The middle grade novel Everything Sad Is Untrue is a book I have been championing. (And I’m not the only one—it just won the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature!) I read it by listening to it on libro.fm. It’s narrated by the author, who does an excellent job. Everything Sad is about a kid from Iran who is growing up in Oklahoma. Daniel, actually Khosrou, but everyone calls him Daniel, is overweight and self-conscious about his family, appearance, and culture. He shares all kinds of Middle Eastern folklore as well as his own family’s history, which his classmates dismiss as made-up. Daniel’s family is complicated—his dad still lives in Iran, and his mom has married a man named Ray, who has been abusive in the past. One of the funniest passages I’ve ever read is in this book. Daniel and his dad are on the phone and his dad is trying to explain why a particular Iranian pun is funny. Much of this novel is in fact autobiographical. You get the feeling that the author poured his whole heart into this book and it shows. We recommend reading and discussing juvenile literature periodically in book groups for several reasons. One of the best is that if you have a young person in your life, a grandchild, niece or nephew, neighbor, whatever—sharing a book with that kid is a great connection.

The Firekeeper’s Daughter
Angeline Boulley

Right now, I’m listening to this young adult coming of age/mystery about a young Anishinaabe woman who goes undercover to help investigate some local deaths, tied to drug activity. My daughter Megan and my mom Sally have also been reading (actually Megan is done and recently said to me HURRY UP MOM SO WE CAN TALK) which has been fun. All three of us agree that the story is slow in the beginning, and then holy smokes does it get interesting. The book is set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but feels very familiar, as though it could be Minnesota (and Minnesota is periodically mentioned in the book.) I’m learning a fair bit about Anishinaabe culture while intrigued by the investigation happening in the story.

Linked
Gordon Korman

I’m listening to and LOVING this middle grade book on libro.fm.

Ten Ways to Hear Snow
Cathy Camper, Illustrated by Kenard Pak

When Stars Are Scattered
Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

This is an excellent graphic novel, and it’s very clear why it was a finalist in the 2020 National Book Awards for Young People's Literature.

This is a memoir that provides a first-person perspective on the world's refugee crisis. The narrator, Omar, and his younger brother Hassan are 4 and 2 when they first arrive at the Dadaab refugee camp. (The camp currently houses over 200,000 refugees but is scheduled to close in June.) They fled Somalia with neighbors after their father was killed by gunmen as he worked in his fields and their mother and sisters were not to be found after the brothers had rushed home.

Hassan is non-verbal and suffers seizures. When he would wander off, gangs of other boys would take his clothes. He needed Omar’s constant attention.

Eventually, arrangements are made for Hassan to be watched over so that Omar can attend school.

This book is exceptionally well done, and it provides us with a good reminder for the Holiday season that there are good people in the world who have far less than we do.

The Tiger Rising
Kate De Camillo

The movie The Tiger Rising, based on the book by beloved author Kate De Camillo, will be released January 21.

Here's a link to the trailer.