Staff Picks Reviewer: Bridget

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds [Audiobook]

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Award winning author Jason Reynolds is a masterful storyteller. Through his book, When I Was the Greatest, Reynolds shows us something of the nuances of family life in an urban African American community and exposes the spaces where love, family, and community are strong. Ali’s family is not typical, but there is no typical family. Ali lives in Bed Stuy, New York with his mother, Doris and his sister, Jazz. Jazz is famous for giving nicknames and she gave Ali his name after Muhommad Ali. Jazz also named Ali’s best friends and neighbors Needles and Noodles. Ali grapples with the complexities of life in Bed Stuy and knows he needs to keep on track and stay out of trouble because his mother Doris makes that very clear. This book is so engaging and authentic it will hook even the most reluctant teen reader.

Chocolate Me! by Taye Diggs , illustrated by Shane W. Evans [Book]

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A little boy is teased by his white friends because he looks different, but his mom teaches his to love his looks.

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant; illustrated by Melissa Sweet [Book]

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Horace couldn’t stop drawing. He drew all the time and said, “Pictures just come to my mind…and I tell my heart to go ahead”. Horace never stopped making pictures. Not while working hard every day to provide for his family and not even when he was in the trenches in France during WWI. Of the war, Horace said, it “brought out all the art in me”. He painted war scenes, bible scenes, and what he saw of everyday life. This is an engaging picture book that will introduce children to a great American artist.

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan [Audiobook]

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Negin Farsad is playful and intentional in her reading of this beautifully tragic love story by Sara Farizan. Sahar and her best friend Nasrin have grown up together in a world where homosexuality is a crime. They know they are in love, but they must hide their romance from everyone in their lives. Their romantic feelings for one another become even more dangerous when Nasrin is engaged to marry a man. Sahar must deal with Nasrin’s engagement and the loss of their own romantic relationship, but this is not easy for her. The feelings she has are so strong and there is no safe way for her to talk about them or express them. Sahar makes a drastic decision that she hopes will save her relationship with Nasrin, but how far will she go to be with the woman she loves? Will she ever get over her first love? What’s more, how will she continue to pursue her career goals and take care of her father while being true to herself?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky [Audiobook]

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Johnny Heller narrates exactly the way you imaged Charlie’s voice while reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Charlie’s matter-of-fact tone and use of direct language juxtaposes with the intensity of his experiences and the sometimes stunning depth of his observations. Anyone who has been 15 knows that navigating friends, family, and high school can run the gambit from terrifying to exhilarating. Charlie is figuring out how to be a person in the world. He is called a freak, he experiences pain and love and every emotion in between. I highly recommend both the print book and the audio book to adult and teen readers. And while I’m at it, the movie is pretty great too!

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill; pictures by Theodore Taylor III [Book]

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In his introduction to Jeff Chang’s book Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation, DJ Kool Herc says, “Hip-hop is the voice of this generation.” This picture book tells the story of the beginning of hip hop in the Bronx. Clive wanted to be a DJ since he was young. He grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and looked up to a DJ named King George. Clive moved to New York to live with his mama when he was 13 years old. He started going by the name Kool Herc and became DJ Kool Herc when he was able to rewire his father’s sound system to get a really big sound! He was the first person to use two turntables to extend the break so people could really dance to the music. DJ Kool Herc was in high demand for house parties and street parties. He would plug his sound system into the lampposts to get power. The music was just one part of the budding hip hop culture in the Bronx. Hip hop has its own music (rap and beats), its own dance (break dancing) and its own visual art (graffiti). DJ Kool Herc loved music and his contribution to hip hop is something kids should be reading about!

Blue on Blue by by Dianne White; illustrations by Beth Krommes [Book]

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This poetic book is beautifully illustrated with scratchboard and watercolor. Set on a family farm in New England, Blue on Blue is the story of a rain storm from dark skies to mud everywhere.

When I Knew by Robert Trachtenberg [Book]

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These stories of queer moments, crushes, fantasies, and coming out will make you smile, cringe, and maybe even tear up. Trachtenberg arranges the stories to oscillate between the quippy and the emotionally charged and highlights something amusing from each story with a provocative illustration. Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I would have loved seeing a broader representation of queerness and more stories from POC. Check out more of our LGBT Teen staff picks!

Raven and the Red Ball by Sarah Drummond [Book]

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This is a beautiful wordless picture book with woodcut illustrations. A dog finds a red ball and begins to play until a raven appears. With eyes red like the ball, the raven takes the ball from the dog. Defeated and exhausted after chasing the raven, the dog stops to rest only to be pleasantly surprised by the red ball falling from above.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia [Book]

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One Crazy Summer tells the story of an eleven-year-old girl and her younger sisters who travel from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to live with their mother for the summer. Their mother is unapproachable and the girls have a hard time adjusting to the new atmosphere. The three sisters are eager to build a relationship with their mother and are intrigued by her involvement with the Black Panther Party. What little they know of the Black Panthers they learned from television, but now they have come face-to-face with party leaders as their tough-love mother sends them to the program for breakfast and lessons.

When the Moon is Full: A Lunar Year by Penny Pollock; illustrations by Mary Azarian [Book]

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Full moons come,

full moons go,

softening nights

with their silver glow.

This book has amazing illustrations by Vermont woodcut artist, Mary Azarian. Pollock tells the story of the lunar calendar. Each month has a verse describing the twelve moons according to Native American tradition and a hand-colored woodcut illustration.

Smelling Sunshine by Constance Anderson [Book]

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This beautifully illustrated picture book is a reminder to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures in life! Mother and child have fun washing the clothes and hanging them out for the warm sun to dry.