Angry Girls Will Get Us Through by Rebecca Traister - ADVISABLE

Angry Girls Will Get Us Through by Rebecca Traister, 240 pages. NON-FICTION. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster), 2026. $18.

Language: PG-13 (15 swears); Mature Content: PG (historical references to sexual abuse of enslaved peoples, rape, and abortion); Violence: PG-13(historical references to the genocide of American Indians, the enslavement of African peoples, and the domestic violence, one graphic description of Emmett Till’s mutilated body)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

In her first book for young adults, Traister draws on material from her other books for adults (Good and Mad, All the Single Ladies and Big Girls Don’t Cry), as well as her magazine articles, to illustrate how historic and revolutionary change has always depended on women’s anger. Rage at injustice is deeply patriotic, and it is not only for wealthy white men. Traister takes the reader on a quick journey of women’s fury throughout American History from the colonial period to the election of 2016, and beyond.

This is the feminist history lesson I wish I’d had sooner! I think Traister does a good job of providing context without getting too bogged down by the details, thus keeping the reader engaged. I loved how the author traces the cyclical patterns of progress and backlash, ultimately helping readers find a constructive place for their own rage regarding current events. If I were still teaching, I would definitely consider using this as a mentor text for literary criticism. That being said, I think it will appeal to adults more than kids, but could be perfect for the right young adult reader. 

Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia Cole - OPTIONAL

Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia Cole, 464 pages. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2024. $20.

Language: R (72 swears, 27 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (some examples of underage drinking, quite a bit of sexual content - most of it imagined as part of the main character’s OCD, but some mentions masturbation in public places by background characters); Violence: PG 13 (not real, but frequent pervasive violent intrusive thoughts)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

17yo Ariel finds herself struggling with isolation in a small Midwestern town. Her older sister has left for college, and her best friend is away for a summer internship in DC, leaving Ariel feeling alone. Her mind becomes a maze of endless, violent "what if" scenarios that trap her in a cycle of fear and anxiety. Before she reaches a breaking point, Ariel finds solace in two new friends she meets at her summer job at the local carnival: Ruth, a Black girl, and Rex, a teenage trans man. Through their friendship, Ariel begins to navigate her mental health challenges and discover her own identity.

Fascinating first person depiction of living with Harm OCD and intrusive thoughts. A novel written in verse, it was beautiful and painful at the same time. I was impressed with the breadth of topics it was able to address - mental health, religious trauma, police violence, gender identity, feminism, & queerness. It shows how intersectional our world is and yet how strikingly singular our individual lived experience is. I’m not sure how much use it could be in a school setting, considering some of the language and mature content, however, I do think it could be valuable purely for its honest representation of OCD and how it affects Ariel’s life.

Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

The Queens' English by Chloe O. Davis - OPTIONAL

The Queens' English: The Young Readers’ LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases by Chloe O. Davis, 448 pages. NON-FICTION. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster), 2024. $20.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG-13 (the definitions that deal with sexual identity & expression are labeled as “may be considered mature,” a handful of illustrations depicting people in queer relationships kissing, and a handful of definitions that reference genitals in an clinical way); Violence: PG (references to anti-queer phobias and hate crimes and bullying)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

The young readers' edition of "The Queens' English" offers an engaging exploration of LGBTQIA+ language, culture and history, through a comprehensive glossary of terms and phrases. It educates readers on the diverse spectrum of identities and expressions within the community. The book uses colorful illustrations and accessible explanations to foster understanding and inclusivity, specifically focused on young audiences.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it to be an informative resource. The book's vibrant illustrations and engaging design make it visually appealing and accessible. However since it is formatted as a dictionary, it is not really intended to be read in a single sitting, instead meant to be a book that students can reference when they have questions. In general, I think it does a good job of illustrating LGBTQIA+ language and usage, helping kids to have a better understanding of their own identities and their peers.

Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

This is Why They Hate Us by Aaron Aceves - OPTIONAL

This is Why They Hate Us by Aaron Aceves, 400 pages. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster), 2022. $20.

Language: R (100+ swears, 85 “f”); Mature Content: R (frequent graphic teenage sexual content, repeated instances of underage drinking and drug use, suicide ideation, and dealing with other mental health issues); Violence: PG-13 (several queer slurs, one instance of beating up a teenager in a park, some racist interactions);

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

17yo Enrique “Quique” Luna is a bisexual Latino teenager in southern California who struggles with his mental health and pining for his best friend, Saleem. He decides to work on himself during the summer by exploring some other romantic options, but his anxieties might derail everything.

It took me a long time to get into this book and to finish Quique’s story. I valued his perspective as a queer minority telling his coming of age story, but there is a significant amount of graphic sex, language, and other mature content that might be off-putting for more general audiences.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

The Heartbeat of the Universe by Emily Hockaday - OPTIONAL

The Heartbeat of the Universe by Emily Hockaday, 110 pages. POETRY. Interstellar Flight Press, 2024. $18.

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Hockaday believes that poetry is not limited by reality or literalness, and the poems in this collection illustrate her belief. With facts and emotions meeting over topics of identity, love, discrimination, hope, family, time, and more, there is a poem for everyone.

I loved the meeting point between science and creativity that these poets embrace, though overall only a couple of the poems spoke to me. The concept was enjoyable. The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol and sexual harassment. The violence rating is for mentions of assault.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen 

SoulMatch by Declan Ryder - OPTIONAL

SoulMatch by Declan Ryder, 225 pages. Declan Ryder, 2024. $5.

Language: PG (4 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Sara (32yo) is missing something in her life, and her friend recommends a matchmaking app. She starts talking with Alex, and Sara falls fast and hard. Everything is perfect—until Sara wants to meet and Alex’s excuses start to sound suspicious.

The premise is farfetched but still could have been intriguing, if not for the poor execution. Besides the odd word choices and the repetitive sections of the story, the book was riddled with inconsistencies. It felt like Ryder forgot details from previous chapters when he wrote the next one and didn’t bother to double check.

The characters are implied white. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, kissing, and implied sex.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

My Father the Panda Killer by Jamie Jo Hoang - OPTIONAL

My Father the Panda Killer by Jamie Jo Hoang, 361 pages. Crown Books, 2023. $19. 

Language: R (81 swears 38 'f'); Mature Content: PG (The whole book is about generational trauma so it's a heavy topic) Violence: R (Graphic descriptions of war-time violence, rape, suicide, and deaths from starvation and violence; repeated child beatings) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

It’s 17yo Jane’s last summer at home and she can’t wait to escape her Vietnamese father’s oppression when she goes to UCLA in the fall. Now she just has to figure out how to tell him, and her little brother Paul, who she worries will never forgive her for leaving like their mother did. But she has to get out. Her dad’s unpredictability and physical abuse have made Jane’s life unbearable, but so far she’s been able to shield Paul from the worst of it. Jane knows her dad must have suffered horrors during the war and during his escape to the United States, but Vietnamese people don’t talk of such things. As Jane learns more about his story, she starts to understand some of why he is the way he is, even as she understands that it doesn’t justify his behavior. 

This was a hard read, but an important one, and I openly wept a couple of times at the brutal reality of Jane’s life. Several of the beatings were pretty severe and my heart broke for Jane and Paul. Told in alternating chapters, the story bounces between Jane’s present day and the story of her dad’s life in and escape from Vietnam. We often only learn about the Vietnam War through the American lens and I appreciated the authentic telling of this part of history. It was also a window into the experience of children of refugees and their struggle to live in both worlds. I struggled, though, with a lack of condemnation of the abuse Jane suffered. She sort of just reconciles herself to it as the consequence of her dad’s horrific experiences rather than understanding that she’s being abused and getting help. I can’t say I liked this book, but I’m still glad I read it. Jane is Vietnamese-American. 

Andrea R

Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer by Emily McCully - OPTIONAL

Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer by Emily McCully, 164 pages. BIOGRAPHY. Candlewick Press, 2019. $10

Language:  G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (abuse mentioned, not described).; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Ada Byron Lovelace grew up a very curious girl who loved adventure. Ada grew up without really having a connection with her mother and never knowing who her father was. She loved mathematics and science and she loved to read books and invent and try things such as flying machines . As she grew older she got married and had kids. She then started work with Charles Babbage on the Difference Engine.

I liked how McCully had a lot of detail in the book. It went through her life and really made me there and imagine what she would do and what it would look like if I were here. I struggled with the explanation of the machine she worked on as an adult. 

Student Reviewer: Sarah- 9th grade

The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll and Lauren Child - OPTIONAL

The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll and Lauren Child, 189 pages. Candlewick, 2023. $20. 

Content: G (mentions of real-life conditions and actions from each time period)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Just like the main character in Mr. Dickens's story from the newspaper, 12yo Birdie is a match girl in Victorian England.  She and her family barely eke out an existence, even though they work hard all day long. One night, after disaster has followed her all day, Birdie strikes her last three matches and sees wonders - wonders that help her realize that she is going to have to fight for a better life if that is what she wants.

While I appreciate Carroll using The Little Matchgirl story as a framework about life in Victorian England and the power of a strike to create change, the novel feels like only the beginning of what could have been a better story. Includes magical realism. All of the characters are white, and from England.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston - OPTIONAL

The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston, 341 pages. Hyperion (Disney), 2023. $19.

Language: R (50+ swears, 3 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (burned at stake described some; pierced skull)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

17yo Tara and her family have packed up and moved to Hellbourne, Vermont.  Yeah (not) - new high school! Kids are dying around school - and even though Tara wasn’t there when it started, she has become the scapegoat.  Unfair - all she wants to do is keep her head down and survive. Hellbourne’s problem dates all the back to the town’s first witch-burning and Tara will need a lot of help to stay alive, especially because not only is her magic glitching, but her father has forbidden her to use it. 

As much as I like a good Buffy prequel or retelling, I haven’t seen any interest in my students. Very appealing for Buffy fans, though.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

The Last Rose by Leah Cypess

The Last Rose (Sisters Ever After) by Leah Cypess, 236 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2023. $18.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

When Darina is kidnapped by the Beast in the castle in the woods, Mera knows that it is all her fault - the Beast really wants her, because of the secret she has been keeping all this time. When she finds her way to the castle, though, Darina seems to be happy to be there - how can that be?

Cypess adds a werewolf twist to the classic Beauty and the Beast tale this time. Based a bit on the Disney version, but with lots of differences. A young reader retelling, that is high on action and low on holding all of the facts together well (Darina’s protests that she loves the Beast don’t come off as sincere- we just have to take it on faith, for example).

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama - ADVISABLE

Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama (translated by Jeffrey Angles), 256 pages. University of Minnesota Press, 2023. $20.

Language: PG13 (35 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

After the war, people are going about their lives again. Sailors are out working, and friends are going to concerts—until a monster from the sea ruins all those plans. Destruction and devastation has returned in the form of Godzilla, and no missile is a match for him.

In and of itself, Godzilla isn’t a very well written story. The story is choppy, and the characters—including Godzilla—and settings are inconsistent. What makes the story of Godzilla good is recognizing the monster as a metaphor for war. When the book is read through the lens of how people might respond to war, then it is interesting. Through that lens, an appearance of Godzilla is always a possibility.

All of the characters are Japanese. The mature content rating is for alcohol use. The violence rating is for blood and gore, gun use, persistent death, suicide, and fantasy violence.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Hex Americana by Bree Wolf - OPTIONAL

Hex Americana by Bree Wolf, 380 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Iron Circus Comics, 2023.  $15

Language: G (1 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (a couple of characters have a near brush with death) ; Violence: PG (some intense racing scenes, a couple of fatphobic jokes)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Ken Takamoto is a daredevil half-Yōkai who is obsessed with car racing. He accidentally comes across the Speed Demon of Echo Canyons, the ghost of a boy, Dante Willow, who died in a car race 20 years earlier. Together they train to compete in the Hex Americana, the biggest car race around. It’s not all fun and games, however, when they learn the truth about Dante’s death and the powers actually behind the Hex.

This was a weird read for me. I usually really like fantasy, but I think the combination of ghouls, demons, ghosts, and other fantastical elements with the modern sport of car racing was throwing me off. I didn’t really understand the world - I also didn’t fully understand everyone’s motivations, so it made the ending seem unresolved. It’s ok if you have the budget, but it will only appeal to a small portion of your readers.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

We Are All So Good At Smiling by Amber McBride - ADVISABLE

We Are All So Good At Smiling by Amber McBride, 304 pages. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2023.  $19

Language: PG (20 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (suicidal ideation, clinical depression, death of two family members, gaslighting); Violence: PG-13 (repeated racial slurs, racial motivated bullying, self-harm)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Whimsy, a black 18yo girl with magic in her bones, meets Faerry, a black Fae boy with wings, at a hospital treatment center for depression. They soon realize that their lives have been entwined before. They get stuck in a magical garden in the forest and have to find their way out again, with the help of some Fairy Tales.

If the premise doesn’t really make sense, it’s because it’s written in verse and the whole thing is one giant metaphor. I thought it was complex, beautiful, and heartbreaking. The ultimate message is you are not alone, even when your mind seems broken, or worse, the villain. There is always a way through. Readers who loved Once Upon a Time or Grimm’s Fairy Tales will get a kick out of all the fantastical allusions in the poetry. It may not appeal to a wide audience, but it will connect with your artsy, literary type readers.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

Constellations by Kate Glasheen - OPTIONAL

Constellations by Kate Glasheen, 224 pages. Holiday House, 2023. $23.

Language: R (17 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: R (frequent use of drugs and alcohol by minors, body dysmorphia, several references to sexuality through off-color jokes); Violence: R (intense and persistent physical, sexual, and verbal violence - e.g. abuse from family, teenagers physically fighting, repeated sexual harassment of the protagonist, and repeated homophobic slurs)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

16yo Claire is a queer (maybe gender neutral?) teen in 1980s New York. They are surviving with a couple of good friends, and a beer. Or two, or three, or more. However, when Claire's drinking gets out of hand, they are court-ordered into rehab. There, with the help of a patient counselor named Charlie, Claire begins the long hard road to recovery and healing their emotional, physical, and mental trauma.

This was a hard book to read in a lot of ways. One, the content was hard. The language, mature content and violence was frequent and rough. It was also hard watching teens unpack their traumas and learn to try to (or not) deal with their addictions. Two, the art was sometimes difficult to read. At times, it was both garish, and garbled, but also poignant in some places. Because it is rated R in every category, it would be difficult to find a place for it in a classroom library, even though I think there would be some students that would really connect with and benefit from Claire’s story.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes

It’s a RHAP, Cat by Lee Y. Miao - NO

It’s a RHAP, Cat by Lee Y. Miao, 262 pages. Clear Fork Publishing, 2023. $14. 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

When 12yo Cat and her friends see Raphael’s Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn, not she, but everyone around her see how strongly Cat resembles the girl in the painting. When her school announces participation in a Renaissance history and art project (Rhap) contest, Cat sees this as her chance to delve into family and world history to see if she somehow related to this unknown lady. And maybe she can accomplish two things - beat Annaka, who seems to win everything, and be admitted into the honors history class. 

Add an improbably last minute trip to Italy for hands on research and a deux ex machina letter that arrives just minutes before the contest judging. If the cover doesn’t turn off students, the average writing will. The tortured Rhap acronym and the pun-ish title are eyerollers rather than funny. I didn’t read the first book in the series, so I was confused about the series name (Ellie and Co.), when Ellie is a rare character on page. 

 Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

Legacy of an Immigrant by Maria Vezzetti Matson - NO

Legacy of an Immigrant: Four Generations of Flying by Maria Vezzetti Matson, 157 pages. Polenta Publishing, 2022. 9780983199052. $20

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

When Eugene receives a phone call from someone wanting to interview him about his family’s history of flying, the call brings up many memories for him - especially two momentous days around his grandfather’s funeral back when Eugene was just 13yo.

Matson’s flashbacks generate more flashbacks, so I was in an episode of Inception - couldn’t track which time period I was supposed to be. The writing is lackluster and uninspiring. If I gave up half way through, I can imagine how far a student would get. Maybe better time cues would have cleared up the confusion.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

A Sky Full of Song by Susan Lynn Meyer - OPTIONAL

A Sky Full of Song by Susan Lynn Meyer, 261 pages. Union Square Kids, 2023. $17

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG (Throwing of vegetables and kicking and punching of Jews)

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

11yo Shoshana and her family moved to North Dakota in 1905 to run away from the persecution happening to Jews in Liubashevka. Shoshana struggles with being different and unique in her Jewish religion. She finds joy in these struggles through music and showing her love to her family. She learns English and new things about the Christian religions that makes her confused.

I really liked the amount of details the book gave even in simple motion and actions along with the big actions. I felt that the book had no forward momentum, however. I felt like even though the story was moving forward it was stuck in place which just made it hard for me to want to read it. I also didn't enjoy how much description of a girl’s menstrual cycle there was. There wasn't anything graphic, but I also think it didn't need as much detail and they added to explain what it is.

Student Reviewer: Sarah T, 9th grade student

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri - OPTIONAL

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri, 224 pages. Levine Querido, 2023. $22

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some fighting, talk of assassination)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

When Samir rescues “Monk” from the monks who want his blood, 12yo Monk becomes Samir’s “monkey” servant. In order to win his freedom, Monk must pay off his debt. Considering how many people want Samir dead, Monk decides that each time he saves Samir’s life, that erases part of the debt. There is a beautiful girl amongst their fellow travelers that Monk also wants to impress. As they travel along the Silk Road, danger - because of Samir - lurks around every corner.

Nayeri’s writing feels like a modern fable or myth - but it is one that passed right by me.  I can see students reading this as part of a class, but not sharing it with each other as a great read.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

 

Dawnshard: From the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson - OPTIONAL

Dawnshard: From the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, 171 pages. Tor Books, 2020. $9 

Language: PG (8 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG; (Battle fighting but no blood/gore) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

In a story that takes place between Sanderson's Oathbringer and Rhythm of War, young woman Rysn is still adapting to the injury that left her a paraplegic. Her pet Chiri-Chiri is one of the things that keeps her motivated, so when Chiri-Chiri starts acting sick, Rysn seeks a cure: Chiri-Chiri must be returned to the island of her birth, an island that no one has survived when they visit. With creatures intent on keeping her and the Knights Radiant on her crew away from the island, Rysn must face unknown Gods and survive. 

This is an interesting novel for those who are heavily involved in the Stormlight Archive. If you're not a fan of the series or haven't read the first three novels then this one won't make much sense. It heightens some of the world-building that Sanderson has done, and it brings up characters and storylines that are enjoyable and fan-favorites. The students who love Brandon Sanderson will enjoy this, but it's not a good pick for the average fantasy-reader. Rysn is a fictional ethnicity with no specific skin described 

Lisa J HS ELA Teacher bookbug123@gmail.com