libscote's Reviews (6.4k)

I didn't go into this play knowing a lot about it and it kind of shocked me! I guess I'm not used to plays that are that explicit. It was definitely an out-of-comfort-zone read for me.

This book made me cry so many times. What we did to AIDS patients in the 1970s and 80s was unconscionable. Iris's journey to activism is believable and makes sense. I have a hard time thinking of the 1980s as historical fiction, as this all feels so current to me now still, but this book is worth reading.

Selah has so many rules about how to be normal. She's trying so hard to hold it all in. One day, she snaps and lashes out, and everything changes. I thought this story did a good job of illustrating how "easy" it is for women-identified autistic people to pass as "normal" and how hard it can be for them to get diagnosed. I also think it illustrates some issues with schools and accommodations. I wanted to make some comments about charter versus public, but I'm not sure it's that simple. 

I don't think that this book is bad, but it didn't work as well as the original text for me. I went in with very high expectations, though.

Vivian Lantz has a history of horrible first days of school, but this year is going to be different. She's going to have the perfect style and get her crush to notice her. It all goes wrong that first day, but then she miraculously gets a do-over. And another. And another. Before she knows it, she's in a loop!  She can get the perfect first day, but can she also get out again?

I love the way Vivian reacts to the different situations. They aren't all perfect, but they feel real and very middle-school appropriate. My favorite reactions were the ones where she forgot that she learned information in a different loop and so the person wouldn't know what she was talking about. A cute read.

Santat's memoir about his trip to Europe in middle school is hilarious and also a bit eye-opening, as I cannot imagine some of the kids being allowed to do what they did today. It's totally relatable to anyone who has been through middle school and a good read for all.

This is the Navajo version of why eclipses happen.

What an interesting way to look at mental health and going through the process of healing.

Houston wants to be an astronaut. So does his younger brother, Robbie. There's just one difference between the two of them: Robbie has cerebral palsy. Houston has promised to go to space WITH his brother, and when he's accepted into the Junior Astronaut Recruitment Program, there's a little bit of tension between the two. Houston gets to experience life with a crew, and meet his mysterious grandfather. Can Houston find a way to get his brother into space? Why does his mother and grandfather not speak? 

I think one of my favorite parts of the book is how the crew resolves conflict between them. They end up having a group conversation, and it really showed how fabulous something like that can be. 

This book WRECKED ME in the best way possible. I spent a lot of time wondering how I would react if I knew the world was ending in four days. Would I also want to make a time capsule? How would I react? Kemi's reactions are honest and so clear. Just love.