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bickie's review against another edition
Minnows and Zombies (Rita Williams-Garcia) - A young (8 or so?) child (not named or gendered), in swimming camp as a Minnow, thinks about “Zombies,” who appear to be unhoused people addicted to drugs, giving them a zombie-like appearance. The child’s best friend’s older brother is a zombie. The camp counselor shows kindness to one of the zombies in the 7-11 store by giving them a bottle of water. Besides this, there is no real discussion about why the “zombies” should be viewed as human rather than zombies. This one did not work for me. Realistic Fiction, 1st person narration from child’s POV.
One Wish (Ronald L. Smith) - In the early 20th century US South (I think), Sacky lives with his Auntie Florence and daydreams under the pecan tree while waiting for Auguster, a friend who never shows up when he says he will. An old man known as Cuz comes by looking for food, and Sacky decides to let him in. As their visit unfolds, Sacky wonders whether he did the right thing at various junctures, and in the end wonders whether it was all the work of the devil or if he made the right ultimate choice. Loved this one. Paranormal, 3rd person narration from Sacky’s POV.
The Assist (Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin) - Illustrated with Eddie’s notebook pages which give more background about the main characters, The Assist takes place over a few days around a make-or-break soccer game. 8th grader Eddie (“half Korean American and half Irish”) and and his best friends Daniel (“half Jamaican and half African American”), James (“parents from Iran”), and Ben (“immigrated from Italy when he was a little kid” with his family) make up what Coach calls “‘the UN’ because they were so mixed ethnically.” During Friday afternoon’s practice, which ends with “fartleks,” a type of interval running training, the group plans on a pasta party for Sunday night before the important game on Monday. Eddie, a co-captain, realizes that Noah, a 7th grader, is planning to turn in an essay he downloaded from the internet for his English assignment about All American Boys. Story ends with exciting game play. Realistic Fiction/sports, 3rd person narration from Eddie’s POV.
Home (Hena Khan) - Aleena and her parents, Mama and Baba, travel to Meknes, Morocco (leaving Aleena’s older brother Bilal home due to soccer commitments) to pick up a boy, Hakeem, they have been planning to adopt for a year, since Mama started funding his attendance at pre-school after visiting the orphanage. Still learning English (he speaks Arabic) and adjusting to life in a family instead of an orphanage, Hakeem causes a lot of disruption once he is in Virginia, causing Aleena to have some second thoughts. When he disrupts a special sand craft during her birthday party, Aleena reaches a crossroads. I am uncomfortable with this depiction of Aleena’s family as the “heroes” for adopting Hakeem; this is a trope that is harmful for many adoptees, especially cross-cultural adoptees. During a tour of the facility, Sister Khalid points out the crib where Hakeem slept until he was 2. Aleena, the narrator, says, “I imagine a tinier version of him lying her with no mother or father to love him, and my eyes fill up, too.” I don’t know the details about orphanages in Morocco; many of them throughout the world are problematic. I hope that the author consulted adopted people, especially from Morocco, for this story. Realistic Fiction, 1st person narration (Aleena).
Ellison’s CORNucopia (Lamar Giles) - Taking place in Logan County, where The Last Last Day of Summer takes place, this story focuses on the Ellison twins, Wiki and Leen as they work at their family book at the farmers’ market selling the standard corn(y) fare and, for special customers, their robot “rovers.” Their unique special skills help them solve the mystery of one of their fellow booth’s missing cash box. Mystery, 3rd person narration.
Rescue (Suma Subramaniam) - Sangeetha is soothed by her dog, Duke, while Appa (her father) rages against Amma (her mother). Once he threatens to hit Sangeetha, her mother decides it’s time to leave, but they can’t take the dog, so Sangeetha leaves it with a kind neighbor even though he says he cannot afford to keep a dog forever and will need to take him to the shelter after a while if they don’t come back. As they drive from Seattle to Houston, the food and money start to run out, and Sangeetha cannot stop thinking about Duke. She tries to convince her mom to turn around and go back for the dog but it is risky as well as expensive. Realistic Fiction, 1st person narration (Sangeetha).
The Save (Joseph Bruchac) - Third-string lacrosse goalie Onandaga Iroquois Oren gets a chance to play in the last few minutes of a game in which his team is leading, 14-2. As he watches the game, he reflects on the tour of the Rez he gave the other team, non-Native American city kids. When the play comes his way, he tries to make the save but “his feet crossed and his legs tangled together…Oren flipped in midair and landed flat on his belly.” When he realizes he made the save, he feels dishonest, because it felt like an accident. After the game, Oren goes to talk it over with his grandfather, who is also his lacrosse mentor. When a freak accident happens at the diner where they are eating, Oren reconsiders the save. Realistic fiction/sports, 3rd person narration from Oren’s perspective.
Los Abuelos, Two Bright Minds (Juana Medina) - As they share onces, Juani and her abuelos reflect on the abuelos’ early life. Abuela struggled with a heart condition that prevented her from going to college but not from learning mechanics and creating puzzles, clocks, sailboats, and medical equipment as “an extraordinary engineer.” When his family lost everything in Bogotá where they lived during riots following the murder of a “prominent presidential candidate,” Abuelo got a scholarship to study neuroscience and brain surgery in Chicago. “After living for many years in Chicago, New Orleans, and Boston, they returned to Colombia” where “Abuelo was one of the first brain surgeons in the country.” Story is interspersed with 2-3 illustrations per spread that remind me of New Yorker cartoons. Realistic fiction, 1st person narration (Juani).
Thrown (Mike Jung) - Autistic Steven “Stevie” Chang loves aikido class with his friends Martha and Arthur and teacher Anika Sensei. Stevie is so skilled that he begins attending the Teen and Adult class in addition to his regular class. But after the first class, he’s not sure he wants to continue. Everything is so different, and he doesn’t know anyone. The teacher, Brandon Sensei, is also autistic, which Stevie likes. Is it enough to help him go back to the class? Stevie’s parents are very supportive, as are his friends. If using for a class, it would be important to point out that although Stevie experiences autism similarly to Brandon Sensei, as he relates on a YouTube short, many people experience autism in very different ways. Realistic fiction/sports, 1st person narration (Stevie).
A Girl’s Best Friend (Cynthia Leitich Smith) - Sophie Bigheart, a Muscogee-Osage girl is obsessed with looking at dogs available for adoption on-line. She lives with her mother, a punk rock guitarist/singer in a small apartment above the detached garage of Miz Wilson in Austin. Sophie's mom works as a kind of maid/personal assistant for Miz Wilson, a recent widow, in exchange for reduced rent. The problem is that she says absolutely NO PETS. When Sophie turns 12, she starts volunteering at the nearby shelter, primarily walking dogs, which causes Miz Wilson to evict them, believing that they violated the no pets policy. Can Sophie use her puppy dog eyes (and those of Sweet Potato, a dachshund at the shelter) to get Miz Wilson to change her mind? Realistic fiction, 1st person POV (Sophie)
Everly’s Otherworldly Dilemma (Ellen Oh) - Everly and her best friend Max, hurry to a summer movie at the mall, but as they are getting popcorn, Everly spots what she is sure is a goblin skulking into a theater with a children's movie playing. Sure he's up to no good, she decides to go in after him. When she confronts the goblin, Everly gets more than she bargained for when the Rangers capture him and find out about her ability to see Otherworld creatures. How can she protect her friends and family in an upcoming battle?
In class, it would be interesting to discuss whether this is a complete story on its own; in some ways, it feels like the first chapter of a novel. It could be cool to have students write the next chapter or even summarize what would happen next. Fantasy, 3rd person limited (Everly POV)
Reina Madrid (R.J. Palacio) - Maria Eugenia Madrid, AKA Reina (easier for the neighborhood kids to pronounce), lives with her mom in 1970s Queens. They moved to NYC from "South America" for Reina's father to go to graduate school, but when he died 4 years ago, they moved into this apartment. 10-year-old Reina has learned many lessons in her short life, including how to interpret what adults really mean when they say things like, "Your mom needs you to be strong now," and how to interpret for her mother, who is stronger in Spanish than English. Befriended by Franny nearly immediately, Reina also comes to realize that although Franny has both a mother and a father as well as several siblings, she also has many challenges at home, making her inclusion in Reina and her mother's outings to the places like the beach and ice rink that much more special. When Franny's father uses a slur to describe Reina in front of all the neighborhood kids, Reina doesn't tell her mother about it for almost 2 months, but when she does, her reaction surprises her and she feels that much luckier. Historical fiction (technically), 3rd person limited narration (Reina)
Go Fish (William Alexander) - Colt (7), Elora (11), and Avery (13) live in a world where ghosts and their management are givens as is the constant presence of one's ancestors. One night, they meet each other through a network of catacombs linking their houses and the town cemetery, a throwback from the 1920s when Prohibition prohibited speaking to ghosts, so Specialists had to hide underground. The three meet at night to play cards, Colt's favorite game being Go Fish. Elora and Avery both prefer less conventional games, Sleepsuit and Psychic Lemur respectively. One night, the ghost inhabiting a bronze statue in the cemetery begins causing a ruckus, prompting the local Specialist, Mr. Armstrong, to try to placate it. Soon, two factions of neighbors form, those who wish Mr. Armstrong to get the ghost to move on so they can remove the statue, and those who think the statue should remain because History, despite the fact that the person depicted, General Beauregard Errington Grizzle, was a mean man who enjoyed beheading waterfowl like swans and had no known redeeming qualities. When it gets to be too much, the three take matters into their own hands. Paranormal, 3rd person (mostly from Colt's perspective)
Book includes Introduction by editor Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and blurbs about the authors and an overview of We Need Diverse Books at the end.
One Wish (Ronald L. Smith) - In the early 20th century US South (I think), Sacky lives with his Auntie Florence and daydreams under the pecan tree while waiting for Auguster, a friend who never shows up when he says he will. An old man known as Cuz comes by looking for food, and Sacky decides to let him in. As their visit unfolds, Sacky wonders whether he did the right thing at various junctures, and in the end wonders whether it was all the work of the devil or if he made the right ultimate choice. Loved this one. Paranormal, 3rd person narration from Sacky’s POV.
The Assist (Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin) - Illustrated with Eddie’s notebook pages which give more background about the main characters, The Assist takes place over a few days around a make-or-break soccer game. 8th grader Eddie (“half Korean American and half Irish”) and and his best friends Daniel (“half Jamaican and half African American”), James (“parents from Iran”), and Ben (“immigrated from Italy when he was a little kid” with his family) make up what Coach calls “‘the UN’ because they were so mixed ethnically.” During Friday afternoon’s practice, which ends with “fartleks,” a type of interval running training, the group plans on a pasta party for Sunday night before the important game on Monday. Eddie, a co-captain, realizes that Noah, a 7th grader, is planning to turn in an essay he downloaded from the internet for his English assignment about All American Boys. Story ends with exciting game play. Realistic Fiction/sports, 3rd person narration from Eddie’s POV.
Home (Hena Khan) - Aleena and her parents, Mama and Baba, travel to Meknes, Morocco (leaving Aleena’s older brother Bilal home due to soccer commitments) to pick up a boy, Hakeem, they have been planning to adopt for a year, since Mama started funding his attendance at pre-school after visiting the orphanage. Still learning English (he speaks Arabic) and adjusting to life in a family instead of an orphanage, Hakeem causes a lot of disruption once he is in Virginia, causing Aleena to have some second thoughts. When he disrupts a special sand craft during her birthday party, Aleena reaches a crossroads. I am uncomfortable with this depiction of Aleena’s family as the “heroes” for adopting Hakeem; this is a trope that is harmful for many adoptees, especially cross-cultural adoptees. During a tour of the facility, Sister Khalid points out the crib where Hakeem slept until he was 2. Aleena, the narrator, says, “I imagine a tinier version of him lying her with no mother or father to love him, and my eyes fill up, too.” I don’t know the details about orphanages in Morocco; many of them throughout the world are problematic. I hope that the author consulted adopted people, especially from Morocco, for this story. Realistic Fiction, 1st person narration (Aleena).
Ellison’s CORNucopia (Lamar Giles) - Taking place in Logan County, where The Last Last Day of Summer takes place, this story focuses on the Ellison twins, Wiki and Leen as they work at their family book at the farmers’ market selling the standard corn(y) fare and, for special customers, their robot “rovers.” Their unique special skills help them solve the mystery of one of their fellow booth’s missing cash box. Mystery, 3rd person narration.
Rescue (Suma Subramaniam) - Sangeetha is soothed by her dog, Duke, while Appa (her father) rages against Amma (her mother). Once he threatens to hit Sangeetha, her mother decides it’s time to leave, but they can’t take the dog, so Sangeetha leaves it with a kind neighbor even though he says he cannot afford to keep a dog forever and will need to take him to the shelter after a while if they don’t come back. As they drive from Seattle to Houston, the food and money start to run out, and Sangeetha cannot stop thinking about Duke. She tries to convince her mom to turn around and go back for the dog but it is risky as well as expensive. Realistic Fiction, 1st person narration (Sangeetha).
The Save (Joseph Bruchac) - Third-string lacrosse goalie Onandaga Iroquois Oren gets a chance to play in the last few minutes of a game in which his team is leading, 14-2. As he watches the game, he reflects on the tour of the Rez he gave the other team, non-Native American city kids. When the play comes his way, he tries to make the save but “his feet crossed and his legs tangled together…Oren flipped in midair and landed flat on his belly.” When he realizes he made the save, he feels dishonest, because it felt like an accident. After the game, Oren goes to talk it over with his grandfather, who is also his lacrosse mentor. When a freak accident happens at the diner where they are eating, Oren reconsiders the save. Realistic fiction/sports, 3rd person narration from Oren’s perspective.
Los Abuelos, Two Bright Minds (Juana Medina) - As they share onces, Juani and her abuelos reflect on the abuelos’ early life. Abuela struggled with a heart condition that prevented her from going to college but not from learning mechanics and creating puzzles, clocks, sailboats, and medical equipment as “an extraordinary engineer.” When his family lost everything in Bogotá where they lived during riots following the murder of a “prominent presidential candidate,” Abuelo got a scholarship to study neuroscience and brain surgery in Chicago. “After living for many years in Chicago, New Orleans, and Boston, they returned to Colombia” where “Abuelo was one of the first brain surgeons in the country.” Story is interspersed with 2-3 illustrations per spread that remind me of New Yorker cartoons. Realistic fiction, 1st person narration (Juani).
Thrown (Mike Jung) - Autistic Steven “Stevie” Chang loves aikido class with his friends Martha and Arthur and teacher Anika Sensei. Stevie is so skilled that he begins attending the Teen and Adult class in addition to his regular class. But after the first class, he’s not sure he wants to continue. Everything is so different, and he doesn’t know anyone. The teacher, Brandon Sensei, is also autistic, which Stevie likes. Is it enough to help him go back to the class? Stevie’s parents are very supportive, as are his friends. If using for a class, it would be important to point out that although Stevie experiences autism similarly to Brandon Sensei, as he relates on a YouTube short, many people experience autism in very different ways. Realistic fiction/sports, 1st person narration (Stevie).
A Girl’s Best Friend (Cynthia Leitich Smith) - Sophie Bigheart, a Muscogee-Osage girl is obsessed with looking at dogs available for adoption on-line. She lives with her mother, a punk rock guitarist/singer in a small apartment above the detached garage of Miz Wilson in Austin. Sophie's mom works as a kind of maid/personal assistant for Miz Wilson, a recent widow, in exchange for reduced rent. The problem is that she says absolutely NO PETS. When Sophie turns 12, she starts volunteering at the nearby shelter, primarily walking dogs, which causes Miz Wilson to evict them, believing that they violated the no pets policy. Can Sophie use her puppy dog eyes (and those of Sweet Potato, a dachshund at the shelter) to get Miz Wilson to change her mind? Realistic fiction, 1st person POV (Sophie)
Everly’s Otherworldly Dilemma (Ellen Oh) - Everly and her best friend Max, hurry to a summer movie at the mall, but as they are getting popcorn, Everly spots what she is sure is a goblin skulking into a theater with a children's movie playing. Sure he's up to no good, she decides to go in after him. When she confronts the goblin, Everly gets more than she bargained for when the Rangers capture him and find out about her ability to see Otherworld creatures. How can she protect her friends and family in an upcoming battle?
In class, it would be interesting to discuss whether this is a complete story on its own; in some ways, it feels like the first chapter of a novel. It could be cool to have students write the next chapter or even summarize what would happen next. Fantasy, 3rd person limited (Everly POV)
Reina Madrid (R.J. Palacio) - Maria Eugenia Madrid, AKA Reina (easier for the neighborhood kids to pronounce), lives with her mom in 1970s Queens. They moved to NYC from "South America" for Reina's father to go to graduate school, but when he died 4 years ago, they moved into this apartment. 10-year-old Reina has learned many lessons in her short life, including how to interpret what adults really mean when they say things like, "Your mom needs you to be strong now," and how to interpret for her mother, who is stronger in Spanish than English. Befriended by Franny nearly immediately, Reina also comes to realize that although Franny has both a mother and a father as well as several siblings, she also has many challenges at home, making her inclusion in Reina and her mother's outings to the places like the beach and ice rink that much more special. When Franny's father uses a slur to describe Reina in front of all the neighborhood kids, Reina doesn't tell her mother about it for almost 2 months, but when she does, her reaction surprises her and she feels that much luckier. Historical fiction (technically), 3rd person limited narration (Reina)
Go Fish (William Alexander) - Colt (7), Elora (11), and Avery (13) live in a world where ghosts and their management are givens as is the constant presence of one's ancestors. One night, they meet each other through a network of catacombs linking their houses and the town cemetery, a throwback from the 1920s when Prohibition prohibited speaking to ghosts, so Specialists had to hide underground. The three meet at night to play cards, Colt's favorite game being Go Fish. Elora and Avery both prefer less conventional games, Sleepsuit and Psychic Lemur respectively. One night, the ghost inhabiting a bronze statue in the cemetery begins causing a ruckus, prompting the local Specialist, Mr. Armstrong, to try to placate it. Soon, two factions of neighbors form, those who wish Mr. Armstrong to get the ghost to move on so they can remove the statue, and those who think the statue should remain because History, despite the fact that the person depicted, General Beauregard Errington Grizzle, was a mean man who enjoyed beheading waterfowl like swans and had no known redeeming qualities. When it gets to be too much, the three take matters into their own hands. Paranormal, 3rd person (mostly from Colt's perspective)
Book includes Introduction by editor Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and blurbs about the authors and an overview of We Need Diverse Books at the end.
janelle_e's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
notesonbookmarks's review against another edition
3.0
Short story collections by multiple authors are always a bit weird for me. Some are great, some are passable, but you have to review it as a whole! I'd day this one was about halfway great.
jaimiestarshine's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
4.0
jenennap29's review against another edition
4.0
This anthology leans heavily away from realistic fiction short stories, but is filled to the brim with stories that allow for deep metaphors and discussions based on certain themes and ideals. I think this is an incredibly accessible teaching text for middle grades and could easily be used in a Hero's Journey unit.
willowgriffin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
mrz_owenz's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories aimed at middle school students. Most of the stories were interesting and entertaining with thoughtful lessons. My favorite has to be the one where a boy convinces his friend to not turn in an essay from the Internet because "Teachers know how to Google, too."
ness's review against another edition
3.0
I have a hard time understanding why WNDB would include an author who has made her name with incredibly ableist stories in this collection. Disability is part of diversity. Other than that, there are some beautiful stories in this collection; I especially enjoyed Lamar Giles’, Cynthia Leitich Smith’s, and William Alexander’s.
mrz_owenz's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories aimed at middle school students. Most of the stories were interesting and entertaining with thoughtful lessons. My favorite has to be the one where a boy convinces his friend to not turn in an essay from the Internet because "Teachers know how to Google, too."
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