I really dug this! It's a very funny and, for me, relatable book about struggling with gender identity/expression/politics throughout one's tween and teen years. Narratively, I appreciated that Liz Prince doesn't identify as trans* or queer but still got a lot of bullying for her, uh, tomboy-ish style. And I like that it includes her whole arc of finding a new community and a way to express herself (through art in comics)--it's kind of an "it gets better" ending but not one that seems tacked on or implausible the way fictional stories of bullying can feel when things get wrapped up too neatly.

I'm planning to booktalk this to junior high kids--there is some ~adult language~ in here but it also deals so frankly with bullying and I know so many kids can relate to it that basically I think sharing it with kids would be worth the slight chance of parental backlash.

I picked this up because I'd heard a lot of great things about it. Ultimately, it's kind of the flavor of fantasy that generally doesn't appeal to me (rich people in made-up places, no magic) but I certainly understand the praise. It's beautifully written and an interesting society. At the core it's about the ~romance~ between Lady Kestrel, a general's daughter, and her slave, which is... I mean, it's supposed to be uncomfortable for the reader, and it is.

A good readalike probably for [b:The Runaway King|15703770|The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy, #2)|Jennifer A. Nielsen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351133357s/15703770.jpg|21365340] and other fantasy rich people books. Oh and like, [b:Daughter of Smoke & Bone|8490112|Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1)|Laini Taylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338613368s/8490112.jpg|13355552] for the fantasy ~star-crossed lovers~ angle.

oh my gosh, how delightful! This book is like a mashup of Westing Game + Willy Wonka + Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. So funny and clever. Great for tweens who like funny books, mysteries, and THE LIBRARY <3

Aww, I really loved this one. Totally fun and charming family drama with a hint of sci-fi that delves into some ethical quandaries in a really cool way. Reminds me a little of [b:Tuck Everlasting|84981|Tuck Everlasting|Natalie Babbitt|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311978194s/84981.jpg|1955922] but it's more contemporary and lighthearted than that? A great one for tweens who are interested in science.

Man, I wanted to like this so bad but it honestly just pales in comparison to the Magneto backstory seen in the X-Men First Class movie. (I know, this was originally published before XMFC but I didn't read it until now.) Or even to the like, 2 minutes of Magneto backstory in the first X-Men movie.

I did think the author's notes and classroom guide at the end were interesting, and it's obvious that Greg Pak cared a lot about presenting an accurate Holocaust narrative. I guess that's it, though--this felt like any other Holocaust narrative and it didn't really matter that it was about Magneto? Also the art was so... vague that a lot of the time I was sort of confused about which dude even was Max/Magneto.

Oh, you know what, I originally rated this 2 stars because I do feel pretty "meh" about it overall but I think I'm bumping it up to 3 stars because the end matter somewhat randomly includes a comic about Dina Babbitt, who I had not heard of before and whose story is very compelling. I would like to read a whole book about Dina Babbitt, please.

This is a great book for kids who love MURDER, which almost all kids do.

Also it's a great story about the power of stories and love and the dangers of GREED and EVIL TREES.

Also it's pretty scary eeekkk

I think I just get too grumpy about magical realism maybe. I really liked the realistic parts of this--really powerful look at a family being torn apart by grief and poverty--but

Spoiler

like was she an angel or a bird or WHAT, just like, why?? Also what was Mr. King DOING to her? Were we supposed to be reading it as sexual abuse, because that was the vibe I got? But also, NOT that?

??

I'm kind of irrationally irritated that the marketing for this compares it to [b:Bridge to Terabithia|2839|Bridge to Terabithia|Katherine Paterson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327880087s/2839.jpg|2237401], like, how dare you. Am I going to tear up when I just think about the title of your book? No? Then you are not Terabithia, good day.

Hmm I just said about [b:Nightingale's Nest|18079712|Nightingale's Nest|Nikki Loftin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1372053777s/18079712.jpg|21938396] that maybe I just don't like magical realism, but I liked this book a lot? Does this count as magical realism? WHAT IS THIS I don't know, it's such a cool seamless blend of fairy tales and historical fiction and actual historical documents??

I loved Astri as a protagonist who is in a super tough spot and makes some horrible, brave choices and then has to deal with the consequences.

I know fairy tale retellings are popular with a lot of kids of all ages, and these feel really fresh to me because they're Norwegian folk tales, so a lot of them are similiar in vibe to the stories a lot of Americans grew up with, but also weird and different. I think that a lot of tweens/teens would like this but they might need to be sold on it a little bit, possibly by stressing the darker elements of it? It could be a good all-class readaloud, maybe, especially paired with a unit about immigration. Or folk tales.

I really liked this one! Just a funny, bittersweet realistic novel about a young Latina girl goin' through some rough shit. A good one for kids looking for Sad Cancer Books (you know they are). Chia's struggle over the fact that her gifted younger sister Carmen ends up in higher level math than she's in will also ring true for a lot of people, as will the social struggles Carmen faces. I also loved Chia's quirky friends, especially Shawntae, who believes she is psychic. I also appreciated that it included Chia's culture and faith, particularly in response to her mother's cancer, without it being About that.

http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-12-outlander/

#herbs