Category: YA Fiction

Punching the Air

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Amal is an artist, a poet, a sensitive soul trapped by his circumstances. He was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, and now he’s been sentenced to prison. In gorgeous verse, Punching the Air explores the harsh realities of mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the intersection of race and justice. Yusef Salaam, one of the coauthors, is a member of the Exonerated Five (formally known as the Central Park Five); he and Ibi Zoboi draws on his memories of being a falsely convicted teen to paint a beautiful, heart-rending picture of hope amidst tragedy.

What I loved most:

This book focuses on Amal’s time in prison. There are some flash backs to his life in school, and the night of the incident that landed him in prison, but it’s specifically a book about a teen being incarcerated. I recently heard the authors give the opening keynote at SLJTeen Live, and they mentioned that they are working with their publishers to get copies of this book into the hands of incarcerated teens. I love when authors and publishers are willing to do what’s right – in this case, that they are ensuring that the book will be accessible to the very population who will see themselves reflected in its content.

Another cool thing: the pages of this book are art. Not only is this story written in verse (an art in and of itself), but there are graphic elements on many of the pages. I read the story in an Advanced Readers’ Copy (thanks, Balzer + Bray!), so I’m sure the design will be a little different in the final book. However, the gorgeous layout added so much to the story.

Things to be aware of:

There is a decent amount of swearing in this book, as well as violent content.

Read this book if you like:

Novels in verse, criminal justice reform, artistic expression, books inspired by a true story

Book details:

  • Author: Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
  • Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  • Date of Publication: September 1, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: High school students
  • Look up Punching the Air on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!

K-Pop Confidential

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Candace has always kept her appreciation for K-Pop music on the down low. It seems like way too much for the Korean-American girl to also be into K-Pop. But when she finds out that one of the biggest labels in K-Pop is holding open auditions for the next big girl group in her home state of New Jersey, she takes the jump and decides to audition. She never actually thought she’d make the cut… but then she’s chosen to head to the label’s headquarter’s in Seoul for a training program. Will she be able to rise above the strained social dynamics between her potential group mates, the prohibition on dating, and the intensity of the K-Pop stans to become the next big K-Pop star? 

What I loved most:

This is literally a book that I opened with the intention of reading the first chapter or two before moving on to productive activities in my life… and before I knew it, I was halfway through. I just could not put it down! Books about singers/actors/famous people in the entertainment industry are my non-guilty pleasure (#sorrynotsorry), and I loved following Candace’s journey from standard American high school student to trainee in this super hard core program. I’m also here for any books about identity formation, and watching Candace reconcile who the label wants her to be with who she is on the inside is such a beautiful journey. Other bonus: this is an #OwnVoices book, which I’m always pumped about.

Things to be aware of:

Candace (and the rest of the trainees) are placed on a crazy-strict diet by the label. There’s a lot of problematic body expectations that are placed on all of the trainees, which I do think are an accurate depiction of the way that the entertainment industry treats people. It could be triggering/hard to read for people who have struggled with an eating disorder. 

Read this book if you like:

Books that suck you in right away, K-pop (obvi), the entertainment industry, following your dreams, I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee, summer reads

Book details:

  • Author: Stephan Lee
  • Publisher: Point
  • Date of Publication: September 15, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: High school students and young adults
  • Look up K-Pop Confidential on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!

#JusticeforGeorge Book List

~ rachelbenzine ~ 1 Comment

My first draft of this blog post started with a narrative of my journey to recognizing my white privilege, realizing that racism is still actively working in our country, and trying to learn more about the experiences of people of color. But then I deleted all of it, because here’s what it comes down to: we have to do better, y’all.

We need to dismantle the racist systems that continue to oppress people of color, and we also need to change as individuals. I’m a huge proponent of the concept that small individual changes add up to make larger change. May our collective sadness/frustration/anger at the death of George Floyd and so many other Black people at the hands of police last beyond this moment. May we take it upon ourselves to do all that we can to change our country for the better.

I watched a powerful video yesterday of George Floyd’s brother urging people to educate themselves. When I started on this journey several years ago of trying to open my eyes to the racism that’s so prevalent in our country, I turned to books. I want to share with you a reading list of some of the best books I’ve read that have helped me become more educated on this topic.

After I finished making the list, I realized it was huge. So I’m going to divide this into a few sections: first, I’ll tell you my if-you’re-only-going-to-read-a-few-read-these-ones list. I’ll have a longer list at the bottom if you’re wanting to dig in and do some more extensive reading. If you have any good recommendations for books you loved that I should check out, leave me a comment! Let’s walk on this journey together.

The following are some of my favorites that have helped me learn more about racism, oppression, and the lives of people of color. These ones are all written for adults.

Adult Nonfiction

  • I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
  • The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
  • Motherhood So White by Nefertiti Austin
  • In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero
  • Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow

Adult Fiction

  • Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
  • Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

And now, for the full list:

Adult Nonfiction

  • The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
  • Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou
  • You Can’t Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson
  • Unashamed by Lecrae
  • In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero
  • Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
  • Motherhood So White by Nefertiti Austin
  • How Not to Get Shot by D. L. Hugely
  • Solito, Solita by Steven Mayers (editor)
  • Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow
  • I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
  • Free Cyntoia by Cyntoia Brown
  • Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
  • We Are Not Here to be Bystanders by Linda Sarsour
  • A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett
  • Love Thy Neighbor by Ayaz Virji
  • The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson

Adult Fiction

  • Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
  • American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings
  • Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

YA & Children’s Nonfiction

  • Reaching for the Stars by Katherine Johnson
  • Free Lunch by Rex Ogle
  • Proud by Ibtihaj Muhammad
  • The Real Story Behind U.S. Treaties with Native Americans by Sarah Machajewski
  • Uprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II by Albert Marrin

YA & Children’s Fiction

  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
  • The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah
  • Devils Within by S. F. Henson
  • Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles
  • Internment by Samira Ahmed
  • You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! by Alex Gino
  • The Inside Battle by Melanie Subrow

#justiceforgeorge #pleaseicantbreathe #blacklivesmatter