Puerto Rican American middle schooler Vale’s identity is largely tied to being an ultra-competitive, nationally ranked junior fencer. But an accident has left her with the lasting effects of a serious leg injury. Vale has not only lost valuable time away from fencing, but she may be facing a lifetime of chronic pain.
Starred Review of the Week
Under the Same Stars
Three interconnected stories follow teenagers navigating the ordinary and the extraordinary as their lives are impacted by political and global events.
All By Myself (But Sometimes I Need a Little Help!)
In a cheery yet matter-of-fact narrative, a child recites a host of things they can do by themself. For each, they also note a related activity with which they require help. “I can put on my shoes, but I need a little help to tie the laces. … I can decorate a kite, but I need a little help to fly it in the wind.”
Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins—The First Lady of Children’s Music
“Ella is a South Side girl, a Bronzeville bird, skipping in streets that smell of sweets and black-eyed peas.” A narrative that pulses with rhythm and sings with lyrical language describes the life of Ella Jenkins, who was attuned to the sounds of the world around her, including music, from the time she was a child growing up in Chicago.
Amil and the After
The storytelling shines in this stand-alone sequel to The Night Diary set in India following Partition. Amil, 12; his twin Nisha; and their father, grandmother Dadi, and longtime employee and friend Kazi, who is Muslim, live in a small apartment in Bombay.
You’re So Amazing!
Joe “knew he was amazing because everyone kept telling him he was amazing.” It may be meant as a compliment, but to Joe (white), who has one leg and uses crutches, it’s more annoying than anything.
My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More
This dynamic account of author G. Neri’s 7-week venture to Antarctica blends a lively first-person narrative with abundant photographs and other visuals … Neri made the trip as part of the National Science Foundation’s Artists & Writers program. His sense of curiosity and wonder is palpable …
The Maid and the Crocodile
A sparkling novel set in the same world as the author’s West African-inspired Raybearer series succeeds as a lively stand-alone. Small Sade (Black) is an orphan who’s aged out of the care system.
Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson
A lyrical novel-in-verse about Rachel Carson begins with her childhood in rural Pennsylvania. Young Rachel delighted in nature; it also provided escape and solace as family members navigated difficult times.
This Table
What began as a seed that grows into a tree ends up as a table, but that’s barely the beginning of this warm-hearted picture book about the table–and members of a single family–across years. It’s a table around which (and under!) the bustling, growing multigenerational family gathers for celebrations and quiet moments; art projects, puzzles and imaginative play; homework and grown-up work; and much more.