Hazel Hill has stolen my heart and is without a doubt one of the best middlegrade main characters I've ever read about. This book is short but strong,Hazel Hill has stolen my heart and is without a doubt one of the best middlegrade main characters I've ever read about. This book is short but strong, with a really great voice that manages to keep the tone of the book light while discussing the heavy theme of sexual harrassment. Although when the teacher said that yes, she's a feminist, but these are little girls and not women and they should act like it, I wanted to crawl through my Kindle screen and suckerpunch her.
There's really a lot to love about this book. It's a queer middlegrade where the main character already knows she's a lesbian before the story starts, which I haven't come across a lot. Her sexuality isn't the central focus of the book and takes more of a backseat, although of course it is an important theme. I also absolutely loved Hazel's budding friendship with Ella and Riley, which was so wholesome....more
Oh, this was SO much fun! I really want to read the sequels now but there's so many...Oh, this was SO much fun! I really want to read the sequels now but there's so many......more
This was such a great story, tailored exactly to a middlegrade audience, and I think it's going to be a very needed one for many kids. It's an incrediThis was such a great story, tailored exactly to a middlegrade audience, and I think it's going to be a very needed one for many kids. It's an incredibly heartfelt story about a topic that's so necessary to discuss but which I can't say I've read too much about. It was especially amazing to see the main character have a wash day with her tía and learn how to take care of her natural hair....more
I bought this kind of randomly because it was on sale, but I absolutely adored this. It's middlegrade at its best: emotionally hard-hitting and so heaI bought this kind of randomly because it was on sale, but I absolutely adored this. It's middlegrade at its best: emotionally hard-hitting and so heartwarming....more
The use of colour in this graphic novel is so powerful, and I'm just so impressed at how the artist managed to tell an entire story without using textThe use of colour in this graphic novel is so powerful, and I'm just so impressed at how the artist managed to tell an entire story without using text....more
I randomly picked this up at the bookstore, just because it was one of the few graphic novels they had and it looked ADORABLE. And I loved this! It's I randomly picked this up at the bookstore, just because it was one of the few graphic novels they had and it looked ADORABLE. And I loved this! It's like reading a middlegrade Marvel movie, and with DRAGONS!!...more
This is in incredibly fun superhero story, focusing on loving Black hair, that I would comp to Amari and the Night Brothers and The Marvellers. I alwaThis is in incredibly fun superhero story, focusing on loving Black hair, that I would comp to Amari and the Night Brothers and The Marvellers. I always love a superhero story, and I always love a magic school story, and this is such a refreshing one with some interesting twists and turns....more
I was unsure about whether I'd enjoy a book written from the perspective of a bully, but I have to admit it was done well. This is definitely one of tI was unsure about whether I'd enjoy a book written from the perspective of a bully, but I have to admit it was done well. This is definitely one of those books that will make a bigger impact if you're the target audience, as it should, but I still did enjoy it. It raises some important questions for middleschoolers without giving them all the answers on a silver platter, which I appreciated as it invites readers to think critically about who they are as people, what makes a good or a bad person, and who they want to be.
I do think this book would have been even better if we'd seen more of Jennifer though. I thought she was a really interesting, really loveable character, and I would have loved to get to know her better....more
This is a great middlegrade in a lot of ways, with a very lovable main character. I also especially adored Brett, who I want to protect with my life. This is a great middlegrade in a lot of ways, with a very lovable main character. I also especially adored Brett, who I want to protect with my life. For a book about pride, though, I would have liked to see more queer characters beyond one gay middleschooler and one bi one. Both because this book doesn't quite show how broad the LGBTQ+ community is, and because I would have liked to see more of a queer support system around these kids. I did however think this was an empowering story when it comes to finding the courage and strength to be out....more
I'm always impressed when a verse novel manages to tell an elaborate story in a really condensed form, and this book does exactly that. During the panI'm always impressed when a verse novel manages to tell an elaborate story in a really condensed form, and this book does exactly that. During the pandemic, Malian quarantines with her grandparents, which is a way for her to connect with her Indigenous heritage, by listening to her grandparents' stories. Especially lovely is the rez dog who comes to stay with Malian to protect her and her family....more
I think I will just read anything Jesse Q. Sutanto writes.
This book does so many things, and it never feels like too much. It's this interesting blendI think I will just read anything Jesse Q. Sutanto writes.
This book does so many things, and it never feels like too much. It's this interesting blend of sci-fi and fantasy - set in the future, magic has replaced technology - with a very interesting magic system. It's a story about a boy who loses his brother and wants to find out what happened to him. It's a story about having a fraught relationship with your heritage and learning to be proud of it. And it's also a wonderful story about a boy and his spirit companion, who initially hate each other, but who grow together through grief and going on an adventure.
Especially the last part was really amazing to me. I've always been a huge fan of animal companions in books, especially if they talk. And Kai even has her own perspective in the book! She's so funny and I loved her so much!
But really, what's not to love about this book?...more
It took me a while to pick this up because I just hadn't really been in the mood to read much middlegrade, but I'm so happy I finally got back into itIt took me a while to pick this up because I just hadn't really been in the mood to read much middlegrade, but I'm so happy I finally got back into it and picked up this book, because it was beautiful. I tend to absolutely adore verse novels, and middlegrade verse novels even more so, because they're able to distilling a lot of story and a lot of heavier themes into a concise and extremely readable package for all ages. I especially loved that this book also includes illustrations!...more
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