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The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani (2018)

8/31/2020

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The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani - RapunzelReads
By Super Kitty

On her twelfth birthday, Nisha receives her first diary--a beautiful book where she feels she can record all of her thoughts and wonderings. She struggles to speak in front of anyone other than her family, especially her twin brother Amil, or Kazi, her family's beloved cook, who gave her the notebook. But when she writes, words flow onto the page, telling the story of the sudden changes which have begun in the world around her. 

India has been freed from British rule, but in the summer of 1947, things only seem to be getting more complicated. Before, it didn't seem to matter what religion people were, but suddenly there is talk of India becoming two countries--one for Muslims and one for Sikhs, Hindus, and all other Indians. Everyone is taking sides, from the country's leaders to the students at Nisha and Amil's schools. But the only side Nisha wants to be on is her family's--Amil, Kazi, Papa, and Dadi, her grandmother. 

Dadi and Papa are Hindu. Kazi is Muslim, and so was Nisha's mother, who died when she and Amil were born. So where in this new world does Nisha belong?

As tensions escalate and violence begins to break out in their neighborhood, Dadi, Papa, Nisha and Amil escape and begin the long journey away from what is now Pakistan, away from their Kazi and their bungalow and everything Nisha and Amil have ever known. They cross the desert to what is now the new India on foot, desperate for water and facing the growing tensions between refugees of all religions, escaping their old homes to places they have never seen. They find hardship and danger on their road, people filled with cruelty and some who have lost everything. But there is also unexpected kindness in those they encounter, and the hope for a better future.

Written in a series of letters to her mother, Nisha's journey is sometimes heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful, and although it's historical, it explores many issues which are still relevant today. I don't always prefer reading books written in a diary format--it can be difficult to immerse oneself in the story--but I loved the way that Veera Hiranandani weaves the story through Nisha's letters to a mother she never really met. The relationships within her family are believably imperfect, yet the relatively small cast of characters clearly truly care about one another, and the harsh journey they make together helps to bring them closer together. The story also explores a piece of history that I can't believe I didn't know more about--according to the Author's Note, the journey in The Night Diary "is the largest mass migration in history." Although the story itself is fictional, it is inspired by the journey made by the author's father when he was young, and her vivid details and descriptions bring Nisha's world to life. The Night Diary is written for a middle-grade audience, but older readers will enjoy it as well (though they may find the ending slightly too happy to be completely realistic), and they may be inspired to learn more about the historical events it describes. Overall, I would recommend The Night Diary to readers ages ten and up.  

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Twilight Hauntings (Enchanter’s Child, Book 1) by Angie Sage (2020)

8/24/2020

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By Piranha T.
 
Alex has never known the identities of her birth parents, and she has only one clue: the seven shimmering cards she’s had for as long as she can remember, with which she can see the future. She knows they’re magical, which could put not just her, but her adoptive family, in danger—Enchanters and their magic are forbidden in the city of Luma and the surrounding lands, and if her cards were discovered by the dangerous Sentinels, she’d be imprisoned for life. But they’re her only connection to her unknown birth parents, and she’s not going to give that up.

When Alex is betrayed to the Sentinels, she narrowly escapes Luma and finds herself in the perilous lands beyond, where mist-shrouded Hauntings track down magic workers, and a dark-winged Hawke searches for new quarry. But the land wasn’t always like this. And the king didn’t always seek to kill Enchanters and their children. With newfound allies and the aid of strange, Enchanted objects, Alex embarks on a dangerous quest: to dispel the Hauntings—and free the Enchanters—for good.

Full of Angie Sage’s signature humor and wit, Twilight Hauntings is perfect for both new readers and fans of her previous Septimus Heap series. Alex and the supporting characters are quirky, distinct, and hilarious—from a bereft Enchanter to a placid donkey, everyone in this novel feels fully developed and interesting. I also liked the layers to the setting and the elements of magic. I can’t wait to read book two! Angie Sage expertly lives up to the expectations set by her previous novels in character development, plot, and humor, so if you love her other novels, this is a perfect book to read. I highly recommend Twilight Hauntings to readers ages nine and up. 

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Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds (2019)

8/17/2020

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Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
By Super Kitty
​
"This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. No one heard anything."
                                ​- Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

You see, everyone who would have noticed was busy--they were walking home from school. They were arguing, skateboarding, telling stories, and making plans. They were cracking jokes and asking hard questions, exchanging secret handshakes and hanging out with friends. They were far too busy to notice something like a school bus falling from the sky. 

I don't always enjoy short stories (it can be so hard to lose yourself in them when they're only the length of a chapter!), but I loved Look Both Ways. Each of the ten stories are distinct and unique (in characters, plot, and writing style), but they overlap just the right amount, with each character firmly absorbed in their own story, yet touched or affected by those of others. The characters might be vastly different from each other in experience and situation, but they're all unforgettably relatable and real--I felt like I was reading about kids I could have classes with, or was reminded of my own experiences. The stories, one for each block that a character lives on, unfold with twists and realizations while maintaining a believable open-endedness which makes them even more powerful. I've had several of Jason Reynolds' books on my reading list for a while, and now I can't wait to read more of his books! I would highly recommend Look Both Ways to readers ages ten and up looking for a book with skillful writing, humor, loss, and hope, and a believable, diverse cast of middle schoolers searching for their place in the world.

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Check Out Our New Nonfiction Review!

8/10/2020

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Check out our new nonfiction review on Writing Radar by Jack Gantos, an excellent book about where to find ideas and how to turn them into stories. 
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Author Interview: Alan Gratz

8/3/2020

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Interview by Piranha T. and Super Kitty
 
Alan Gratz is the author of many highly acclaimed middle-grade novels which discuss topics not often seen in books for this readership. Refugee, which tells the story of three refugees from different countries, in different times, spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and received numerous awards. Ban this Book, which we interviewed him especially about, is about fourth grader Amy Anne Ollinger’s plan to fight back when her favorite book is banned from the school library. We were thrilled to get the chance to interview him about his books for this month’s feature.
 
 
RapunzelReads: What inspired Ban this Book? 
 
Alan Gratz: A lot of people ask me if I've ever had one of my books challenged or banned, if perhaps that's why I wrote this book. My answer is no, I haven't had a book banned--that I know of! That's the thing--the American Library Association says that something like 350 books were challenged or banned last year, but that's only the challenges they know about. They estimate another 95% of book challenges and bannings go UNreported. That's thousands of books that disappear off library shelves every year! Is one of my books one of those? Perhaps! Regardless, that's why I wanted to write this book--to call attention to the book challenges and bannings that still happen every year.
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    Book Reviews By & For Kids

    Everyone knows that Rapunzel spent her early years locked up in a tower. We’d like to think she read plenty of books to while away the time, and that she’d appreciate our own favorites.

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