Geo Librarian

  ISABEL IN BLOOM by Mae Respicio Wendy Lamb Books, 2024 ISBN: 9780593302729  Source: Netgalley ARC Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A Filipina-American girl discovers a connection between her two homes through a culinary garden in this middle grade novel that celebrates nourishment and growth—both in our lives and in nature. Twelve-year-old Isabel is the new kid in her San Francisco middle school. It’s the first time in many years that she’ll be living with her mother again. Mama's job in the US allowed Isabel and her grandparents to live more comfortably in the Philippines, but now Isabel doesn't really know her own mother anymore. Making new friends in a new city, a new country, is hard, but joining the gardening and cooking club at school means Isabel will begin to find her way, and maybe she too, will begin to bloom. In this beautifully rendered novel-in-verse, Mae...

  WORST-CASE COLLIN by Rebecca Caprara Charlesbridge, 2021 ISBN: 9781623541453 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade realistic fiction (novel-in-verse) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW Ever since his mother's death, Collin manages his anxiety by keeping a notebook full of emergency preparedness advice. In tender free verse, Caprara allows Collin to tell of his heartache and frustration.  While he has two fabulous friends in prankster Liam, and outspoken Georgia, he doesn't dare tell them how life is deteriorating at home.  Collin's mother kept his father's hoarding tendencies under control before her death, but now that she's gone, the hoarding's taking over the house. On top of all that, a kid named Tyson continues to torment Collin, even after his companion in bullying moves. My heart broke for Collin as he struggles to keep his head above water, so to speak, being on the swim team help...

These two beautiful novels-in-verse have a lot in common.  Both have black male protagonists who love music and play the guitar.  Both boys have fathers who have health problems.  Both books are written by BIPOC female authors who are known for their poetic abilities.  The books have their differences as well, Garvey faces isolation during the pandemic while ZJ has his family and his 'boys' to help and support him. BEFORE THE EVER AFTER by Jacqueline Woodson Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020 ISBN: 978099545436 Source: school library Middle grade realistic/contemporary fiction/novel-in-verse Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Jacqueline Woodson's novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies. For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he's as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with ...

UNSETTLED by Reem Faruqi, narrated by Ariana Delawari HarperCollins, 2021 ISBN:  9781665077606 (AUDIOBOOK) Source: school library -- Sora Ages 9-12 Middle grade contemporary fiction (novel-in-verse) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK For fans of Other Words for Home and Front Desk, this powerful, charming own voices immigration story follows a girl who moves from Karachi, Pakistan to Peachtree City, Georgia, and must find her footing in a new world. Reem Faruqi is the ALA Notable author of award-winning Lailah's Lunchbox. A lyrical coming of age story exploring family, immigration, and most of all belonging. Nurah is a compelling main character who I was rooting for all the way through. --Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound When her family moves from Pakistan to Peachtree City, all Nurah wants is to blend in, yet she stands out for all the wrong reasons. Nurah...

STARFISH by Lisa Fipps Nancy Paulsen Books: Penguin Young Readers, 2021 ISBN: 978-1-9848-1450-0 Source: purchased Ages 10 and up All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover and summary provided by goodreads.com and publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this debut novel-in-verse. Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new ...