Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul

 

The past couple days, I read Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You adapted by Sonja Cherry-Paul from the best-seller Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. This nonfiction book is about the history of racist ideas, how they still impact America in the present, and those who have fought racism with antiracism. It also explains the importance of talking about race and the difference between racist, assimilationist, and antiracist thoughts.

I've been looking forward to reading one of the three versions of Stamped, so I was excited that the kids version was on the Rebecca Caudill list for this school year. Although this book covers a tough topic to talk about, it is written in a way that is accessible for students in middle and elementary school. I especially liked how the chapters were organized like a timeline going from the 1400s to the present because it made it easy to see how the present is connected to the past and how sometimes the past repeats itself. The information was definitely enlightening, and I was encouraged by the messages that people can change and it's important to actively participate to make a difference instead of taking performative actions on social media. I also enjoyed the illustrations by Rachelle Baker. Additionally, the back matter includes a timeline, a glossary, and further reading. Everyone should read this book whether it's the kids version reviewed in this blog entry, the remix version for young adults (Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi), or the original version Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi.

Summer Reading 2023

  

Welcome back to school, everyone! Here is an update of the books I've read since the middle of June. First, I read all five books of the Spiderwick Chronicles series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black: The Field Guide, The Seeing Stone, Lucinda's Secret, The Ironwood Tree, and The Wrath of Mulgarath. This fantasy series is about Jared; his twin brother, Simon; and their older sister, Mallory who find a mysterious field guide after they move into an old mansion. When unusual things begin happening, they discover the magical and dangerous world of faerie. In each book, they go on a different adventure before having to face and defeat the dreaded ogre, Mulgarath, and his goblin army in the finale. If you like fast-paced fantasy, I highly recommend this series.

 

In June, I also read Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. This realistic novel-in-verse is about two teenage girls, Camino Rios and Yahaira Rios, who discover that they're sisters after their father dies in a devastating plane crash going from New York City to the Dominican Republic. Coping with the loss of Papi and the truth of his double life, Camino and Yahaira have to decide if they want to know more about each other and be a part of each other's lives. This novel began tragically, but I enjoyed trying to figure out the connection between the Camino and Yahaira before it was fully revealed. I definitely liked how they gradually learned to trust each other. This novel-in-verse is beautiful, and anyone who likes stories of loss and forgiveness should read it.

By the start of July, I read The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. This paranormal fantasy, taking place in a world with walled cities called Coldtowns where vampires and humans live together, is about a teenage girl, Tana, who wakes up one morning after a party in a house full of corpses. While exploring the house, she discovers two other survivors: her ex-boyfriend, Aidan, who is infected and a mysterious boy, Gavriel, who has a secret. To save the three of them, she decides to go to the nearest Coldtown where there is no guarantee of getting out again. While reading this book, I enjoyed the suspense of the plot and the small dose of romance. I just wish it had a sequel because the end left me wanting more. This book is excellent for anyone who enjoys horror and fantasy, especially vampire tales.

The next book I read in July was Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castelucci. This short story collection has tales about all sorts of geeks, including science fiction fans, fan fiction authors, cosplayers, and more. It also includes illustrations by comic book artists, Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley. Some of my favorite tales in the collection were "Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way" by Holly Black and Cecil Castelucci, "I Never" by Cassandra Clare, "The Stars at the Finish Line" by Wendy Mass, and "It's Just a Jump to the Left" by Libba Bray. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to embrace their inner geek.

Afterwards, I read another short story collection, The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories by Holly Black. This collection includes tales of vampires, devils, werewolves, faeries, and more. Two of the stories take place in the world of Tithe, which I read and reviewed earlier this year. I especially enjoyed "A Reversal of Forture", "The Dog King", "In Vodka Veritas", "Paper Cuts Scissors", and "The Land of Heart's Desire". Overall, it's a great collection and fantasy fantasy fans should read it.

By the end of July, I read Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. This collection is split evenly between unicorn tales and zombie tales as the editors argue over which is better. Black led Team Unicorn while Larbalestier led Team Zombie. All of the stories were fantastic, and by the end of the collection, I couldn't decide if I liked unicorns or zombies better. My favorite unicorn story was "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" by Diana Peterfreund and my favorite zombie tale was "Cold Hands" by Cassandra Clare. If you're a zombie fan or a unicorn fan, this collection is perfect.

Finally, I read Beauty and the Beast by Elizabeth Rudnick in August. In this fantasy novel, a young woman, Belle, lives with her father, Maurice, in the the small village of Villeneuve, France. She doesn't feel like she belongs, though, and wants to go on adventures like in the stories she has read. When Maurice is imprisoned in a castle by a terrifying Beast, Belle decides to take his place. After the Beast saves her from a wolf attack when she tries to escape, they learn to look beyond their first impressions of each other. Meanwhile, the town war hero, Gaston, has set his eyes on Belle and spends his time trying to come up with a scheme to make her his wife. Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorite fairy tales because I grew up with the animated movie from 1991, so I especially enjoyed this novelization of the live action movie that was released in 2017. If you enjoyed either of the movies or fairy tales in general, you should read this book.