Hello! This is my last post for this semester. Some books are ones from previous posts while others are ones I read more recently. The summaries are the same as the ones I posted in previous blogs. So, in no particular order here are my favorite books from this semester!
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Summary: Have you ever wondered what Little House on the Prairie would be like if it followed a Chinese family? Park did and she wrote her own version of the book to depict what it would be like for a young girl that is half Chinese and half White to move to the Midwest and endure the harsh realities of being the only Chinese person in the area. Hanna dreams of owning a dress shop where she runs everything and can be independent. She also wants to fulfill her mother's wish of Hanna graduating from school. There are laws that could stop her from pursuing her education and there are also many people who discriminate against Hanna because of her Chinese background. Can she make friends and find a way for her and her pa to get customers at the store of their dreams? Can she help her father overcome his own fears of what people will think if Hanna works in the shop as a seamstress?
An Anne Chapter Book Series by Kallie George
Summary: This adapted series is for young readers who still want visuals to go along with their reading. George takes you along as she adapts the most beloved parts of this classic series with pictures on each page to go along with her writing. This series has not been finished yet but you can see how Anne has come to Green Gables and is adapting to life in the first book. Then with the second one you can see if she finds her best friend and then finally you can see how Anne does with her first experience at going to school. Anne's personality shines in this series and readers will fall in love with Abigail Halpin's pictures. This series does a great job of capturing the spirit and spunk of Anne and shows young readers what it would be like to be in Anne's shoes as she goes from orphan to the beloved girl of Green Gables.
Donut Feed the Squirrels by Mika Song
Summary: Whatever shall Norma and Belly do?! There pancakes are burnt and now they have no breakfast. But what is that delightful smell? Donuts! Norma and Belly go on an adventure to get donuts for all their squirrel friends from the donut truck that is near their home. Will they be able to get breakfast or will they have to scavenge for nuts?
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Summary: Raina is back with yet another tale about her adolescent years. Raina cannot shake the stomach ache she has been having all year long. She knows it is about time to hit puberty but she knows her stomach issues are way worse than this. Every time she hears the word vomit or thinks about puke she gets sick. Is she okay? Why does she feel so alone and like no one believes her. She keeps going to the doctor and being told she is fine. Then one day her parents decide to take her to therapy. Does this help her overcome her fears and live her school years to the fullest? Read this triple award winning book to find out!
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Summary: Jarrett Krosoczka writes his own story in this graphic novel. He goes through his childhood to show us how a kid with all the odds against him can overcome and make his dreams come true. Jarrett does not have a normal life. He grew up with his grandparents because his mother was a drug addict. However, Jarrett has two grandparents who send him to art classes and even if they do not understand his passion for it let him follow his dreams. This graphic novel is tragically sad but also uplifting.
All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
Summary: Imogene has grown up being homeschooled and helping her parents work at the Florida Renaissance Faire. This year is different. She is going to middle school. She has never had to make friends, please teachers, or go through the horrors of finding somewhere to sit at lunch. On top of trying to navigate being a teenager at a new school she is also a squire and aspiring knight to be. Can she get through a year of middle school and live up to her family's honor at the faire?
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Summary: Spensa wants nothing more to prove she is worthy of being a pilot. She must fight the odds of being the coward's daughter and not only pass the pilot test but show that she can survive on her own throughout the month's of training she will get under her father's former wingmate. Can Spensa claim the stars or will she end up hunting rats and living in a cave forever?
The Giver (graphic novel) by Lois Lowry
Summary: This classic adaptation takes Lowry's already beloved book to a whole other level. Jonas lives in what appears to be a utopian society. He gets the greatest assignment, becoming the Receiver of Memory. As his training teaches him the power of emotions and feeling he starts to question everything. This utopian society turns into a dystopian one where people work and live in assigned areas. Will Jonas escape the community or will he forever be stuck in the community with no one to turn to?
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Summary: Bell's memoir brings her childhood nickname for herself to life. She gets sick and becomes deaf at a young age. Throughout this graphic novel we see Cece's struggles through elementary school to find true friendship and just feel welcome in a sea of people who can hear each other. However, it also shows all the fun she has with the help of her imagination and hearing aids. Can Cece see what a gift she has or does she continue to see her hearing loss as a disability?
Summary: Deja and Josiah are only friends during pumpkin season. They have worked together all throughout high school and now they are seniors. Their last shift of the season has come and Deja wants to help Josiah talk to the girl he has been crushing on since freshman year. Will they have a fun adventure or will their last shift turn into a bad memory they can never forget? This graphic novel comes off as a Halloween romcom (not sure if those exist).
Goals
On another note I wanted to say a goal of mine this semester was to read as many graphic novels as possible. I read more than I ever expected, and I want to continue this goal into the summer and beyond. I kept an open mind when I would find something that is not normally my cup of tea. My volume reading helped me remember my love for historical fiction and how much I love reading books at random. Sometimes when you are in school you forget the joy of reading for fun and I found that love again in all the books I read this semester.
I also would love to start reading more science fiction or fantasy. They are two of my favorite genres, and I have not had a ton of time to try and read them over the past few years. I think a big goal of mine is to read more Brandon Sanderson. If anyone has read anything besides Skyward by Sanderson please let me know if you enjoyed it! Thanks for following me on my wild reading journey and best of luck to all the old and new wild readers. 🙂
