A thoughtful story for reluctant readers about the power of forgiveness.
Friendships end for all types of reasons; sometimes they can even be mended.
In this sequel to Whisper to the Sky (2022), Sydney is still navigating the transition from being a bully at her old school on the reservation to being bullied by others in her new school in Minneapolis. She is being targeted less frequently, but her new friend, Finn, is not so fortunate. Finn is persecuted for being gay, and he reveals to Sydney how ringleader Jeremy was once his best friend, before he came out. When Jeremy, who is a football player, aims a punch at Finn but misses and instead hits Sydney, their whole world turns upside down. Sydney proposes that Jeremy’s punishment be helping her and her mother with household chores, something he agrees to reluctantly in order to save his future on the team. However, it gives them time to get to know one another outside of school. Sydney tries to forgive not only herself for her past actions, but her father and Jeremy for hurting her. This accessible title is engaging thanks to plenty of character development. Sydney has her faults and makes errors as she learns and grows, both in her relationships and in her understanding of herself, allowing the story to explore tough topics like homophobia. As in the previous book, Sigafus enriches the story with Ojibwa culture and vocabulary. Resources about bullying support the text.
A thoughtful story for reluctant readers about the power of forgiveness. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-939053-42-8
Page Count: 110
Publisher: 7th Generation
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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