Here's to Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

 Here's to Us is the sequel to 'What if it is Us?' that I read this summer.  This book picks up two years after Ben and Arthur last saw each other at the end of What if it is Us.  

In Here's to Us, we catch up with Ben who has spent his first year of college in a creative writing class with Mario, who may or may not be his boyfriend.  Arthur is back in New York for the first time in two years working at his dream job being an intern in an off-Broadway play.  But back home, his boyfriend Mickey is waiting for him to return and trying not to worry that Arthur is in close proximity to Ben.   

Ben and Arthur are trying to remain friends, but both are grappling with see the other person with someone new while dealing with their feelings for each other.  Their friends are also trying to support them as they try and figure things out.  

I thought this book was great, I really enjoyed reading it - I read it on my Kindle- which is not something I usually do for YA books, however, I know that I won't be able to give this to any student in elementary school.  Ben and Arthur are in college, and are in mature relationships - even though the sexual content is a minimum, it wouldn't be appropriate to give to younger students.  However, secondary students who fell in love with Ben and Arthur (and Dylan and Samantha too) will love catching up with them and seeing where their life has taken them.  

Firefly by Philippa Dowding

 As I work my way through reading the Red Maple books this Winter Break, this was the first one I started to read.  

Firefly is the story of Fifi, aka Firefly who has just come to live with her Aunt Gayle after a traumatic event with her mom.  Aunt Gayle owns The Corseted Lady, a costume shop that hosts over 7 million pieces to choose from.  When Firefly has to start grade 9 at a school where she knows nobody, she decides to dress up in a different costume everyday- the options are unlimited.  But dressing up doesn't stop her from reliving the events that led up to moving in with Aunt Gayle.  Firefly needs to come to terms with her relationship with her mother while also learning about herself and meeting new friends and starting to trust others.  

I enjoyed this story.  Firefly's strength and determination reminds me so much of the students I come in contact with everyday, and it serves as a good reminder that we don't know what other people are dealing with.  

Houston, Is there a Problem? By Eric Walters

 Anyone who knows me, knows I love all books by Eric Walters and this one is no different!  It was my first YA read of Christmas 2021 holidays and what a great way to kick off two weeks of reading!  

Houston is a boy who has just graduated grade 8, he is a strong student who loves all things to do with space. What makes Houston unique is that he lives with his aunt, uncle and two nephews because his parents passed away in a car accident.  Houston is excited about grade 9, but nervous too.  He is looking forward to spending the summer working with his uncle and making a bit of money.  A surprise envelope in the mail is an all-expenses paid trip to a NASA Space Camp which leads to Houston meeting other teenagers with the same passion as him.  But this camp is only the beginning of exciting adventures for Houston, as he finds himself involved in a top-secret mission with NASA.  

I could not put this book down- Houston is a great character who reminds me of many students I've known over the years.  The other two main teenagers; Ashley and Teal are also very real, believable characters.  The story line was exciting, I loved learning about Houston's training and the dream of NASA astronauts.  The ending of this story gave me chills and I can't wait to read the next one.  

Any teacher (or student) in grade 6 needs to connect this book to their Space curriculum unit - I can see so many kids loving this story while learning about space and astronauts.