S.M.C.'s Reviews

Andy is drowning in grief while Shelbi is doing her best to stay anonymous as a senior at her brand new high school. Suddenly an accidental text throws these two into a friendship neither saw coming. Nic Stone never shies away from hard topics but instead writes about them with grace, humor, and wry observation. I raced through this book, rooting for Andy and Shelbi, not wanting to pause until I could see just how their stories resolved.

—S.M.C.

Reading Ari Shapiro’s new book—a mix of memoir, travelogue essays, and testament to the importance of journalism and inquiry—has quadrupled (and then some!) my appreciation of and fondness for the host of NPR’s All Things Considered. With candor, astute humor, and a dedication to the importance of finding humanity across all environments, Shapiro has written a book that hits all the marks—I laughed, I teared, and I came away filled with hope as he reminded me that as fragmented as the world may seem, with the right listening perspective, the commonality for connection is a universal bond that cannot be broken. —S.M.C.

Not since Ramona Quimby have I fallen quite so in love with a book family. In this companion to his Billy Miller stories, Kevin Henkes lets us delight in each character while giving us a peek into just two very special days. With a new baby and a family visitor in the house, Sal feels somewhat overlooked, especially when she loses something very dear to her (favorite underwear!). Sal's personality comes bursting through these pages, and the warmth and humor of this kindhearted family makes this story ideal for a young reader or a family read-aloud.

—S.M.C.

Rest Is Resistance can be read as a guidebook to resistance or a doctrine for self-care. Hersey advocates for rest as one of the most powerful ways to contend with racial and social justice. Breaking down capitalism and systematic oppression, she speaks to how labor, especially for BIPOC laborers, has long been structured in a way that is dehumanizing and exploitative—where work and production take priority over anything else. Reclaiming rest, day-dreaming, and spacious time lets us enter a place of contemplation and allows for the reentry of priorities and values. This book is one to be experienced.

—S.M.C.

When outspoken, determined Theo (one of the few Asian-Americans and only gay kid at his small high school) and shy, secretive Gabi are thrown into a joint venture, things are tense. Can these seemingly opposite personalities go from enemies to frenemies to something more? This is a fun and fresh rom-com that reminds us that being a teenager isn’t just about growing into who you are meant to be, but also about letting go of some of who you thought you were.  —S.M.C.

This book reminded me that libraries are a community’s heart, that poetry is a balm to hard conversations, and that 11-year-old kiddos are brilliant and brave—none more so than June. June is a worrier whose worry interferes with sleep and makes her body feel out of control. But with help from her lovable crew, she starts opening up and doing small things each day to tame her worry and work with, not against, it. You cannot read this book without loving every character—but, oh, how you will especially love June! 

Speaking to her own struggle with chronic illness and trying to heal from trauma, Róisín, a Bangladeshi Muslim, looks at wellness through the lens of advocacy and social justice. Blending memoir and journalistic inquiry, she offers both the argument for and resources to inclusive self-care—while also bringing to light the disparity and appropriation that runs so deeply in the wellness culture. This is a fascinating read.  —S.M.C.

Looking at the complexity of the Black Creeks’ story (whose Creek Nation citizenship was suddenly revoked by tribal members and Congress in the 1970s), and weaving history with present day, Caleb Gayle writes to the question of what is racial and ethnic identity in a country that has been rooted in white supremacy since its beginning. Gayle’s prose is stunning and the historical sections of his book leap off of the page, while he equally gives poetic justice and grace to the voice of today’s Black Creek members and their examination of race and belonging. I could not put this book down and it has risen to the top of my favorite nonfiction reads. Wow.  —S.M.C.

This powerful collection of essays, poems, and art is authored by 41 migrants, refugees, and Dreamers who are all living in the United States undocumented. Their brutal honesty, resilience, hope, anger, fear, beauty, and talent had me turning each page in awe. Every contribution added a layer to the view of what it means to be undocumented in a country that does not always echo integrity back.   —S.M.C.

In the summer of 1999, twelve-year-old Fe-Fe’s world is filled with the innocence of Double Dutch and candy runs situated, though, right next to gang wars and drug trafficking. When Fe-Fe and her friends welcome a new girl to their childhood trio, that decision, overlaid with the city’s demolition of their home, upends each of their lives forever. This debut novel is a heartfelt rendering of the way childhood bonds can have lasting impacts, how racial and economic institutions permeate the core of every family, and how forgiveness and redemption are not something that happens once, but can be revisited throughout a lifetime. I am still stunned by the quiet depth and power of this novel—put this at the top of your summer reads. —S.M.C.