He's a 7th grade student who enjoys sharing books, comics, movies, and gaming with his nerdy friends. He fluidly moves between two countries, navigating crowded middle school hallways and the bustling pulga. He is equally comfortable communicating in Spanish, English, Spanglish, and colloquial Texan. ​English teacher Mrs. Wong expands his multicultural view of the world, incorporating Aztec, Mayan, Chinese and Korean mythology into the curriculum. ​

This first person memoir takes shape through multiple poetic forms such as haiku, rhyming couplets, and free verse.  "Mis Otros Abuelos" is a concrete poem which narrows as the family crosses the bridge connecting the two countries and expands as the family travels further into the interior of each country. 

Draper has fashioned a compelling portrait of a biracial girl living with conflict.  In addition to the tension between her parents, Isabella faces racial hostilities: her best friend Imani discovers a noose in her locker. Who would do something like that? And why? On a shopping trip Imani and Izzy discover an exclusive dress shop. They are tailed by security and eventually asked to leave the store.  Is it because of the color of their skins? Their young age? When her soon-to-be brother is accused of theft, things take a frightening turn. These encounters leave her shaken.

Blended combines questions of identity, racism, friendship, and family.  Like a Sonatina and an old-time swing tune, Draper's novel for young readers hits all the right notes. Melody and harmony blend in one dazzling performance.

Izzy/Isabella prepares for the Pianopalooza by learning music composed in the eighteenth century. She also discovers a treasure trove of old boogie-woogie and blues numbers. Want to hear these two very different musical numbers? 

We have a saying in Farsi. It translates ‘your place was empty.’ We say it when we miss somebody.

Michael Levi Harris' delivers a nuanced performance. He expertly moves the narrative through the voice of vulnerable young Darius with palpable anxiety and fragility. Supporting characters receive stellar treatment with unique character accents in English, broken English, and Farsi. Harris nails the personality of each: Laleh's exhausted whining, Trent Bolger's taunts, and grandfather Babou's proud yet often blustering confusion. However, it's the emotional interactions of Darius between friend Sohrab, grandmother Mamou, and father Stephen Kellner that bring the story into sharp focus.
Harris' narration invites listeners into the world of Darius the Great is Not Okay. It's an experience as rich and satisfying as an elaborate Persian meal. The memories will linger long after the final literary morsel is consumed.

I experienced both the print and audio versions of Darius the Great is Not Okay. I enjoyed each for different reasons. Reading names of Iranian attractions is helpful in locating and picturing specific places: Dowlatabad, Atashkadeh, Jameh Mosque. (They are stunning sites. Take a look.) Thanks Dial Books and Adib Khorram for an outstanding young adult novel! Hearing Farsi phrases is a bonus. I appreciate the decision to have all Persian-speaking characters place a vowel sound between initial consonants. Thanks Michael and Listening Library!

• How many times has Khorram watched Star Trek? Does he keep some kind of record of his favorite episodes?
• Precisely how particular is Khorramabout about his tea?
• Where did he come up with all of the detailed descriptions of the food? Did he grow up with Persian food? How much eating was involved in the development of the book?
• Is the version of Rook that I learned to play as a child similar to the game played in Iran?

Release date: August 28, 2018, 2018 Publisher: Listening Library

​Audiobook accessed via Overdrive

Bluhm illustrates with three distinctive styles: the onmiscent narrator in black ink drawings, often with blue shading; the young sister with her early childish scribbles and primitive drawings; and the brother's detailed pencil sketches. The boy's illustrations document his development as an artist. Expressive artwork becomes progressively more intricate as the years go by.

Not surprisingly, it is when the two grow older and one moves away that they come to fully recognize their shared affection for one another.
Readers with memories of family relationships will be drawn to this heartwarming story. Give a copy to the siblings in your life. Young and old, they will relate.

Exactly where is the mouth of the Mississippi? The task proves to be more elusive than he initially thought it would be.

Through a contact from his hometown newspaper he meets the Henri Moreau family, who offer to assist him in his search. Vic is attracted to Philomena (Phil) Moreau, Henri's strikingly beautiful, no-nonsense daughter whose life revolves around the family business guiding deep-sea fishing expeditions. The two develop a friendship which at times skirts close to the edges of romance. 

He encounters his share of obstacles during his quest. In addition to determining the location where the ashes should be scattered, Vic is involved in a boating accident and sustains a serious head injury. Phil's former boyfriend attacks the boat with Phil and Vic onboard. A more serious threat is the gathering storm, Hurricane Betsy, headed toward New Orleans.

Vic's original plan for depositing Mr. Spiro's ashes must be abandoned.  While things do not work out as he had envisioned, he leaves New Orleans confident that he has fulfilled the spirit of Mr. Spiro's final request.  

Breaking away. Finding meaning and purpose in life. Coping with uncertainty. Growing up is both a journey and a struggle. It seems appropriate that this personal coming-of-age saga is set during a turbulent historical event. Vawter captures the essence of rite-of-passage in this new chapter in Vic's life.

Personal Note: Scenes of the Moreau family preparing for Hurricane Betsy brought back memories of hurricanes that I have experienced. Recently, there were tense moments as we boarded up windows, secured exterior property, prepared the house for flooding, and then evacuated in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. In fact, I kept talking to the text through this entire sequence, urging the characters to move more quickly with their evacuation plans. The uncertainty and ominous feeling of preparing for the anticipated destruction are captured in tiny details: constantly checking for updates on the approaching storm, clearing all debris around the home which could possibly become projectiles, planning evacuation routes.

The value of this book will be enhanced with further exploration in the classroom. There are many themes here which would make excellent discussion points: 

• Freedom and what it means to be free. Consider the larger context of freedom in a world view and compare that with the granular from the standpoint of classroom rules.
• Familiar vs. the unknown
• Time: the passage of time and our perceptions of time. Consider the words “always” and “moment”
• Friendship: what it means to be a friend and the long-term effects of friendship
• Harbor: what is a harbor (this may be a new concept for students living in land-locked areas) and what does harbor mean in the larger sense.
• Poetry as a means of expression
• Tragedy: the place that tragic events have in our lives

References to Harmonic Convergence, Ailanthus tree, Francisco Alarcón and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn may be unfamiliar to young readers. They provide opportunities for further exploration and discussion.
I was also intrigued by the choice to forgo quotation marks and use italics to denote dialog. This stylistic decision is well-suited to the narrative.
As a former classroom teacher, I can easily see this as a class study, with a copy of Harbor Me for each student.  Reading and discussing together, the shared experience would help students create their own ​ARTT.

Introduce young readers to these classics mentioned in Harbor Me.

​Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Brynn has precious little to live for. To hope for. One of her lifelines is Mr. Grimm, her Applied Language Arts teacher. He assigns students to write a letter to a celebrity. Brynn opts to correspond with Rachel Maddow because she “pisses off my mom.” Much of the book consists of draft emails she composes and addresses to Maddow. Only once does she actually press the send button.

She grudgingly develops tenuous friendships with her new classmates and eventually, with their encouragement, takes on an inequity she uncovers in school government. She learns firsthand the nastiness of politics when she challenges a clique of Honors students, demanding equal representation for all members of the student body. Led by power-hungry Adam, the Honors group exerts considerable influence and resorts to a vicious smear campaign to sway popular opinion. Brynn is crushed.

There are a few glimmers of hope for Brynn. When she can no longer live at home, friends offer her a place to stay and a part time job. ​She gains the courage to walk away from toxic relationships and begins to believe in herself and in a possible future. She meets someone special who returns her affection.

I fell in love with Brynn from the very first page. Her brittle exterior and biting snark shield her bruised and battered inner self. She is smart, resourceful, and perceptive. She is a fighter. Even when the odds are impossibly stacked against her, she soldiers on. I ached for her, I cheered for her, I so wanted her to succeed.
​Thanks Adrienne Kisner for introducing me to Brynn Harper. Signed, Your fan always.

Spanish phrases, art history, and Mexican culture are seamlessly woven into the adventure. The narrative often provides context clues, rather than direct English translations for these phrases.

Danger, hidden identities, and a secret system for passing information heighten the suspense. Angela Cervantes includes enough red herrings and plot twists to keep readers guessing. ​It’s easy be intrigued with this young sleuth’s escapades. Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring is a delicious blend of adventure and mystery. Let's hope that this sassy, savvy young Lantina detective will return with more puzzles to solve and secrets to uncover.

Explore La Casa Azul (The Blue House) with a virtual tour The Faces of Frida ​online collection available via Google Arts & Culture allows visitors to experience a unique perspective into the life and work of Frida Kahlo. It is possible to view a sweeping panorama or to zoom in and examine small details of three spaces from her home in Coyoacán​.

Hope Larson conjures up more stories featuring phenomenal adventures for young girls.

Anyone who has experienced the unique challenge of using the camp "facilities" will appreciate Vera's first encounter with the outhouse, known to these campers as "Hollywood." A midnight trek to the primitive, odiferous, and generally repugnant latrine is a never-to-be forgotten encounter.

​Vera Brosgol distills her memories as a novice camper in this engaging, visually arresting, emotionally riveting graphic novel for middle grade readers.

Come summer, tuck this book, along with a package of Skittles into the backpack of every young camper you know. Camp will be ever-so-much better when kids know how to Be Prepared.

Gather round the campfire with these graphic novels.