Simon vs.

the Homo Simon has a secret

that he really doesn't
want people to know,
not yet anyway. If and
Sapiens Agenda when he decides to
share that secret, he
Simon charmed me right off the bat. by Becky Albertalli wants it to be on his
own terms. Problem
He is smart, sarcastic, witty and cutting. is, someone else
Awards:
I was laughing with him at the absurdity of things, William C. Morris Award knows and is
threatening to tell
feeling his stress and tension as the threats and Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis everyone.
Youth Literature Prize
pressure built--will everyone know his secret?
National Book Award Longlist

How will people react when they know?

Who are his true friends and who is the anonymous
person who is blackmailing him?

This is a hilarious, laugh out loud yet touching

LGBTQA+ teen title that will have you cheering
Simon on and rolling on the floor.
Albertalli, B. (2015). Simon vs. the homo sapiens agenda. Balzer + Bray.
 R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Do you know who the Queen

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul of Soul is? This book will

written by Carole Boston Weatherford show you the way. Follow the

illustrated by Frank Morrison path of Aretha Franklin's life

Sometimes it's easy to forget that not Award: from young gospel choir
2021 winner of the Coretta
everyone knows about the awesomeness stand out to amazing crooner
Scott King Illustrator Award
that was/is Aretha Franklin. This picture book
of historic proportions.
brings her story to life with beautiful
illustrations and rhyming prose. We see
Aretha as a youngster, singing at her father's
church, see her (and her father) contributing to the Civil Rights movement, and
witness her growth into an international singing sensation. We were lucky
enough to hear her impact on our lives for so many years and now with this
award winning title, we can see it as well. Reading this together is a great way
to share this knowledge with a new generation.

Boston Weatherford, C. (2020). R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
 The Undefeated This book is a tribute to the
written by Kwame Alexander and
many; be they strong,
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
fearless, inspiring,

indomitable, warrior,
Awards:
In the afterword, Kwame Alexander
Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal musicians, athletes or
says that he wrote this book originally
A 2020 Newbery Honor Book
as a poem to honor his newly born Winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King
politicians. They are and have

daughter and the newly elected African Illustrator Award

been making the way for
American president. You can feel the
everyone. We honor them.
strength, honor, and wisdom of his
words as they pull together the images
of the painful and awe inspiring scenes.
Kadir Nelson's artwork is composed
with forethought, displaying to us the
innumerable emotions of the journey.

Alexander, K. (2019). The Undefeated. Versify.

 Curiouser and curiouser,

When You Trap

we are drawn into this
tale about two young

a Tiger girls, their mum and their

grandma, and the myths,

Right away you can tell that the line between by Tae Keller fantasies, and realities
they inhibit. Only they
fantasy and reality has been blurred for these
know where to draw the
characters and I applaud that endeavor. Is there
line. Or do they?
really a tiger laying in the road? Why does grandma
have her basement barricaded with luggage?

I felt like I would follow these characters

anywhere in this coming of age story. My heart
aches for Lily who is experiencing many of the
painful emotions that come with growing up and
Awards:
realizing things are really how you thought they 2021 Newbery Medal

were. If she can just set them right somehow... Asian/Pacific American Award
for Children's Literature

Keller, T. (2020). When you trap a tiger. Random House Books for Young Readers.
 Children of Blood and Bone "When your opponent has no

written by Tomi Adeyemi honor, you must fight in

different ways, smarter ways."

Zelie and her rebel friends race

The Children of Blood and Bone blew my against time and seemingly
Awards:
mind. In a similar way that The Black Panther 2019 William C. Morris Debut YA Award insurmountable obstacles to
2018 Nebula Award
creator imagined a completely new, alternate Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year
bring back magic when it has
world, Tomi Adeyemi has done the same.
been outlawed by those in
She creates visually stunning imagery, pulling us along with Zelie through her
trials. We run with her as she tries to escape and we feel her joy, pain, charge.
determination and pride. The characters have depth and humor and the
storyline is unpredictable; twisting and turning and challenging the reader to
hang on with them. There are definitely can't-put-the-book-down chapters of
thrilling excitement. I'd recommend this series for older young adults as there
are scenes of violence and mature concepts in this title.

Adeyemi, T. (2018). The children of blood and bone. Henry Holt and Co.
 The Smoking Mirror Their mom is missing.
written by David Bowles Their dad is a mess. On top

of that, they're getting sent

to Mexico to stay with

Twelve-year-old twins Carol and Johnny's lives
Award:
family for the summer. Oh
are changing at warp speed. Though this title 2016 Pura Belpre Author Honor book

starts off a little clunkily and slowly, it picks up yeah, and they might be
Themes:
speed soon enough. Once the twins get to Mexico Family
turning into animals at night
Coming of age
and start shape-shifting, the plot hits the ground
Magic and fantasy
running. Magical realism
while they sleep.

The style, quality of writing (I found some editorial

errors) and characters (a little flat) don't really
draw you in very well. The concept for this story is
based on a combination of historical myths, which
I find fascinating. I just wish that the story was
articulated a little bit better.

Bowles, D. (2015). The smoking mirror. IFWG Publishing International.

 Shang-Chi: Volume 1 There's a deadly battle for the

Brothers and Sisters rule of the Five Weapons

written by Gene Luen Yang Society. Shang-Chi is working in

illustrated by Dike Ruan his Grandma's shop in San

Francisco, laying low, when he

Shang-Chi is conflicted and doesn't really want to
is suddenly attacked by
accept the role of leadership that his father left him and
his many siblings and half siblings vacillate between warriors. They ask him to come
trying to kill him and fighting by his side. Needless to
say, this title featured many, many beautifully illustrated Awards: home (to China) and rule the
fight scenes though the plot line is very jumpy. none
society with his sister.

We are flung back and forth in time as the author tells Themes:
us the history of Shang's family and the Society. That Family
doesn't really give us much time for character Betrayal
development. Overall, I'd recommend this title with the Justice
understanding that it's a bumpy ride. Martial Arts

Yand, G.L. (2021). Shang-Chi: Brothers and sisters. Marvel.

 Black Bear Red Fox Did you know that colors could

be action words? In the Cree

by Julie Flett
language they are. Colors can

be animate, inanimate or used

as a descriptor to a noun. The

decision is up to the speaker.

Most times, when you open a book, you expect to find Flip through the images in this
some sort of story. This is a board book for young
children who are learning their colors so there is no plot. book and decide for yourself
Awards:
The characters (animals) are depicted in their natural
2018 American Indian what form the color takes.
environment, doing what they do and are beautifully
Youth Literature Award
illustrated.

Themes:
It is fun to try and distinguish what kind of attribute you
Color
would assign to the color. Is there action being
Action Verbs
depicted? Is this color an essential part of the animals
Cree Language
being or nature? Overall, this title is a joyous glimpse
Nature
into the nature of nature and your relationship to it.
Animals
Flett, J. (2017). Black bear red fox. Native Northwest.
 Run: Book One There were marches, protests,

sit-ins, and non-violent

by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin
resistance of all kinds. The

opposition to the Civil Rights

movement was violent and

unlawful. John Lewis took the

Completed just before Congressman John Lewis passed away, this Awards: next step: he ran for office.
first book in a graphic novel series focuses on the events that none
compelled John Lewis to run for public office. If you pick up this book,
be prepared to be shocked and outraged at the lawlessness and Themes:
violence endured by the civil rights activists. The gruesome depiction Freedom
of injustice is necessary to help us understand what compelled John Non-violence
to seek office and make a difference in shaping of our nation. Democracy
Free Speech
Congressman Lewis was part of a non-violent organization called Protest
SNCC and was responsible for numerous non-violent civil rights Civil Rights
protests outlined in his first graphic novel series, March (v.1-3). Violence

Lewis, J. and Aydin, A. (2021). Run. Abrams ComicArts.

 Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines The names of the contestants

were hidden from view. 1,421

Designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
of them had submitted
By Jeanne Walker Harvey
designs for the new Vietnam

I remember hearing that the artist who Veterans Memorial in

designed the Vietnam Memorial was a
Washington, D.C. Out of all
student. That's about all I knew. This
children's picture book talks about her Awards: those entries, the design
upbringing and influences, her creative none
from a senior at Yale
process and who she is as a person.

Themes: University won the contest.

Maya Lin is a strong woman who, as a senior in college, Strong Women
That winner was Maya Lin.
had to stand up for and defend her simple, beautiful Thinking with your hands
memorial design. What we now view as an iconic structure Creative Process
was very controversial at first. Where would we be
without those who push the boundaries of what is
acceptable and show us new and different points of view?

Harvey, J.W. (2017). Maya Lin: Artist-architect of light and lines. Henry Holt and Company.
 Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: In book 2 of the Magnus Chase

series, we meet Sam's half-sibling,

The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
Alex, who can transform into any

Rick Riordan is a master at creating living creature. They join Magnus'

dynamic, funny, loveable characters and
posse of Valhalla characters who've
putting them in exciting situations that
been tasked with finding Thor's lost
make us not able to stop reading about
them. Book 2 of the Magnus Chase hammer, without letting anyone
series is no different. We learned in book
know it's lost, btw. They take on
1, that Magnus is a demigod born of a
Loki, lots of giants, and there's a
mortal mom and Norse god dad, Frey,
god of nature. Awards: even a dwarven craft-off!
2017 Stonewall Book Award
Magnus has a motley group of amazing
friends who join him in a mad race Themes:
against time to find Thor's missing Norse Gods
hammer and avoid Ragnarok. They get Valhalla
into one intense scrape, battle and Friendship
competition after another and I guarantee Ragnarok
you will be LOL-ing all the way through.

Riordan, R. (2016). Magnus Chase and the gods of asgard: The hammer of thor. Disney-Hyperion.
 They Called Us Enemy Most people know George

Takei from his role on the

This candid account of what it was by George Takei
like for his family to suddenly become original Star Trek television
enemies of the country they were
citizens of, brings you to a very scary series. When George was
reality. George Takei's family was
four years old, he and his
awoken one morning by the
authorities and sent to an internment family lived in California at
camp at a horse track.
Awards: the time when Japan bombed
They could only bring what they could carry, their 2020 Asian/Pacific American Award
Pearl Harbor. He and his
bank accounts were frozen, their property and winner for Young Adult Literature

business were seized and they lost all of their rights. family woke up one morning
2020 Eisner Award winner for Best
Reality-Based Work and everything had changed.
George's personal account is told with vivid color in
this graphic novel and it bounces back and forth in
Themes:
time between memories and his current time period.
World War II
This act of reflection makes brings clarity to the
American Citizenship
horrible injustice of the actions our government took Freedom
against Japanese American citizens. Internment Camps

Takei, G. (2019). They called us enemy. Top Shelf Productions. Recommended for grades 10-12
 P.S. I Still Love You
by Jenny Han
Lara Jean's a charmer. She's super close with
her family, is great at school and very
ambitious. But she's fun and funny too.
Unfortunately, she's bad at making decisions, Lara Jean bakes, a lot. She is
Awards:
particularly when it comes to boys. When
2016 APALA Asian/Pacific American very good at school. She
presented with two real options for boyfriend
Awards for Literature
material, she is stumped. She doesn't want to constantly hangs out with
hurt anyone nor let anyone go. Themes:
Family
her best friend and her
Jenny Han will have you cheering L.J. on as Coming of Age
sisters. All of a sudden, it
college decisions are looming and she, her dad Sisters

and her sisters struggle to keep the memory of Romance seems that she has a
their mother alive through their shared Korean Culture and Ethnicity
boyfriend, or two?
heritage. Great characters and a fun, easy read.

This is book 2 in the To All the Boys I've Loved

Before Series. There's also a Netflix movie for
each book. I highly recommend all for those in
grades 7-12.

Han, J. (2015). P.S. I still love you. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.