nadjatiktinsky's reviews
87 reviews

Brother's Keeper by Julie Lee

It's 1950 in North Korea, and the communist regime is at war with American-backed South Korea. Twelve-year-old Sora and her family use the chaos caused by the war as an opportunity to flee to South Korea - and freedom. But when Sora and her little brother, Young, become separated from the rest of the family, they must attempt to travel the hundreds of miles by themselves, on foot, and in the middle of a brutal winter. This is further complicated by the fact that although Sora loves Young, she's resentful of the fact that her parents only value their sons, and made her take care of them instead of going to school. A beautifully written book that makes history feel contemporary by looking at it through a feminist lens.

Every Missing Piece by Melanie Conklin

After Maddie's father died in an accident, she started to see danger at every turn and called the police so many times that the chief of police will no longer take her seriously. So when she begins to suspect that the new kid in her neighborhood is that same boy who was kidnapped from a nearby town a few months ago, she knows that she'll need proof before she asks for help. I would categorize this as an "emotional mystery" - all the traditional beats of a mystery novel are mirrored by Maddie's struggle to understand her complicated feelings about the death of her father and her attempts to figure out how to bond with her new stepfather.

Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

This book! WOW! By far the best debut I've read in a long time. Historical fiction set on Martha's Vineyard in the early 1800's, where protagonist Mary is a member of the large Deaf community on the island. Deafness has always seemed normal to the islanders, who are all fluent in sign language, and Mary is unaware of the abusive treatment and low social status suffered by the Deaf on the American mainland. As tensions over land disputes between the English settlers and the Wampanoag native to the island become increasingly fraught, a scientist arrives and begins to investigate the cause of the islanders' deafness. Suddenly, Mary's world is ripped from underneath her feet, and she is rudely awakened to the devastation caused by prejudice. I can't stress enough how well-written this book is. It was particularly interesting how the characters' signing influenced the otherwise traditionally colonial tone of the book.

Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

In the current wave of middle-grade books about childhood sexual assault, this book stands out in a big way. It doesn't just hint at the subject, but rather makes it the focus of the book, crafting its plotlines around acceptance, recovery, and defensive action. For those who may doubt that this is appropriate for a child reader, please remember that Bradley's bestselling Newbery Honor book, The War That Saved My Life, is intensely joyful despite its topics of childhood domestic violence and PTSD. Bradley is a master of taking care of her reader while introducing them to difficult subject matter and infusing a deep sense of hope within her books. Fighting Words is an empowering call to action and should be read by every child, girl or boy.

Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros

Efren already has enough on his plate, with two crazy younger siblings and a class president election in which he's torn between supporting his goofy best friend or a smart girl who might actually be right for the job. Then his world is upended when his mother is suddenly deported from their town in Southern California. Since his father is also undocumented, Efren must cross the border alone to bring his Ama the money she needs to pay coyotes to sneak her back into the States. This is a book of big choices: who to trust, what to risk, and whether to stand up for what's right.

Caravan to the North: Misael's Long Walk by Manuel Monroy, Elizabeth Bell, Jorge Argueta

An almost unbelievably sparse novel-in-verse. Misael and his family join a caravan of refugees traveling by foot, bus, train - anything - from El Salvador to the United States. The book has very few details about the journey itself, and instead focuses its plot on how the hopes and fears of the refugees evolve as they travel. An unusual book with a beautifully haunting ending.

The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Man, this one is a real heart-wringer. Fifth-grader Rowan (or maybe...Paul? Or Kevin?) is trying to navigate school after his popular-girl friend group ditches him. To make things even tougher, he's just starting to realize that he's a boy, even though everyone else sees him as a girl. This book is made up of the letters Rowan writes each week, ties to balloons, and releases in hope that they'll be read by someone more understanding than the people he's surrounded with. I love this book for Rowan's beautiful voice, the authentic 90's-childhood feel, the sadness that is intense yet so hopeful, the nice teacher we meet just when it matters most, the racial injustice awakening in a ten-year-old...all of it!! This is a great book to hand to the trans or questioning kid in your life, but any child will see themselves reflected in Rowan's friendship struggles and fears about not being ready to grow up.

24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling

The meanest kid in Nowhere, Arizona steals Gus's friend's motorbike and won't give it back unless Gus brings him a piece of gold from Dead Frenchman's Mine. After all, it's common knowledge that there's treasure hidden there. The only problem? Every person who has gone into the mine to search for it has died trying. Armed with nothing but a couple of bologna sandwiches, Gus and his motley crew of friends must survive a cave-in, a gunshot wound, and an underground lake full of creepy skeletons and somehow even creepier shrimp on their quest to find gold. I loved this survival-story-meets-mystery so much that I immediately devoured all of Bowling's other books. This one is the best of the bunch! Great for fans of Louis Sachar and Leslie Connor.

Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake, Jon Klassen

Badger is extremely content living alone in his Aunt Lula's brownstone, filling his days with Important Rock Work. Then Aunt Lula sends Skunk to come stay as his roommate. Well. Not everyone wants a skunk. Some might even call them nuisance animals. And they certainly get in the way of Important Rock Work. A tongue-in-cheek squabble story in the tradition of Mean Margaret, The Wind in the Willows, and The Curious Lobster. This would make a great read-aloud for kids of different ages!

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

Genesis really, truly, hates herself. So much that she keeps a list of all ninety-six reasons why. A few lowlights: she doesn't have any friends, her family keeps getting evicted, and she thinks she's too black to be beautiful. This story starts way down in the dumps and then somehow heaves itself up to become a beacon of hope. Genesis is one of those characters you wish you could pull out of the book and hug.