Category: Teen/YA Nonfiction Review

REVIEW: The Enneagram for Teens by Ainsley Britain

REVIEW: The Enneagram for Teens by Ainsley Britain

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Zonderkidz in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This Enneagram book for teens lays out a great introduction of the personality system in an approachable way. The author comes from the Your Enneagram Coach approach to the Enneagram, and this includes religious/faith components.

The type chapters include two narrative examples for the number along with the usual details like core fear, wounding message, core desire, stress/security, etc.. The sections on career and faith were among my favorite parts – I thought the approach to these areas was great.

The writing style and voice here is good. This is a solid introduction for teens who keep hearing about this Enneagram thing and want to know what it’s about in a simple, approachable way. The chapter on my type felt spot on. I was disappointed that the author indicates that an Enneagram “test” could be helpful to readers. My bias is that tests are more often wrong than right. I think that’s even more complicated for teens whose identity and self-reflection is still in development.

I would be comfortable handing this to a teen who wants to start reading about the Enneagram. But I would follow it up with either podcasts by Enneagram-masters or other books rather than suggest teens try a test. I would also caution teens that their self-perception is still in development, so they might hold their ideas of their type loosely while they continue to mature.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great!

 

REVIEW: All of the Marvels by Douglas Wolk

REVIEW: All of the Marvels by Douglas Wolk

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Penguin Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

The author read 540,000+ pages of Marvel comics – from 1961’s Fantastic Four #1 to 2017’s Marvel Legacy #1 – to see what the full epic story might say if someone had the tenacity to read it all.

The Marvel collection is not designed to be read that way – something that has always bothered me as a reader. The stories work in such a way that people can drop in almost anywhere and go as deep or as broad into the Marvel universe as they want. Wolk describes his reading experience as, “gorging myself on something made for cherry picking and nibbling,” one of MANY excellent metaphors in the book.

Reading this, I felt seen and understood. From the start, but especially in chapter 2, the author acknowledges the drive to know “where to start” and the desire to take in the whole story in order. And just like in my personal experience, he says that desire is likely to end in frustration. In a format driven by the idea that each issue will be someone’s first, searching for the beginning, and the “whole story” just doesn’t work. But Wolk quickly shows readers how this non-linear reading experience can be better than what I was longing for.

This is the sort of review book I would typically read carefully for a few chapters, and then skim through the rest so I could put together a cogent review. And the author even says his book likely should be read like the Marvel comics universe – dig into the chapters that speak to you. But I couldn’t put this down. While there were a few character explorations that didn’t click for me, much of this was fascinating – from the backstories of characters to the revolving door of writers and artists, and the impacts they had on stories, characters, and Marvel as a whole. The writing is fantastic, and the subject matter is captivating. I immediately ordered a print copy for myself and my family. This is an outstanding resource, and when life slows down enough again, I’d like this book to point me to some great comics and stories to enjoy. I think this would be a great addition to high school libraries and classrooms in addition to regular adult collections. Don’t let a Marvel comics fan in your life miss out on this one. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

REVIEW: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy by Emmanuel Acho

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Emmanuel Acho is the creator behind the video series and book titled Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. This book takes some of the questions and topics from the adult content and formats them for kids 10 and up. Each chapter introduces a concept with a question. Then some history is given (“Let’s Rewind”) and the talk gets frank (“Let’s Get Uncomfortable”). Finally there are suggestions for what to do to take action about a particular concept (“Talk It, Walk It). Topics include things like the N-word/language, history of Blacks in America, bias, “color blindness,” privilege, the Confederate flag, systemic racism, and “reverse racism.”

The tone is conversational; I could actually hear the author’s speaking voice as I read. He never talks down to readers and often adopts a coaching tone, which I loved. But because of the seriousness of the topic, some of the material is heavy and intense. Struggling readers may need some assistance – reading chunks at a time, discussion groups/family conversation – to push through all of the material. And it is absolutely worth pushing through! This is an exceptionally good resource for kids, teens, and adults, including school personnel, pastors, youth workers, and helping professionals.

There are no citations in the text for some of the history and statistics the author gives, but there are references listed in the backmatter. There are also suggestions of other materials – books, documentaries – to go deeper. This is a starting point resource, not the be-all-end-all discussion of race and racism. But the history and context given makes this an excellent foundation to build on. As an adult, I found the history enlightening (and alarming), and the conversation frank and helpful. When I talk about race and racism with other adults, there are common refrains from those who do not believe racism is still an issue, those who want to “move on.” This includes terrific talking points and responses for people of all ages looking to grow in their understanding and practice of anti-racism.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

* ♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best!

 

REVIEW: Parkland Speaks edited by Sarah Lerner

REVIEW: Parkland Speaks edited by Sarah Lerner

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher, Penguin Random House/Crown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

On February 14, 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School became a tragic addition to the gun violence statistics in America. At the end of the school day on that Valentine’s Day, a teen gunman pulled a fire alarm to expose students and staff to his shooting rampage, and 17 people died.

In response, some of the students have chosen to speak out, march and prod politicians to action. There are two other books from the survivors, We Say #Never Again: Reporting by the Parkland Student Journalists and #Never Again: A New Generation Draws the Line. Now there is a third, Parkland Speaks: Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Share Their Stories.

Parkland Speaks is a collection of poems, essays, pictures and drawings from the survivors at MSD High School about their experiences on Valentine’s Day last year and the days that followed.

Proceeds from the sales of this book will go to Shine MSD Inc. to support victims’ families and encourage community recovery through the arts.

Review

This is a moving, powerful and sad record of the Parkland Massacre and the aftermath.  It’s hard to read what students and staff went through that day. But it’s also vitally important that we read and know and remember. It’s the only way things have a chance to change.

Like with any collection, each reader will connect with different entries. I really engaged with the entries from students and teachers who were in the building where the shooting happened. I was heart broken at the stories of high school relationships cut short when a person who was joking around at the start of the day didn’t make it out of the building. These are names to those of us on the outside, but they were people – friends, family, mentors, colleagues – to the survivors.

Gun violence and gun rights are issues fraught with strong emotions and strong opinions. But our children are dying – and it’s time to engage in the conversation so things can change for the future. This book is a great starting point for those conversations.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Devoted Life - A Creative Devotional Journal by Marjorie Jackson

REVIEW: The Devoted Life – A Creative Devotional Journal by Marjorie Jackson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley and Shiloh Run Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

This devotional includes an introduction and 31 devotional entries. Each entry includes a few paragraphs on the topic (identity, prayer, friendship, reading the Bible, etc.), some applicable verses of scripture, several questions to answer with space to respond, and a design to color.

Review

In principle, this is a great devotional. The topics are appropriate for teens of all ages and each section is anchored in scripture. The thought questions aren’t too complicated or deep, but are a good starting point for readers to think about the topic raised.

The writing is both lovely and a problem. I read a lot of books for kids and teens, and from the first few paragraphs of the Introduction, I felt like the writing was too much for a typical teen audience. So I tested that impression by running a reading level assessment on a few paragraphs of the introduction (9th grade reading level), three random devotionals (12.4, 11.1, 13.9 – so end of high school/freshman year of college reading level), and the accompanying journal questions (6.3, 5.5, 5.2 – fifth and sixth grade, so the questions are great for most teen readers in regard to reading level).

I often talk to parents and teachers about reading levels. They are NOT for labeling students, but they are for labeling reading material and for professionals to help students find material that will help them both grow as readers and enjoy reading. Usually I am drawn into such conversations because the parent has a strong reader and a teacher is insisting that the student “read at his/her level.” The issue is that most contemporary fiction – with topics and characters that many kids relate to – isn’t written at a high school level. Even a lot of popular adult fiction is written at a 5th or 6th grade reading level. (As a comparison, I ran a few entries from Jesus Calling and A Moment to Breathe, two adult devotionals, through this as well. The Jesus Calling entries ranged from 5.2 to 7.6 while the Moment to Breathe entries I tested were around 5.0) While this devotional is nonfiction, and nonfiction for kids does tend to hit those higher reading levels, that will only work for the segment of the audience that can handle high school and college level reading material. The others will either need a lot of support to read and understand and gain the insights the author is hoping for, or they might feel frustrated and quit trying to push through. I wish the publisher had tried to put this at a reading level that more teens could access easily.

If you are looking for a teen devotional and this journaling/coloring format appeals to you or your reader, take a look at this. I think this would be an excellent resource for a college student. Even college students who aren’t strong readers probably have some strategies to help them negotiate tougher reading material. And I believe the content is still applicable. If you have a strong reader in the middle school/high school age range, this might work for them as well. Have them read the introduction or one of the entries and see if they are inspired by the writing. Amazon has a “Look Inside” option if you can’t find the book in person to check it out. If you are concerned about the reading level for your reader but you really want to use this resource, consider working through the book in a group or partner the teen with an older sibling or a parent/aunt/grandparent/mentor to help her get as much as she can out of the material.

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

REVIEW: Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Readers may know Jarrett J. Krosoczka from his previous work. He is the author and illustrator of many picture books as well as the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, the Platypus Police Squad middle grade series (LOVED those), and the second phase of the Jedi Academy books.

Adults may know Krosoczka from his popular TED Talk called “How a Boy Became an Artist.” It’s an inspiring story of his development as an artist and illustrator. And it hints at his childhood experiences. Hey Kiddo, Krosoczka’s new graphic novel memoir, tells more of that story.

Krosoczka was raised by his grandparents due to his mother’s addiction to heroin. His mom was in and out of his life as she was in and out of treatment and jail. Jarrett didn’t meet his father until high school. The details of his home situation impacted him as he grew up and as he developed as an artist. Hey Kiddo shares some of the significant moments of that journey.

Review

This graphic novel memoir for teens is moving and inspiring. I loved it. It’s definitely for a mature audience – teens and older. There’s some language and a few dark moments in his story. He doesn’t shy away from the emotions of his journey – the anger and despair when his mom didn’t show up for important things, his discomfort with anyone finding out she was in jail, etc. Kids who have experienced similar things will feel seen and understood – maybe for the first time – by reading this. Readers who have not walked a similar path have an opportunity to gain insight and empathy for others. And any reader can be inspired by Jarrett’s journey to his creative career.

There are several pages of notes in the back that were even more moving than the book itself. One note shares the rest of the story about Jarrett and his family. Another note focuses on the art included in the book. I love that the book has scans of Jarrett’s actual childhood pictures and letters exchanged with his mom.

This is an excellent, engaging and thought-provoking story. If you love Krosoczka’s work or if you love memoirs or graphic novels, don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥