Nonfiction

Fantastic Vegan Recipes for the Teen Cook – book review

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Fantastic Vegan Recipes for the Teen Cook by Elaine Skiadas Cookbooks Nonfiction Vegan Cooking/Recipes * * * * Stars (Great!) Elaine Skiadas is the teen creator of Wandering Chickpea (blog), where she shares her recipes and her amazing food photography. I have bookmarked several recipes to try, but haven’t had a chance to make them yet. From the photos, however, everything looks DELICIOUS. I think a lot of these recipes would have appeal beyond the … Read more

I Am Malala – Read It and Rate It

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I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb Autobiography Biography Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) This is the real-life story of Malala Yousafzai, a current activist who fights for female education. She is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner at age 17. In Swat Valley in Pakistan, females couldn’t even go out due to being at risk … Read more

Sunshine – book review

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Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka Biography Graphic Novel Memoir Nonfiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) While in high school Jarrett Krosoczka volunteers at Camp Sunshine, a summer camp for children with life-threatening illnesses. He is assigned to be a one-on-one companion to thirteen-year-old Diego who has brain cancer and uses a wheelchair. It’s an intense assignment for a new volunteer and Jarrett takes his new responsibilities seriously. He also interacts with other teen … Read more

In Limbo – book review

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In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee Biography Graphic Novel Memoir Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Deborah is Korean American (she came to the US with her family when she was 3) and she’s struggling to find a path for herself. Her mother has Great Expectations for her future and becomes angry and physically violent with Deb when she fails to get perfect grades, speak Korean fluently, and become a musical virtuoso. Deb wants … Read more

Nature’s Best Hope – book review

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Nature’s Best Hope: How You Can Save the World in Your Own Yard by Douglas W. Tallamy, adapted by Sarah L. Thomson Nature Nonfiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Douglas Tallamy presents some compelling evidence that the world is struggling because of human overpopulation and its sprawling, destructive consequences. He makes the case that things could be improved for all species if we were all to convert at least some of our lawns … Read more

Four Eyes – book review

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Four Eyes by Rex Ogle & Dave Valeza Autobiography Biography Graphic Novel Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Rex Ogle (the author) is going into middle school and is super excited about it until his first day, when he discovers that because of new school districts being created, most of the kids he knew from his old school are going somewhere else. His friend Drew is there, though, but he’s obsessed with becoming one … Read more

Other Family Doctor – book review

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The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, and Mortality by Karen Fine, DVM Biography Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Karen Fine’s grandfather was her inspiration for becoming a veterinarian. His patients were human, but Karen admired the commitment and care he offered them (he practiced in South Africa and made house calls). She writes about her experiences in vet school, which is arguably at least … Read more

Can I Recycle This? – book review

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Can I Recycle This? A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-use Plastics by Jennie Romer Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Good information on the recycling process/stream. If your town supports curbside recycling, what happens to those items that go into your recycling bin? Are they really getting recycled? Are you sure what you’re adding is actually recycleable? You’ll want to check with your local waste management company to be sure, … Read more

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? – book review

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Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty Nonfiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Caitlin Doughty is a mortician and funeral director and in this book she responds to some of the questions she has received from young folks about death, corpses, funerals and more (including “Will my cat eat my eyeballs?”). Kids are curious about ALL aspects of death, so there’s a nice selection … Read more

Gender Queer – book review

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Gender Queer: A Memoir  By Maia Kobabe LGBTQ+ Autobiography Graphic Novel Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!)  This is Maia Kobabe’s graphical memoir of eir (e uses e/em/eir pronouns) journey to self-discovery as a nonbinary, asexual person. It took some time for em to find the language to describe what e felt/was experiencing, and how to explain it to others (this book is part of that process), as well as a supportive community and … Read more