Book Review

Ahmed Aziz’s year starts out poorly when he learns that his father is sick. Things go from bad to worse when his Indian American Muslim family moves from Hawaii to Minnesota so his father can receive cutting-edge treatment and be closer to his family.

Madrigal, or Maddie, likes order. Likes even numbers. Likes to count to keep calm. When her beloved older brother, Strum, leaves his college campus without a word about where he intends to go, Maddie’s orderly and neat world turns upside down.

Libby desperately wants to break free from her family’s reputation, a reputation that they’re bullies. Jack wants to save his school, but as he tries, he struggles to understand and accept the need for gender-neutral bathrooms. Vincent is incessantly picked on about his clothes and interests. T, a nonbinary young person, is homeless after being kicked out of an unaccepting home. In Flight of the Puffin, Libby helps them all, including herself, by simply putting a little kindness into the world.

Almost a year ago, Sila’s mom left for Turkey to track down the immigration paperwork required to return to the United States and to her family. Throughout the year, Sila has had to navigate life without one of her life’s most important people.

Alex Rufus has a superpower. He can see into the future. Every time he touches something with his hand, he can see a snapshot of what will happen seconds, minutes, hours, or even years from that moment. Yet, as incredible as a superpower may seem, it’s exhausting and anxiety-inducing for Alex.

As Emma begins sixth grade, she feels like she has changed. Her best friend, Becca, does not seem to “get her” as much, and she’s eager to heed her brother’s advice to find her people. Emma does just that when she joins the Art club and meets others with the same affinity for art as her. While Emma navigates the perils and pitfalls of evolving friendships, her brother Austin, a popular star quarterback, faces struggles of his own.