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.  

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz

 I can't believe how long it has been since I've read a YA book.  This past summer I read a lot of adult books, but not many YA books.  This week, I picked up Ground Zero because one of my students at school was telling me he was reading it and really liked it.  He thought I might like it as well.  I have also read Ban This Book by Gratz and really liked it.  

Ground Zero is the story of two kids- 9 year old Brandon who on September 11, 2001 went with his father to work on the top floor of the World Trade Centre.  Brandon is in the North Tower when the first plane hit on 9/11 and he needs to find a way to escape the fire, power outages and fear of the unknown.   

The other story is of Reshmina who on September 11, 2019 lives in a village in Afghanistan that is in the middle of American troops and the Taliban.  Reshmina finds a wounded solider and she must decide if she should risk her, her family and her villages safety to help him.  

This story was very hard to read.  In both cases, the kids are in impossible situations. Brandon is confused and afraid and has no idea if he will survive and why anyone would want to attack New York.  Reshmina has been living through a long war in Afghanistan, she has dreams for the future which may not be possible if the Taliban win, and yet her twin brother wants nothing more than for the enemy American soldiers to leave the country and let the Taliban rule.   

It was a compelling read, but I would be very careful who I gave this book to.  There is a lot to unpack in both stories. 

  

What if It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

 One of my friends gave me this book to read a few weeks ago.  One of the author's wrote the story "They Both Die At The End", which even with that big spoiler, I quite liked! 

What If It's Us is the story of Arthur and Ben, both of who are trying to figure out their life.  Arthur is in New York City just for the summer and is hoping to find romance.  Ben has been born and raised in New York and is a bit more jaded, he has just ended a relationship that also took away a friend group.  When Ben and Arthur meet at the Post Office, sparks fly for both of them.  While Arthur is optimistic about not only finding Ben after they get separated, but also sees the potential for love.  Ben thinks about Arthur, but has a hard time believing that even if they meet again, that anything will come of it.  

Throughout the story, Ben and Arthur explore what it means when you are in a relationship with someone who has very different outlooks on life.  

I thought this story was great!  I loved both Ben and Arthur. There were parts in the book where I laughed out loud with some of the situations and thoughts both of them had.  I also loved the fact that this book is about two boys in a relationship, it was refreshing to read a story about two people looking for love and they just happened to be boys.  

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

 This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while now.  I remember picking it up and starting it, and not being able to get into it.  I decided to give it another go yesterday and I am SO GLAD I DID!  (This is a good time to remind people that sometimes when books don't grab you right away, come back to them).  I read this book yesterday and could not put it down, I couldn't sleep until I finished it!

I'll Give You the Sun is the story of Jude and Noah, twins who were as close as could be, but also as different as could be.  When they were 13, Noah was sky, quiet and very unsure of himself.  Jude was outgoing, popular and brave.  Yet at 16, they seem to have switched roles, now Noah is the popular one and Jude is the introvert and they rarely speak to each other.  The story is about how that rift came about and the challenges they have living without the support of one another.  

The story is told from both Jude and Noah's perspective and also alternates between their life at 13 and their life at 16.  It is a really interesting way to tell the story.  

I honestly loved this book so much!  Jude and Noah's story broke my heart- watching siblings fall away from one another was hard to read.  The challenges they faced in their lives also made me so sad.  But throughout the story, you could sense the love that had for one another and for their family- as shattered as it was.  

This story has some mature parts in it, but nothing that I wouldn't give to an Intermediate student.  

Zara Hossain is here by Sabina Khan

 A few weeks ago I read The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan, and I knew I needed to read her first book- Zara Hossian is Here.  Today was the first really nice day of the spring, and so it was a great excuse to sit outside and finish this book.  

Zara Hossian is Here is the story of Zara, a 17 year old Muslim girl who is living in Texas.  She has been there since her family moved there from Pakistan when she was 3 years old.  Her father is a doctor whose hospital has been sponsoring the families green card application so that they can become citizens of the United States.  So far, the family has been waiting for over 8 years for this to happen.  At her high school, Zara is the only Muslim girl and she faces constant racist comments from Tyler- the hero of the football team.  But when Tyler takes things too far one day, suddenly Zara's whole future is put in jeopardy.  

I found this story to be really interesting.  I loved the description of the food Zara's mother makes for her. I have decided I want to learn to make my own chai because of how often it was mentioned in this story.  Zara's family is really just working to live their best life and to be contributing members of society.  Zara is also a great character.  I love that her best friend is the boy next door and that she doesn't back down when faced with a challenging situation. The racist comments she deals with on a daily basis is heart breaking.  Even though Zara is 17, this book is very appropriate for kids in grade 7 and 8.