LIS 618 Literature log (Part 1)

LIS 618 Literature log (Part 2)

Second literature log. Click on each book to learn more! Use the arrow on the right hand side of your screen to navigate to the next page.

The Beasts in Your Brain

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone

Tripping Over You Volume 1

Kaya of the Ocean

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels

Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom

LIS 618 Literature log (Part 2)

Click on each book to learn more!

Long Way Down

The Enigma Girls

Pearl

You Have a Match

LIS 618 Literature log (part 1)

First literature log selections. Click on each book to learn more!

After Life

Blood in the Water

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival

Banned Together: Our Fight for Reader's Rights

The Edge of the Silver Sea

We Still Belong

LIS 618 Literature log (Part 1)

Click on each book to learn more!

Heartstopper Volume 1

Out of Our League

Braided

Dan in Green Gables

This graphic novel offers a slice of life approach to the romance genre. The book follows Milo and Liam's budding romance, and touches on their home lives and friends as well. There is not too much of a plot or conflict in the book, and it focuses more on their day-to-day lives. The biggest source of conflict comes from Liam's strained relationship with his strict and unaccepting father. I appreciated how there was also a focus on their friend relationships. The side characters were all interesting and added to the story. As far as romance goes, I would classify this one in the friends-to-lovers troupe. The boys are friends for years before confessing their feelings to one another. I really enjoyed the art style in this one. I found that the character's faces were very expressive, and it definitely kept me engaged in the budding romance between the two. The story can also be humorous at times, and the comic style definitely enhanced the comedic scenes. While I enjoyed this book for what it was, I would not recommend it to readers who prefer plot-driven books. There wasn't a lot of world building, and you're kind of just thrown into these character's lives, which some may enjoy, but perhaps not those who need more background to get into a book. I would recommend this title to fans of Heartstopper, and think it could be great in a display of books similar to the popular graphic novel. I would also put this book in a display highlighting slice of life books. A fun library activity to do with the book would be to have students expand on the side character's plotlines and further their stories. I think this book is a great option for readers who want a light-hearted and short read.

Tripping Over You Volume 1 by Owen White, Illustrated by Suzanna Harcum (2025) Romance

This was my first time reading a manga, and I thought it was a great story that definitely left me interested in reading more! This manga is framed as a romance, but there is a bigger emphasis on the two kingdoms and the political dynamics between them. I found that the illustrations in the manga were more detailed than many of the graphic novels I have read, and so I enjoyed paying attention to the backgrounds of all the pages, as there were many small details that enhanced the overall storytelling. At first, many characters were introduced and it took me a while to understand what each one's role was in the story, but by the end, I felt each character had been developed well. I particularly enjoyed the two protoganist's growth, and the relationship between the two. Again, this story is very light on the romance, so I would more so recommend this manga to those who are interested in royal relations and kingdom politics. There is also an anime film based on the manga that was released in 2023. Because of this, there is a great opportunitity to engage readers/patrons that are interested in anime to also check out this book. A library could host a movie night where they show the film and have a book club centered around the book. If there are reluctant readers who love anime, this is a great chance to get them interested in manga, which can then lead to them to potentially exploring graphic novels and other books.

Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom by Nao Iwamoto (2023) Manga

This delighftul whodunit follows a family that have all had their names determined by the dictionary. The Swift family operates under the assumption that the definition of their name shapes who they are. The story follows young Shenanigan Swift who, true to her name, loves to get into mischief. The family all gathers for their reunion at the Swift House, and the plot centers around finding out who attempted to kill the house matriarch. The book is very humorous and has many fun moments, while also handling some more serious themes, including grief and identity. Something I really enjoyed about this book were the illustrations every few chapters that depicted the crazy events happening in the story. The characters and plot reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events; the cast is filled with quirky and unique characters with a rather dark humor. For a book that takes place in just one setting, the world building (or rather, house building) is fantastic. All of the rooms in the massive house and the history of the family are described so thoroughly that you feel as if you are solving the mystery with Shenanigan. I was excited to learn that there is another book in this series already published, as well as one coming out in 2026. This book serves as a complete standalone story, but I think anyone who falls in love with the characters will be happy to hear that their story continues. A fun activity that could be done in a school library with this book is to have students look into the origin of their name. As this book revolves a lot around the meaning behind a name and how it shapes you, I think this could be a good way to tie in themes of the story while allowing students to reflect on their name's history and how they would define themselves.

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln (2023) Horror & Mystery

This fast-paced mystery is told from the perspective of a 12 year old girl named Kaylani who is wise beyond her years. One of the stand-out features in this story was how positive of a role model Kaylani was in the face of adversity. The book deals with themes of parental incarcement and being stereotyped based on where you're from and how much money you have. Kaylani is very proud of her father, who is currently incarcerated, and has pride in where she lives (Brookyln, New York). Despite characters consistently judging her based on these things, she always holds strong on her beliefs and is confident in who she is. She is a very curious, inquisitive, and smart character, always paying attention to details. This trait definitely comes in handy when a murder rocks the town.Although this book deals with some darker themes, it still has some very fun and light moments of a child making summer memories with new friends. I particulary enjoyed the scenes where Kaylani bonded with Miles and Deion, competing in a scavenger hunt and exploring the island. Jackson does a fantastic job of setting up a rich setting that makes the reader feel like they are there. I could picture the little cottage houses, the library with the graveyard, and the ferry boat that takes them to and from the island. A fun activity librarians could do related to this book is a scavenger hunt centered around finding out more information about a specific place, perhaps Martha's Vineyard. The librarian could hide clues around the library and the students could participate in a hunt very similar to the one Kaylani and her friends participated in.

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson (2025)Whole Class Read

This book is an anthology of fictional and nonfictional short stories, poems in verse, comics, and plenty of resources about book banning. The pages are filled with authors who have had their own books banned discussing the emotions that come from that experience and how the teen audience (but really, all readers) can fight to mitigate this very real issue. Each author shared their own story and chose to express their message differently, which I appreciated as each method left a different impact. After each author's piece, a couple of pages of resources followed that included banned authors to read and online resources to continue the fight. The anthology strikes a balance between voicing the rightful frustration of banned authors and those fighting to keep banned books on the shelves, and the glimmers of hope that shine through when students successfully bring a banned book back to their school library or use their voice to make a difference. I think this is important, because it inspires teen readers who are passionate about this issue that they can be a part of the change. Therefore, I think this is a great book to have in school libraries, especially those that are facing challenges. In this anthology, we see students wanting to know how they can help, and this book is a great place to start. In a library display, resources from the book can be pulled and printed out to incite more interest and help people know what they can find within the pages.

Banned Together: Our Fight for Reader's Rights edited by Ashley Hope Pérez (2025)Social Justice

This graphic novel is a fairly quick read that is not text-heavy, and instead relys more on the illustrations to tell the story, especially the darker parts of the book. It tells the story of a Japanese-American teenager named Amy who leaves Hawaii, where she lives with her family, to visit Japan and her ill great-grandmother. However, the story takes place during World War II, and with the attack of Pearl Harbor, Amy is not able to return home. The war takes a huge toll on her own identity - she is not able to embrace both sides of being Japanese and American and feels like she has to fully choose one side. While the events in the story mostly pertain to the war and its impact on Amy, the main themes in the story are identity, family, and surviving. I was intrigued to see how the cover art played out in the story, and it is explained quite early. Amy's great-grandmother was a pearl diver, and the theme of doing the impossible played a part throughout the book. As mentioned earlier, the beautiful illustrations in this story really drove the meaning home and showed great emotions behind each scene. Towards the end, where themes get darker, there are several pages in a row with no text, just images. I think this intentional choice was well-done, and so much was learned just from studying the imagery. I think this book, being such a short read, would be great to use in a school library environment tied to a lesson on the impact of illustrations in telling a story, not only in children's books, but in young adult books. A librarian could also prompt students to think about what words they would put to the images with no text.

Pearl Written by Sherri L. Smith & Illustrated by Christine Norrie (2024) Historical Fiction

This book is a blend of genres - there are hints of science fiction, mystery, and realistic fiction all tied together to make for an engaging read. This story is unique in that it is told from the perspective of a middle school bully. Jennifer Chan, the title character, is actually not very present physically in the story, but the plot is centered around her as she goes missing at the beginning of the book. The main character, Mallory, takes it upon herself to find Jennifer, as she believes her disappearance may be tied to aliens. The story is told through "then" and "now" chapters, that show many flashbacks detailing Mallory and Jennifer's interactions leading up to her disappearance. There are also chapters that include "Jennifer's Guide to the Universe" that are pages from her journal about aliens. I listened to this book on audio, and there was a different narrator for this portion, which made it a more interesting listen. Although there is a lot of plot centered around aliens and trying to discover if they exist, the story really explores friendship, bullying, and clique behavior. Mallory has two cliques of friends (her new friends and her old friends) and she has an internal struggle with picking who is best for her. She also engages in bullying behavior, and there are some very tough scenes where her and her friends are ruthless to others. It is interesting to see the internal battle play out of Mallory dealing with the consequences of her actions. I think this book is a great middle school read. A fun programming activity to do with this book could be to have students make their own "Guide to the Universe." This could give students a safe space to write about their feelings and what matters to them.

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone by Tae Keller (2022) Asian American & Pacific Islanders

This graphic novel is a reimagining of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. In this book, 15 year old Dan and his mom are always traveling around the country, and Dan has no real sense of stability as his mom is always moving them to the next place. That is, until she brings him to his late father's parents home in Tennessee and he meets his grandparents for the first time. His mom abandons him there in the middle of the night, and Dan must quickly get adjusted to this new way of life. He struggles with many things, including bullying due being openly queer in the South, anger management issues, and his grandfather's obvious disdain that Dan is living under his roof. There are also religious themes touched on throughout the book. Despite dealing with some heavier themes, Dan is such a positive and joy-inducing character. While he does let himself cry and express anger, he is always quick to turn bad situations around and step in as a friend to anyone who needs it, even if they don't appreciate him. The story also has a lot of fun moments that are perfect for the graphic novel format, including Dan making his grandmother's recipe, mall shopping montages, and more. Librarians can use this book in a display that features the original Anne of Green Gables and other reimagined stories. During readers' advisory or casual conversation, librarians can encourage readers who enjoy classics to read this book and similar ones. Alternatively, for the reluctant reader, a graphic novel is a great entry point to get teens more excited about the classics.

Dan in Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Rex Ogle, Illustrated by Claudia Aguirre (2025)Reimagined Classics

This graphic novel is one of those books that feels like a warm hug. The two main characters, Charlie and Nick, are both so likeable and will have readers rooting for them the whole story. The comic-style format is easy to read and makes it a story you can easily digest in one sitting. While the story is generally light-hearted and a good one to read when you just want a sweet tale, there are also some very real issues touched on, including Charlie being bullied when he first came out to his all-boy school, Nick trying to understand his sexuality, and sexual assault. The book feels very realistic in its handling of these issues, and readers may be able to relate to some of the sentiments of the main characters. The illustrations are simplistic enough, but also have some cool details if you look closely. I especially loved the details that would surround Charlie and Nick as they were beginning to develop feelings for one another. It added to the sweet tone of the story. The ending of the story on a cliffhanger definitely made me want to get the next installment as soon as possible. As someone who does not often read graphic novels, this book encouraged me to try out more. I think this book is a great one to engage the reluctant reader, not only because of its easily digestible comic-style, but also because it is now a major television series on Netflix. It is also a great title to spotlight during Pride Month for patrons/students.

Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman (2019)LGBTQ+

This book was my free choice pick from the North Carolina 2025 Battle of the Books list. It has an interesting premise of a teenage girl named Abby randomly taking a DNA ancestry test, and finding out that she has a sister close in age that lives closeby. She connects with her sister, Savvy, and they decide to spend the summer together at a camp to try and figure out the mystery behind why Abby's parents gave Savvy to another family, and why they've hidden it all these years. The fun backdrop of the camp gives this book Parent Trap vibes, as the sisters try to reconnect their parents, but there are also serious themes that are touched on in the book, including grief after the loss of a loved one and depression/anxiety. There is also some romance in the book and a lot of exploration of familial, friend, and romantic relationships. This is definitely a young adult/high school novel, with many expletives dropped throughout, and I think that high schoolers will really be able to relate to some of the characters and their feelings in this book of not living up to expectations, whether that be through school and grades, or through appearing picture perfect at all times. There is a focus on photography/social media throughout the story as well, as Savvy and Abby both take photos as a hobby, and it's a way for Abby to feel connected with her late Poppy. It could be fun to do a program over the summer related to this book, in which teens submit photography that they have taken over their summer break - this could be taken from a camera, like Abby uses, or their phone, like Savvy uses. There could even be a contest with prizes for the winners.

You Have a Match by Emma Lord (2021) Free Choice

This is the first novel that I have read in verse, and I felt that the format really emphasized the strong emotions of this book in a way that kept me enthralled the entire time. I think this is a book you can easily get sucked into and finish in one sitting. However, it deals with some very heavy themes, so it can be a lot to take in at once. Especially for youth patrons who either have never been exposed to gun violence or are living in situations that mirror the main character's, this book and the way it is written packs a heavy emotional punch that can be a lot to take in all at once for a reader. At the same time, it is easy to read in terms of the format and length, and could be great for a more reluctant reader.One of the parts of this book that stood out to me was the way the author leaned into the suspense by having it start at chapter, or floor, 7, then going all the way down to the lobby. I was interested in seeing which new character would join us at each floor, and how they added to the story. For as little time as we got with each character, I felt that they were all fleshed out very strongly, and the book was centered around the characters more than being plot-heavy. The whole story takes place in less than a day, so the pacing definitely helped with keeping my interest and attention. I have heard great things about Jason Reynolds, so I'm glad I finally got to read one of his books and look forward to reading more. This book could be featured in many ways, including highlighting award-winning poetry books and books written by African American authors with black characters. A school librarian could collaborate with an English teacher and create an activity for students to experiment with writing verse and visualize their own elevator, asking the question of who would be on each floor for them.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (2017)Verse

I highly recommend this graphic novel memoir about Estelle (Emiala) growing up as a young Jewish girl in Poland during the Holocaust. It has both heartwrenching and optimistic moments that will take the reader through all types of emotions. The book is broken up into 5 parts that detail specific years in Estelle's life, as well as content after the story ends, including real life photographs and details on how the book was made. The nature of the graphic novel format made me feel more connected to the story and increased its impact. This is a great book to recommend to students who may be more hesitant to pick up a biography, memoir, or book dealing with real life events because of this format. The illustrations are phenomenal, and do a fantastic job of telling the story along with the text. The difference between the earlier images filled with color and a sense of hope versus the dark undertones as the story goes along (eventually going back to the feeling of hope) really stands out and makes the story more striking. Along with recommending this book to reluctant readers, this book can be displayed during the month of January for International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Librarians can also partner with teachers as they teach the Holocaust to show a real story that may help students connect more to the importance of survivors' stories.

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel, Sammy Savos, and Bethany Strout (2024)Biography

If you are looking for a story that has fantastical creatures, beautiful imagery, and hints of magic along with realistic characters dealing with real-world issues, this book is a great choice. The main character, Blair, moves away from the city life she's always known to an extremely remote island so her parents can fulfill their dream of opening a B&B. From the beginning, the island is mysterious and beautiful; however, as Alex begins to meet the fey creatures that inhabit it, it becomes even more magestic. Beyond the mystical setting, this story deals with very real environmental issues. Blair is a climate activist, and she wants to make a difference through leading protests, something she feels she can't do in her new home. One of the strongest points in the story for me was her realization that she can make a positive impact in a different way on the island. I also enjoyed meeting all the different creatures and getting more bits of the island's history to piece the mystery together. There is also strong representation in this book. Blair's new best friend, Alasdair, is transgender, and there are also themes of gender identity present in a storyline involving Alasdair's father. Another main character is a wheelchair user. Students and youth patrons may see themselves represented in these characters. A librarian could partner with a science teacher to discuss the themes of climate change and activitism in this book. A marine climate scientist could also be a guest speaker, as the main climate issue in this book involves the oceans.

The Edge of the Silver Sea by Alex Mullarky (2025)Speculative Fiction

This book breaks down what anxiety and depression are, how to seek help if you are experiencing them, and provides encouragement for fighting the beasts that may live in your brain. The guide is divided into 7 chapters, and is easy to navigate if you are looking for specific details, with an index in the back of the book. I thought the book flowed nicely from each topic, beginning with understanding depression and anxiety, then flowing into the reasons behind it and resources that can help teens with mental health disorders. I particularly found the playlists scattered throughout the book to be a unique aspect, with each playlist relating to the chapter it is in. The author definitely is writing to a teen audience, and as a member of Gen Z, I caught on to some of the slang she was using and thought it was a good way to engage youth readers. Dealing with mental health is a hard topic, so having this more lighthearted and relatable tone can encourage readers to continue reading. While I thought the book did a good job of laying out steps to take to help yourself if you are struggling with mental health, I do wish there were more resources for teens provided. Oftentimes, teens go to the internet first to seek help with these issues, so I think this guide could have been strengthened by the inclusion of more resources in one place. A school librarian could use this book in a book club with students and perhaps bring in a school counselor to discuss these hard topics. In the book club, further resources could be provided to help students dealing with these issues. A librarian could also put in a bookmark with these resources.

The Beasts in Your Brain: Understanding and Living with Anxiety and Depression by Katherine Speller (2023)Health, Wellbeing, & Disability

This book offers a thorough look at the events that took place in Bletchley Park during World War II, centered specifically around the stories of ten teenage girls who worked a variety of war jobs that contributed greatly to the war effort and ultimate success of the Allied Forces. This specific topic was something I had not learned about, and so the book was incredibly interesting to me and I was engaged the whole time. The author did a great job of providing a variety of ways to keep the reader's attention, including photographs that showed what was discussed on almost every other page, short chapters, and breaks every so often that discussed how to decipher codes. I think that adolescent readers will especially appreciate these sections, where they learn how to break codes and can work along with the text to decipher them. The stories of the ten girls were especially intriguing because of the secrecy that remained behind their work for many years following the war. They weren't able to talk about their important, life-changing work with anyone for a long time, so I appreciate that this book compiles all of their stories into one place. I think this book would be especially inspiring for young girls who are interested in working in similar fields as the women in this book, including mathematics and technology. Reading how you can make a big difference at a young age (most of the girls were 18 years old) sends a powerful message, especially since these girls were thrust into this world with sometimes very little experience. I think this book would serve as fantastic supplemental material for history classes learning about World War II. A school librarian could collaborate with a classroom teacher to feature excerpts of this book in lessons pertaining to the war. They could also go further into the code breaking examples in the book, and have students decipher their own codes.

The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (2024) STEM Nonfiction

This book tells an inspiring and heartfelt story of a Chinese teenager living in Hawaii who struggles with anxiety, especially about the ocean. At the beginning, we learn a little about Kaya's family. Her parents immigrated from China and opened a restaurant. They work tirelessly to support their family, but Kaya feels the pressure from them to succeed and do even better. This also contributes to her anxiety, which continues to intensify throughout the book as she learns more about her family's history and her connection to the ocean. There are flashbacks that create a sense of mystery as the reader tries to piece together how these scenes fit into Kaya's present day. I appreciated how the author handled the topic of anxiety in this book. I feel that it will be a source of relatability to middle grade readers who may be experiencing anxiety similar to Kaya. They may also relate to the academic pressure Kaya feels from her parents to always succeed in school. Having these very realistic topics integrated into a story with many fantasy and mystery elements helps keep a lighter tone while dealing with more serious topics. Because of this, I think this book could be included in a display of books called "If you liked Percy Jackson, you'll like..." I think this would be a good way to direct readers' eyes to this title, as it has many of the same elements and is definitely targeted for middle grade readers. In one longer scene, Kaya and her friends scour the library for titles related to her ancestry. This could be a creative programming activity to do with teens in your own library - encourage them to find titles related to their background.

Kaya of the Ocean by Gloria L. Huang (2025) Immigrant & First Generation

This short story anthology features female athletes of sports ranging from power lifting to cheerleading to football. While all of the stories center around a girl involved with sports in some way, there are also many other themes that are explored and are sometimes even more present than the sport. Many stories involve bits of romance and comedy, but some explore more serious themes like misgendering, eating disorders, and death. Because of this, I believe that students who don't play sports would still enjoy these stories and the characters within them. Most of them are battling issues that nonathletes can also relate to. However, I think girls in sports (especially those in less represented sports) will gravitate towards this anthology as there aren't many out there dedicated to female athletes. There is also great representation in this book. Hopefully, girls in sports can find themselves represented by at least one of the characters featured in the short stories. Something that initially drew me into this book and led me to pick it was the cover, and seeing all of the diverse characters made me want to read their stories. I think a library could draw more attention to this book by creating quick blurbs about a couple of the short stories and attaching the animation of the character to the summary. Students/patrons can then have a good idea what some of the stories are like and hopefully be more likely to pick it up and read at least one of the stories. The great thing about an anthology like this is that you don't have to read all the stories in the book if one doesn't interest you as much. This can be a good book for reluctant readers who prefer to read short-form literature.

Out of Our League: 16 Stories of Girls in Sports Edited by Dahlia Adler & Jennifer Iacopelli (2024)Short Story Anthology

This book was a 2025 finalist for the Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle & YA Fiction. It is part of the Sisters Ever After series by the same author. All of the books are fairytale retellings with a focus on sisterhood. This particular story focuses on Rapunzel's younger sister, Cinna, and the two finding their way back to one another after Rapunzel has spent most of her life in the Fairy Realms due to a bargain made long ago. Middle grade readers may enjoy how almost every chapter begins with a letter from Cinna to her sister while she was missing. This creative way of sharing some of Cinna's backstory makes the reading experience more immersive. The story does a good job of exploring the complicated relationships Cinna has with her sister and mother, and the often uncomfortable family dynamic all three share. Younger siblings especially may relate to Cinna's feelings that no one thinks she can make her own decisions, and her character growth is strong. While the family relationships are realistic, there are of course many fantasy elements in this book. Much of the focus is on the magical powers of Rapunzel and Cinna's hairs, and those who would like to take that power for themselves. There are also many scenes involving Fireball, the girls' dragon. Other monsters and creatures present themselves for short but sometimes intense battles.This would be a great book to include as part of a "fairytales reimagined" display. It can also be used in a book club with siblings to discuss Rapunzel and Cinna's relationship. I would recommend it to early fantasy readers.

Braided by Leah Cypess, 2024YA Book Award

This book deals with grief, familial, friend, and romantic relationships, and how we impact others lives without even realizing it. With short chapters from multiple perspectives, this story kept me interested about how the different characters' plotlines would all intersect. The premise of the story intrigued me from the start. A 17 year old girl named Amber dies and suddenly, after 7 years, is spit right back out into her life. The catch is, she is only seen by some people, and she doesn’t have an appetite, can’t sleep, and overall isn’t as lifelike as she once was. The mystery around what was happening and if her death was accidental drove the story forward in a fast-paced way. While the core of this story is about grief and honoring those we love, there is also a general theme of how we make more of a difference than we believe. In the story, Amber thinks she just made everyone’s lives worse and that they are better off with her dead. However, we can see how she has made an impact on many people’s lives, including those who are on the outer edges, such as an old teacher and a school photographer. It is a strong title to use in programming around teen grief. I also found the assignment that the teacher presented interesting. He had his students write their own obituary. While it sounds a bit morbid, it was supposed to encourage them to consider their future and how they would like to be remembered. This could be an interesting book club activity to do with this title, whether that be in a public library program or a partnership with an English teacher at a school.

After Life by Gayle Forman (2025)Realistic Fiction

*Listened to audiobook* This book takes place over a single day (Indigenous Peoples' Day) in 7th grader Wesley's life. It is a strong middle grade novel that highlights Wesley's experience as a member of the Upper Skagit tribe, but also discusses many of the struggles of being a middle school girl, like family and friend issues, crushes and dances, and feelings of insecurity. Social media, streaming, and gaming are also major topics in this book. A major online gaming streamer who is raising money on Indigenious Peoples' Day is referenced throughout, and Wesley enjoys gaming, one of the reasons she feels connected to her crush, Ryan. I think the author did a fantastic job of writing this story as one day, while still feeling like we really got to know the characters. Wesley goes on such an adventure in one day, and the book really captures the feeling of middle school problems, along with yearning for a sense of belonging that Wesley eventually feels at the end of the story. I listened to this book on audio, and felt the narrator did a solid job of telling the story, using different voices for different characters and creating an engaging listen. I wouldn't say that my experience was extremely enhanced by the narration, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend the audiobook over the print book. This book would be great to highlight in libraries in October, as Indigenous Peoples' Day is in this month. With the strong focus on video gaming, I would also recommend this book to reluctant readers who enjoying gaming themselves.

We Still Belong by Christine Day (2023)Native American & Indigenous Peoples