Absolutely loved this book! Listened to it on audio (my first audiobook!) and really enjoyed it. Wished we could’ve had more time with some of the characters than we did though, so I’d love like a novela of these two! 

This book hit hard, and is so important for young and older readers alike! I think it was genius how the author wove history through this and how it all connected to Jerome. This is a book I will definitely have stocked in my classroom library!

These books are roller coasters that constantly jerk between being a toxic relationship to be the “ideal” love story and it gives me whiplash. 

This is another one I read for work this year (teaching 6th grade English), and I enjoyed this one a lot. It tells the story of the brave who fought back against the nazi’s, and about friendship that conquers everything. I’m excited to teach this book this year and can’t wait to see what my students have to say about it! 

I’m teaching 6th grade English this year, and Maniac Magee is one of our required readings. This book had a prose that flowed freely, and was enjoyable to read! I like it’s message and enjoyed seeing all the people who touched Magee’s life. My only concern, is that it is written by a white male. In the back of the book in the question and answers portion, he reflects that he had inspiration for this book from being the “only white kid at a birthday party” which seems pretty damn problematic. There were just some aspects to this book that I don’t think would have been written the same if they were written by someone of color rather than by a white male. Overall I think it was a good book, but I don’t think it’s one we should be using to teach our students about inclusion. 

This book was emotionally draining. It was intense but also moving in some places. I loved a lot of the side characters just as much as I loved Cameron. They made the book what it was! 

The narrator felt very child like to me, almost like I was reading a middle grade book instead of a YA book. Also the writing style was confusing at times. 

I was so entirely captivated by this book! The writing just flowed and I would find myself just carried into the story for pages without even realizing it! My only problem was that there were two important characters whose name started with the letter G (including Giovanni)and there names were spelled similarly, so sometimes when they were referenced in the same scene I’d get lost as to which person we were talking about and had to go back and check. But other than that I absolutely loved it and loved the story!

I really enjoyed this book! It’s the fastest I’ve finished a book this year I think which says a lot! I loved reading through Ben’s journey and watching them feel more at home within themself. The only thing I wished was different was that we got more time with Ben and Nathan together. Nathan brought such a light to this book and to Ben, so seeing them together more would’ve been amazing!