There was a lot of potential here! I liked this book well enough. I enjoyed the unique story line and Muslim rep but the writing lacked depth and nuance. Characters were flat and caricatures rather than "real people". Despite the really interesting way of retelling Beauty & the Beast story, I read with my mind more than my heart because there was a lot of "telling" vs. "showing". I really wanted to love this but the writing wasn't very captivating for me. But still think it's a good story. Would def give this to younger readers. Great for teens in a classroom library.

Content Warnings

Tales from Cabin 23: the Boo Hag Flex by Justina Ireland

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a really fun read! As someone who was scarred by Goosebumps as a kid, I really enjoyed this first book in a new series. It's really perfect for upper elementary fans of Goosebump series but with more diverse representation.

Tasha's character is super relatable and likely. She's a book lover and avid reader, just lost her mom to COVID and is forced to live with her "deadbeat" dad and his mother. Yet she's thoughtful, caring, mature, and had a great head on her shoulders. She develops a great friendship with Ellie and her grandmother Mrs. Washington is a sweetheart. John sucked but I think it offers great representation for other kids with absentee or distant fathers. You can still be okay with the other people in your life who care for you. I wondered if it was falling into stereotypes a little bit but it's also reality for many kids. In terms of horror level, perfect balance of creepy but not extremely scary scary. And the "villain" wasn't super easy to guess which was nice! I was faked just a little bit but then I guessed correct a lil bit before big reveal. Overall, highly recommended! This is a great start to what I know will be an amazing new series.

Shiny Misfits: A Graphic Novel by Maysoon Zayid

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a really fun graphic novel read! Starring Bay Ann, a Arab, Muslim, Disabled (cerebral palsy) middle schooler who is aiming for fame through going viral. She's quirky and unapologetically herself. Her parents are divorced though they live next door to one another and she goes back and forth between them. Her friends are cute and funny as well. Bay Ann's obsession with going viral got a little annoying at some point and I wanted the character development I knew was coming to come earlier. But eventually she learns what truly matters. I thought the portrayal of a tense mother/daughter relationship was interesting and something I think middle school girls need rep for navigating. Overall, there's lots of great rep and lessons in this book for middle schoolers. Highly recommend.

Timid: A Graphic Novel by Jonathan Todd

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inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Great middle grade read! Shy 7th grader Cecil Hall moves to Boston from Florida is struggling to fit in. Everyone around him is telling him how he SHOULD be but it's not comfortable. Eventually he finds his own way to stand up for himself and makes real friends. Super sweet and loverable characters and story. Art was okay, didn't wow me. But it suits story about a cartoonist. And I think representation of timid, Black boys is an important one. Would recommend for all middle school classrooms.

Smart Ass by Reese Morrison

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funny lighthearted fast-paced