rule when it comes to romance--“Date Korean”--which proves complicated when Frank falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful--and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they’ll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank thinks it’s the perfect plan, but in the end, Frank and Joy’s fake-dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love--or himself--at all.
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