Year: 2020

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The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelei Savaryn – Book Review

 

Title: The Circus of Stolen Dreams
Author: Lorelei Savaryn
Publisher: Philomel Books
Release Date: September 1, 2020

For three years, Andrea has silently mourned her brother’s disappearance in solitude. Her sadness and guilt leave little room for much else in her life. When her parents inform her that the rest of Francis’s things are to be removed from the house, Andrea yearns to escape the despair threatening to overtake her life. Then, after she stumbles upon a magnificent and magical circus, Reverie, she jumps at the chance for one night, just one night, free from the weight of her sadness. The price? One dream, nightmare, or memory. Andrea, desperate for relief, obliges. The choice thrusts her into a world of dreams, carefree fun, and everything wonderful a kid could imagine. However, something insidious lurks underneath Reverie’s facade. Andrea realizes this magical world is not what it seems, but she will need to overcome her own demons in order to defeat the sinister forces that trapped her in this nightmare world.

Lorelei Savaryn’s The Circus of Stolen Dreams is a vivid and thrilling fantasy. Its fast-paced plot and twists and turns will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Savaryn cleverly leaves crumbs and clues throughout the story about its trajectory, making readers feel like a young Hansel and Gretel on their way to a witch’s house. In addition to the suspenseful writing, the author’s descriptive prose brings Reverie to life. The circus’s dreams are tangible, its distortion of reality believable, and its emotions visceral. With an Inception-esque (2010 Christopher Nolan film) quality, readers may be left wondering about the authenticity of such a neat and tidy ending. While some may choose to believe it, others may choose to continue Reverie’s magic. Such an interpretive ending is both a strength and a weakness, depending on the lens through which the reader views the tale. In the end, whether the conclusion satisfies or not, Savaryn’s The Circus of Stolen Dreams is a powerful exploration of grief cloaked in a world that will lure readers and keep a piece of them there forever. All characters assume the white default.

The Circus of Stolen Dreams is a masterclass on spell-binding prose. While students will devour Andrea’s story, the novel offers teaching potential that may be hard to discern at first. Yet, its themes, dreamscapes, quality of writing, and world-building all lend itself toward deeper study, particularly in creative writing. It is the sort of book that, with the right treatment, can truly inspire. The Circus of Stolen Dreams has that potential. It could transform a young person, helping them see themselves as a young author and motivate them to pursue that dream.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Philomel Books, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • Writing – Use the novel as a way to teach a unit about descriptive writing or narrative techniques.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading fantasy.

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with The Circus of Stolen Dreams. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam – Book Review

 

Title: Punching the Air
Author: Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: September 1, 2020

 

Amal has a bright future. He is a talented artist and poet. Unfortunately, he must struggle against the biases his teachers and authority figures at his school hold toward Black students, like Amal. Amal looks past their prejudice and towards college. Yet, the discrimination he faces at his school pales in comparison to the systemic racism he encounters when he is embroiled in a fight amongst a group of white teenagers. When a near-fatal punch lands one white teenager in a coma, Amal is accused of throwing the punch and then convicted of attempted murder. Now, Amal must find a way to survive in a system designed to dehumanize, control, degrade, and worse. In a place void of hope, Amal clings to art to keep himself from sinking into a pit of despair and rage.

Punching the Air, a novel in verse by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, is remarkable. It brings the ugly stains of past injustice, such as the Exonerated Five (of which Yusef Salaam was part of), the Scottsboro Boys, and the Jena Six, to bear as it reveals the human cost of the racism that motivates miscarriages of justice still common today. Zoboi’s verse places the reader next to Amal – in his cell, in the mess hall, and in the common room. The intimate narration compels one to feel the sense of hopelessness that pervades amidst his circumstance and the hierarchy built that deliberately places Black men at its bottom. Zoboi’s evocation of slavery reinforces the truism that the past remains with us today. It connects present injustice to the systemic racism still embedded in society, policy, and institutions today. It exposes the racist roots of the criminal justice system and the extent to which they still pulsate with that racism. Readers will not be able to put Punching the Air down. It will carve a space in their hearts and minds. And it should because in bringing readers so close to Amal and his plight, the novel powerfully illuminates inequities, moves readers to consider the sinister implications of their persistence, and compels them to reckon with the racist systems perpetuating them in the modern day.

Punching the Air must be read. It is important. It is necessary. It is the past and the present. But it should not be the future. The novel offers countless opportunities to discuss timely, urgent issues that American society is grappling with at this very moment. Equally as important, it therefore offers an opportunity to discuss with young people how they can help deconstruct those racist systems and build a more just future. Amal’s story must be discussed, debated, and exposed, because the new perspectives it surely will provide can inspire young people to become agents of change, and the change they catalyze desperately needs to happen. It is long overdue.

Content Note: The novel contains explicit language that may not be suitable for all readers.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Balzer + Bray, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of systemic racism, school to prison pipeline, and the criminal justice system.
  • Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of novels that address systemic racism and injustice.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading about themes of social justice and racism.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • School to Prison Pipeline
  • Scottsboro Boys
  • The Exonerated Five
  • Jena Six Case
  • Black Lives Matter Movement
  • Criminal Justice System
  • Justice System Statistics

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Punching the Air. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
  • Dear Martin by Nice Stone (Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
  • Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
  • From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
  • Monster by Walter Dean Myers (Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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We Are Not Free by Traci Chee – Book Review

 

Title: We Are Not Free
Author: Traci Chee
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 1, 2020

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II (WWII), the United States shifts from viewing Japanese immigrants (Issei) and Japanese-Americans citizens (Nisei) with suspicion and scorn and decidedly begins viewing them as the enemy. As a result, over 100,000 Japanese, including U.S. citizens, are incarcerated in camps across the West. When escorted to detention camps, the group and their respective families are forced to abandon their homes, jobs, and dreams. Fourteen of these prisoners include a near-inseparable group of teenagers from San Francisco’s Japantown. These teens must fight every day to stick together, keep hope alive, and persist in the face of racism and unspeakable treatment at the hands of their own government. Yet, the odds are stacked against them, and by the end of their incarceration, the losses they endure through the experience change them forever.

Traci Chee’s fictional account of Japanese incarceration in WWII in We Are Not Free is a comprehensive and deeply poignant telling of this shameful chapter in U.S. history. Chee’s narrative utilizes the perspectives of Japantown teens to develop a sweeping story that illuminates the destructiveness and injustice of Japanese incarceration. Chee’s ability to include so much detail and emotion through each perspective invoked is a testament to her writing acumen. Each teen’s voice is heard through their individualized story, and each stands on its own. The narrative’s full power is felt by the way it brings those voices together. Their collective experience makes it impossible to ignore the realities of the incalculable devastation they suffer at the hands of the U.S. government. The characters’ arcs highlight this loss as they separate and start anew. Those same arcs drive to the heart of readers because she excels at using them to probe at challenging themes, such as loyalty and American identity. While the characters grapple with the injustice and prejudice they face, readers are also forced to grapple with understanding that painful history and what it reveals about the country.

We Are Not Free will certainly become a classroom staple, besting all novels that touch upon this disgraceful history. Chee’s account demands readers consider this ugly chapter in the country’s history and its connection to others like it. The big questions it poses and even bigger themes it explores lend itself perfectly to a cross-curricular study of the time period as well as a literary analysis of the narrative. The Japantown teens will find a lasting place in teachers’ and students’ hearts. So that we remember. So that we refuse to allow it to happen again.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, HMH Books for Young Readers, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of World War II. It could focus on different perspectives of Japanese incarceration, theaters of war, or various WWII experiences.
  • Literature Circles – Use the novel as part of a study about World War II, especially one that focuses on multiple perspectives of the war.
  • Book Pairing – Pair the book with another novel about Japanese incarceration or the Holocaust to create a thought-provoking unit that captures multiple perspectives on this global conflict.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • WWII
  • Japanese Incarceration (WWII)
  • Japanese Incarceration Camps
  • 442nd Regimental Combat Team
  • 100th Infantry Battalion
  • 1399 Engineer Construction Battalion

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with We Are Not Free. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

  • They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
  • Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston (Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
  • When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka (Narrative Structure, Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
  • Night by Elie Wiesel (Nonfiction Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
  • Grenade by Alan Gratz (Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
  • On the Horizon by Lois Lowry (Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie – Book Review

 

Title: Scritch Scratch
Author: Lindsay Currie
Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Release Date: September 1, 2020

When Claire’s parents ask her to assist her father on one of his ghost tours of Chicago, she cannot think of anything worse or more humiliating. For starters, Claire is a scientist and absolutely refuses to believe in the supernatural. However, her parents need her help, and Claire begrudgingly agrees. While on the tour, Claire dutifully fills her role as an assistant and almost makes it to the end unscathed. Almost. After seeing an eerie boy at one stop, Claire shrugs off an ominous feeling. But one sighting turns into another encounter, and another, until Claire realizes she’s being haunted. With the help of her brother and friends, Claire must solve the mystery of the eerie boy before it’s too late.

Scritch Scratch is a captivating mix of genres and themes, including spooky ghost story, historical fiction, middle school relationships, and family. The blend of topics creates an effective rhythm bouncing between scary ghost encounters and the novel’s plot. Author Lindsay Currie also succeeds at keeping readers on the edge of their seat with vivid, hair-raising haunting scenes. These ghost encounter scenes highlight Currie’s acumen for depicting the paranormal. Yet, the evocative imagery does not always surface in the presentation of other topics treated in Scritch Scratch. One minute readers will be engrossed in a ghost encounter with strong descriptions to help them conjure the scene in their own mind. The next that work is done for them, as readers are often told exactly how characters feel and what they are thinking. The author does the mental labor for the readers instead of leaving space for their own interpretation. On the other hand, these moments of narrated telling do balance out the emotional, frightening paranormal scenes, giving readers a brief respite from the mystery. The ebb and flow will keep readers engaged, but they might tire of the emotional swings.

You’d be hard pressed to find middle grade students that do not like scary stories and mysteries, even if they do not want to admit it (like Claire). Therefore, Scritch Scratch will be an instant favorite for the paranormal-loving brood. The inclusion of historical fiction would allow teachers to use the novel as a vehicle for their own cross-curricular novel study, incorporating local history, narrative writing, and even an opportunity for their own students to conjure a spooky story of their own. Scritch Scratch would be a fun, engaging read in the classroom, especially around Halloween. All characters assume the white default.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Sourcebooks Young Readers, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of local history or disaster events.
  • Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of mystery/spooky novels.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading about ghosts, mysteries, and scary stories.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Chicago Disasters
  • Local History – Disaster Events
  • Paranormal Mysteries
  • Paranormal
  • Ghost Sightings & Science

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Scritch Scratch. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi & Ryan Reynolds – Book Review

 

Title: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
Author: Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 10, 2020

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You traces the history of racist ideas in America. This “not history book” by Jason Reynolds, adapted from Ibram X Kendi’s award-winning novel Stamped From the Beginning, is brilliant in its delivery. Readers learn about the pervasiveness and insidiousness of racism in America, from past to present. The topic is of paramount importance but obviously fraught. The topic must be taught, though, and Reynolds’ conversational tone hits the right pitch for middle grade and young adult readers to access it. This delivery opens the door to conversation, understanding, reflection, and – critically – compels a call to action. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You should be required reading, in every class. There really is nothing more that needs to be said. Stamped is that powerful and its subject matter that important. The novel’s very presence in students’ hands is one way we, as educators, can contribute to the fight against white supremacy culture and build toward an antiracist future.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of racism embedded in various aspects of U.S. society.
  • Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of novels that address systemic racism.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading about themes of social justice and racism.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Racism in United States
  • History of Racism in United States
  • Institutional Racism – Politics, Education, Justice System, etc.
  • History of Slavery in the United States

Book Companions

The following are great fiction books to pair with Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung – Book Review

 

Title: The Boys in the Back Row
Author: Mike Jung
Publisher: Levine Querido
Release Date: October 6, 2020

Eric and Matt are the best of friends. They love comic books, playing in the band, and most importantly, each other. Armed with their support for each other, they can face any problem, or bully for that matter, that gets in their way. However, Eric and Matt’s friendship will be forever changed when Eric moves away at the end of the year. The news devastates them but they plot a last, risky adventure before Eric leaves. On the last day of their marching band trip, they plan to ditch and sneak away to a comic convention to meet their favorite comic author. As with all daring plans, there are more obstacles than they could have imagined, putting more than just the trip in jeopardy.

The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung is a refreshing, down-to-earth novel about friendship. Eric and Matt face countless microaggressions, including being called “gay,” bullied about their race (Matt is Korean American while Eric presents as white), and needled for their nerdiness. Eric and Matt face them all together, leaning on each other to overcome them while demonstrating their love for each other just the same. Jung’s affectionate story of male friendship is the perfect antidote to the toxic masculinity that pervades some middle school experiences. Jung’s characters are interesting and engaging. He carefully takes the time to develop them as whole people and build reader investment in their well-being. This investment may leave readers feeling unfulfilled by the ending. The last adventure plan goes awry in such a way that its telling disappoints because it feels inconsistent with the rest of the narrative and its loose ends get too quickly tied up. Surely, readers would gladly consume a few more chapters that would provide the detail and attention the next phase of this friendship deserves. Still, Eric and Matt’s friendship is indeed beautiful. It sends a positive, important message about male relationships and their healthy place in social development. It also is inspiring to see how their mutual support enables them to overcome any challenge.

Middle grade readers will love The Boys in the Back Row. It is a celebration of quirky friendships, and young people will easily connect with Eric and Matt. With a more lighthearted tone but plenty of opportunity for analysis and in-depth discussion, teachers may find this novel as the perfect remedy for students that need a little more levity than gravity in the 2020-2021 school year.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Levine Querido, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of comics!
  • Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of books that include references to comics or include the effects of microaggressions.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading about themes of friendship, school, and comics.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • History of Comics
  • Comics
  • Microaggressions

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with The Boys in the Back Row. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

  • Two Naomis by Olugbemisiola Rhuday-Perkovich (Character Connections, Themes)
  • Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead (Character Connections, Themes)
  • Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Character Connections, Themes)
*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.