Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

 

This weekend, I read Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. This realistic fiction novel is about Della, a ten-year-old girl who has been raised by her sixteen-year-old sister, Suki. The story begins just after Della gets a tattoo of an ampersand and she reflects on what happened in her life that led up to that point. Years ago, Della and Suki ended up living with their mother's boyfriend, Clifton, after their mother had a psychotic break when she caused an explosion in their hotel room's bathroom. After Clifton touches Della inappropriately, the sisters run away to their friend Teena's house. Within days, they are put into the foster care system with a woman, Francine. Although Della struggles at school where she is bullied by a classmate, Trevor, she likes living with Francine and makes a new friend, Nevaeh. Soon, things take a heartbreaking turn when Suki tries to take her own life. In that moment, Della realizes that what Clifton did to her was only the tip of the iceberg. As the weeks go by, Della wonders who was looking out for Suki all those years and must find her voice to speak out on abuse and harassment.

This novel was such a powerful and riveting story that I couldn't stop reading. Although some parts were difficult to read, it shines a light on the important issue of child sexual abuse. I definitely appreciated that the author used humor sometimes to lighten the mood. For example, it was funny when Della substituted the word "snow" for any swear words she said when telling her story. I also loved the relationship that she had with Suki. It saddened me when Suki began to push away Della and it was terrifying how close Della got to losing Suki forever. I also enjoyed Della's relationship with Francine, Nevaeh, Coach Tony, and a deli worker at Food City, Maybelline. These four characters were definitely a great support system for Della. On the other hand, Trevor was completely annoying and I just wanted to slap him for harassing Della even though I know that violence is never the answer. Although Clifton isn't in many scenes because he was being held in jail for most of the story, he's a lingering presence due to his impact on Della and Suki. I hated him for the pain he caused them. I would recommend Fighting Words to anyone who wants to read an incredible story of sisterhood.

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

 

Last night, I finished reading The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden. This realistic fiction novel is about Zoey Albro, a seventh grade girl who has to take care of her younger siblings after school as her mom works at a pizza parlor and they live in the trailer of her mom's boyfriend, Lenny. With so much going on in her life, Zoey imagines how much easier it would be if she were an octopus. Although Zoey likes to stay under the radar at school, her social studies teacher, Ms. Rochambeau, forces her to join debate club. Zoey is initially reluctant to participate even though she decides to show up at the club meetings, but after a shooting occurs in the school parking lot, Zoey begins to see her situation at home  differently as her mom and Lenny argue regularly about money. When Zoey learns the truth about the shooting from her best friend, Fuchsia, who's living with her single mom after being in foster care, Zoey has to decide if she should speak up.

I liked reading this book more than I thought I would. There are several tough topics that come up from poverty to domestic abuse, but I was really happy that it ended on a hopeful note. Zoey is a girl who has a lot of challenges in her life because she has grown up poor and her classmates look down upon her. While I was frustrated with some of her decisions at first, I really grew to admire her by the end of the book. I especially enjoyed her relationships with her younger siblings, Bryce, Aurora, and Hector. I could see that she was really trying her best as the oldest child and I'm not sure I would be able to maintain my cool if I was in some of the same situations. I also loved the importance of the friendship between Zoey and Fuchsia because it played a huge role in the resolution of the book. Lenny was definitely my least favorite character because he manipulated Zoey's mom into thinking she was incompetent as a mother. It made me so mad as Zoey spied on their arguments, and I certainly wanted her mom to realize that they should find a way to leave Lenny before it's too late. The Benefits of Being an Octopus is a fantastic look into poverty and the debate around gun control, and I would recommend it to anyone.

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

 

Yesterday, I finished reading The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. This historical fiction novel is about Valentina and Oksana, two girls who don't really like each other even though they are the same age and live in the same apartment building. On a Saturday morning in April 1986, a nuclear reactor explodes at Chernobyl, where both of their fathers work. When her mother is taken to Minsk for radiation poisoning treatment, Oksana finds herself traveling on a bus for Kiev with Valentina and her mother. After she is only able to get two train tickets in Kiev, Valentina's mother decides to send the two girls to Leningrad to live with Valentina's estranged grandmother. Although Oksana is desperate to be reunited with her mother, the two girls find common ground and gradually become friends as the months go on.

I absolutely adored this book because I've long been fascinated by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and its aftermath. From the description at the beginning of the story, it seemed so terrifying with the red sky, blue smoke, and metal-tasting air. I was definitely really relieved when Valentina and Oksana were able to leave their hometown of Pripyat, Ukraine, which is still abandoned in the present day because of the radiation levels. While I liked Valentina because of her kindness and engineering skills, it was Oksana with whom I empathized the most as she came to recognize the brokenness of her family. I also loved that she was interested in drawing and painting. As I read the book, I enjoyed how Valentina and Oksana's story was interweaved with that of Rifka, a Jewish girl who had to leave Kiev with her cousin Nathan before the Germans arrived in 1941. Even though the ending is bittersweet, I thought it was beautiful how the author connected the two stories through the theme of found family. The Blackbird Girls is an amazing story of hope, courage, and friendship, and anyone who likes historical fiction should read it.

A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner

 

Last week, I read A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner. This sports fiction novel is about Silas Wade, a sixth-grade boy who does a school presentation on the Major League Baseball player, Glenn Burke, as a small step towards acknowledging a truth about himself. When Silas reveals his secret to his best friend, Zoey, she doesn't react how he expected and things become weird between them. Soon, he finds himself telling his baseball coach, Webb. After a team meeting based on Silas's conversation with Coach Webb, Silas continues hiding his secret from his teammates and lies to them about dating Zoey. When Zoey finds out about his lie from one of his teammates, he has to face the consequences.

I thought that this novel was wonderful. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, but I truly enjoyed it. Although Silas makes mistakes, it's understandable because he is deeply afraid of being judged for who he is. I loved his friendship with Zoey, so I was shocked when he told his teammates that he was dating her. I knew it was such a bad idea, and it does cause a serious rift between them after she learns about his lie from his teammate, Ben-Ben, who is in a robotics club with Zoey. I couldn't blame Zoey for being angry with Silas and not wanting to be friends anymore. I did want them to make up, though, and I was happy with the end of the novel. I definitely thought the highlight of the book was Silas's relationship with Coach Webb. Webb is accepting of Silas when he comes out to him and their discussion about the hardships and discrimination that Glenn Burke faced because he was gay was enlightening. The ending of A High Five for Glenn Burke isn't tied in a neat bow and it's clear that Silas is still at the beginning of his journey. Overall, I would recommend it to baseball fans and anyone who is exploring their identity.