Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and Other Curiously Named Classic Chinese Dishes: A Graphic Cookbook

 

Stars: 4 for interest factor and foodie factor

My Thoughts:

This book would not necessarily be for this blog. I do have a specific cooking blog, The Rubber Slipper Contessa, which is actually a repository of family recipes more for my kids so that when my daughters in law or sons ask me where a certain recipe is, it is on the blog. 

On the other hand, I found some of my old kid's cookbooks that I used to use to feed my littles and I gave them to my oldest granddaughter (she is 4). She loves to read it like a book, see the pictures and try some of the recipes. That got me thinking that this middle and YA reading blog is right where this graphic cookbook belongs.

First, the graphics are hilarious and crisp. They are a great stand in for the text sometimes. The story behind the names of the recipe are really lovely to read. There are some nuggets from the author and illustrator that just talk about family food stories, like the little vignette about learning to use starter chopsticks from her grandmother, and then as a mother, trying chopsticks for her son and instead focusing on finger foods that he would like. This particular story comes before the mango spring rolls which look yummy. I actually go and seek out mooncakes at my local Chinatown after this book. My granddaughter appreciated when I brought mooncakes because of the Netflix animated movie Over the Moon. 

I think these recipes may be a little more difficult for young cooks. The sourcing of ingredients are difficult if you do not have an Asian market nearby. I guess Amazon, but there is something about taking young chefs to source their ingredients locally that makes it more real for them. I also think that these stories and recipes for middle and young adults will motivate aspiring cooks/chefs to have conversations with their own grandmothers about the food stories from their own family meals in the same way that the author talks about her own upbringing with her grandmother. It changes the way we look at food. If this, as an adult reader, motivates you to read more foodie books, I would suggest The Last Chinese Chef  by Nicole Mones. I see tofu in a very different way. I think Buddha Jumps Over the Wall will do the same thing for budding foodies, chefs, Chinese food fans. Personally we are going to try the Husband and Wife Lung Slices for the name and the spicy factor.

From the Publishers:

Storytelling is one of the most universal and collaborative components in every culture. In Chinese culture, dishes are often connected to a classic legend, a famous person, or a historical event, underlining the importance of food.
In this delightful graphic novel-style recipe book, Chinese American cookbook author Ying Chang Compestine explores the folkloric stories behind beloved Chinese dishes and gives easy-to-follow recipes for each, such as:

• Mapo Tofu, a savory dish named for the “old lady with a pockmarked face” who invented it
• Goubuli Baozi (translation: "ignored by doggy stuffed buns”), classic buns with minced pork and vegetables made popular by an unusually taciturn village boy
• Tear-inducing Heartbreak Jelly Noodles that combine chili oil, peppercorns, and other fiery ingredients and are believed to cure the sadness of a broken heart
• Steamed Milk Custard, one of the most beloved desserts in China, originated during the Qing Dynasty by a hungry young cattle farmer as a way to preserve milk

These are dishes Ying grew up with, cooked with her grandmother, and prepares for her own family today. Stories and recipes are illustrated and presented in panel layout, with art by award-winning children’s book illustrator Vivian Truong.

Publication Information:

Author: Ying Chang Compestine

Illustrator: Vivian Truong

Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 4, 2025)

Paperback: 184 pages

Of Jade and Dragons

 

Stars: 4 

My Thoughts:

I see this Mulan style novel very similar to Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. Even if Spin is about going to the capitol to be the head tailor and this book is about getting into the Engineers Guild, what makes Of Jade and Dragons so powerful is that it combines the competition aspect with a murder mystery and a political ethics dilemma. Yes, there is a romance. Yes, there is betrayal and intrigue. But the mystery and lies right around the corner are so unexpected. The secret gender may be a secret, but not to the main male character, so that is not a mystery. However, the lies, oh my goodness! The best part is when Aihui realizes that she should have listened to her deceased father and it is too late. She had to see it through, but in the moment, at least she has come to some kind of "aha." 

Other books to try before or after this one: 

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

From the Publisher:

Mulan meets Iron Widow in this thrilling silkpunk fantasy about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy and enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to unravel the mystery of her father’s murder.

Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune. 

Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own. 

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?

Publication Information:

Author: Amber Chen

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (June 18, 2024)

Print length: 477 pages

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now. . .: A LOVE Story

Stars: 4 for writer's craft, but not more because I am not sure where it fits into the classroom setting because of the content. ?? Up for discussion with classroom teachers.

My Thoughts: 

This is another Jason Reynolds story. I had to read it. The premise is interesting and novel (fresh). Neon, the main character is freaking out. Twenty-four seconds from now, he and Aria are going to have sex, but he is finding it difficult to get out of the bathroom.

Like Reynold's other books like Long Way Down, and Miles Morales: Suspended, this is a novel that in real time is taking very little time (an elevator ride, or 24 seconds). The way Reynolds draws this out and  pushes the narrative envelope is both dizzying and immediately engaging. 

The male point of view on this very monumental moment in a young person's life is new. I am not sure if I have every read something like this. Neon is a catch. Aria is lucky.

The title lends itself to the structure as Reynolds explores Neon and Aria's story through 24 months, weeks, days, minutes and seconds. Again, he has done something similar in Long Way Down, but as a writer he continues to push his craft.

Reynolds has said in interviews that he is grateful for YA author Laurie Halse Anderson who advocated for him with her publisher and is his mentor. I feel like what he emulates from Anderson is really the ability to infuse even minor characters with full bodied voices and characteristics. The artistry in Anderson's Speak come alive in this novel.

However, here is my conundrum. As a language arts education professor who book talks only YA books to my alum and current middle and secondary teacher education candidates, my focus is on bringing diverse books into the classroom and creating a canon of literature that speaks to their very diverse students as "mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors." So where would this novel fit in? There is craft, for sure. But at the end of the day, this is not just about first love, but the focus is really on the first time. It does not judge, it does not shame, but the DO and the IT is undeniable. So yes, I can book talk this, but as far as spending their own money to get this into the classroom. . . how many and for what purpose?

From the Publishers:

Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria. Dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. Aria. Way more than fine.

Twenty-four weeks ago: Neon’s dad insists on talking to him about tenderness and intimacy. Neon and Aria are definitely in love, and while they haven’t taken that next big step…yet, they’ve starting talking about…that.

Twenty-four days ago: Neon’s mom finds her—gulp—bra in his room. Hey! No judging! Those hook thingies are complicated! So he’d figured he’d better practice, what with the big day only a month away.

Twenty-four minutes ago: Neon leaves his shift at work at his dad’s bingo hall, making sure to bring some chicken tenders for Aria. They’re not candlelight and they definitely aren’t caviar, but they are her favorite.

And right this second? Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to… Well, they won’t do anything if he can’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!

Publication Information:

Author: Jason Reynolds

Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books (October 8, 2024)

Print length: 253 pages

Miles Morales Suspended: A Spider Man Novel (audiobook)

 

Stars: 4 stars for being a boy book magnet and a catchy listen.

My Thoughts:

Jason Reynolds has a style that appeals to middle level readers because he is able to capture the voice of inner city youth. This audiobook is about Miles' day in suspension, well after he saves the world from a super baddy, but that seems to be how it goes for him. Nothing is ever easy peasy for our young superhero. I don't know if trouble finds him or that he is literally the only one that can protect his neighborhood. If you don't like termites, this one will make you itchy.

The same characters in the Morales as Spiderman franchise are still here and Reynolds adds in his angsty, crush obsessed, teen writer voice by using a mixture of quick pacing, poetic stylings, repetition of key terms and humor. 

If older teens are looking for a similar pacing and drawn out angst as this, have them try Reynolds' Twenty-Four Seconds from Now. . .: a LOVE story.

The audiobook itself with the two voices of Guy Lockard and Nile Bullock makes this short read at almost 4 hours fun and engaging. I stayed in the parking lot so I could finish.

From the Publisher:

Miles Morales is just your average teenager. He has unexpectedly become totally obsessed with poetry and can never seem to do much more than babble around his crush. Nothing too weird. Oh! Except, just yesterday, he used his Spidey superpowers to save the world (no biggie) from an evil mastermind called The Warden. And the grand prize Miles gets for that is…

Suspension.

But what begins as a long boring day of in-school suspension is interrupted by a little bzzz in his mind. His Spidey Sense is telling him there’s something not quite right here, and soon he finds himself in a fierce battle with an insidious…termite?! His unexpected foe is hiding a secret, one that could lead to the destruction of the world’s history—especially Black and Brown history—and only Miles can stop him. Yeah, just a typical day in the life of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Publication Information:

Author: Jason Reynolds

Narrators: Guy Lockard, Nile Bullock

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (May 2, 2023)

Listening Length: 3 hours 53 min

Shimazaki in the Land of Peace 1

 

My Thoughts:

This is not really right for my audience, but this is definitely disturbing. It starts off with a violent air hostage situation by some radical Japanese militants. They kill most of the innocent hostages, but take some of the children to brainwash them into their own political cult. Shingo Shimazaki, one of the boys that were kidnapped, is raised to be a covert operative for these international terrorists. This book starts 30 years from the initial kidnapping and Shingo has escaped the organization and headed back to Japan to try and live a peaceful life. 

Of course Shimazaki is highly trained and people will come for him, but he does get to blend in for a little while.  The other volumes will continue to see how long he can stay in Japan and try to live a normal life. However, he is a weapon, so there will be violence for sure. 

From the Publisher:

Seamlessly mixing secret agent-type action with slice-of-life vignettes and fish-out-of-water comedy, "Shimazaki in the Land of Peace" is the charming alternate history political thriller you never knew you were dying to read. Utterly unique, with stunning artwork, this hit series promises to keep the thrills and surprises coming even as it warms even the coldest heart.

Shingo Shimazaki was kidnapped as a boy by the LEL, an international terrorist organization who turned him into an elite covert operative in their war against the international community. After thirty years, he has finally escaped their clutches and returned to his native Japan. All he wants now is to live in peace…but what will happen when his past catches up to him? The acclaimed, action-packed slice-of-life adventure begins here!

Publication Information:

Author: Gouten Hamada

Illustrator: Takeshi Seshimo

Publisher: Vertical Comics (November 26, 2024)

Paperback: 200 pages

Huda F Wants to Know? A Graphic Novel

 Stars: Like her other Huda F graphic novels, this is a 4 stars on voice and humor of the character. It is a very middle school voice. 

My Thoughts:

The character Huda F is a memorable voice in graphic novels, similar to middle school characters from Jin Wang from American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang and the characters from Jerry Craft’s New Kid series. Huda is also similar in self involved angst to Sherman Alexie’s character Junior in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. 

In this book, Huda finds out that her very Muslim parents are getting a divorce, and her junior year in high school starts imploding. Everything starts to tank, including her grades, her relationships with her friends and her mental health. Although there is a young female counselor in church, Huda refuses to accept that she needs help until her mom finally sends her to the counselor. 

The back of the book includes mental health resources for readers. This book continues to focus on getting rid of the stigma of getting mental health services, especially for communities of color. 

From the Publisher:

Huda Fahmy is ready for junior year. She’s got a plan to join all the clubs, volunteer everywhere, ace the ACTs, write the most awe-inspiring essay for her scholarship applications. Easy.

But then Mama and Baba announce the most unthinkable news: they’re getting a divorce. 

Huda is devastated. She worries about what this will mean for her family, their place in the Muslim community, and her future. Her grades start tanking, she has a big fight with her best friend, and everything feels out of control. Will her life ever feel normal again? Huda F wants to know.

Publication Information:

Author: Huda Fahmy

Publisher: Dial Books (April 1, 2025)

Length: 224 pages

Pride Audiobook

 

Rating: 4 stars for a good romance to heartbreak and back again journey

My Thoughts:

This is a remix of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice done by Haitian born writer Ibi Zoboi and read former slam poetry champion and award winning author of Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo. 

In the gentrifying neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, there comes a black family with economic privilege, the Darcys, moving into Zuri Benitez's neighborhood. The Darcy brothers are fine specimens of gentility. The two older Benitez sisters are famous in their neighborhood for being both beautiful and smart. As a reader, I know the story. I know there is going to be issues with cultural identity, class, gentrification, first love, misunderstanding, broken hearts. . .this is still Pride and Prejudice. But what I love is that the update stays true to the neighborhood. These kids really could be living across the street from each other and come from two different worlds. This is a more realistic, American version of Pride and Prejudice, still with the romance, but also more familiar in its culture and class clashes. This is a great update that should actually be read first. 

From the Publishers:

Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.

When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.

But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick s changing landscape, or lose it all.

In a timely update of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic.

Publication Information:

Author: Ibi Zoboi

Narrator: Elizabeth Acevedo

Publishers: Harper Collins Publishers (September 18, 2018)

Grade level: 7-9

A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe

 

Stars: 5 for being the kind of book that is a mirror and a sliding glass door.

My Thoughts:

This middle grade mixed voices, mixed form collection is definitely a mirror and a sliding glass door dedicated to the young people who had to shoulder the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in New York, but really across the United States.  In my own little bubble in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it was easy to be in my own bubble, but I was also watching my own students on Zoom disappearing behind shut cameras, closed doors, muted mics because they were also in charge of their younger siblings, etc. 

Although my husband and I had jobs, and mine was doable online and at home, our own adult children were having to make money delivering door dash and monitoring their own children's education at home. We were lucky that no one in our family got sick and/or died because my adult children have asthma or immuno-compromised diseases like lupus. Still this piece, taking place in a large, overcrowded city like New York where some young adults have lost both of their parents is chilling and heart breaking. This artwork of a novel brought all the feelings of helplessness and isolation back.  This historical fiction book (yes, they are middle grades, this is already historical for them) will remind readers to hold on tight to their friends, to their freedom to wander, as well as their freedom to gather together. The prose is lyrical and heart breaking. 

Pair this with other multi voiced middle grade books like the multi author anthology On the Block: Stories of Home edited by Ellen Oh,  and/or Recognize: An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life edited by Wayde and Cheryl Wilson.

From the Publisher:

Grief, pain, hope, and love collide in this short story collection.

In New York City, teens, their families, and their communities feel the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the fear and loss, these teens and the adults around them persevere with love and hope while living in difficult circumstances:

• Malachi writes an Armageddon short story inspired by his pandemic reality.
• Tariq helps their ailing grandmother survive during quarantine.
• Zamira struggles with depression and loneliness after losing her parents.
• Mohamed tries to help keep his community spirit alive.
• A social worker reflects on the ways the foster system fails their children.

From award-winning author Mahogany L. Browne comes a poignant collection of interconnected prose, poems, and lists about the humanity and resilience of New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publication Information:

Author: Mahogany L. Browne

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers (March 11, 2025)

Print length: 153 pages

The Sunbearer Trials (Book 1)

 

Stars: 4 for fast moving fantasy, world building extraordinaire and an end too soon.

My Thoughts:

I was a little slow to pick up this fantasy book, but it is magical and fast paced. The storytelling and world building is refreshingly exotic. The trials are out of our best dystopian stories like Hunger Games and Maze Runner. Add in different classes of beings, from teenage gods to half deities, everyone with strengths and weaknesses in a trial where the loser is the ultimate sacrifices and you have the start of this fabulous book. Inspired by Mexican culture, this is an exciting and fast read. Don't forget to get book 2 before you get to the end. Otherwise, it will be a very frustrating wait. 

When book talking this book, in this political climate, you have to reveal that the main character as well as other characters are trans. Although this is a LGBTQIA+ book, that is not the theme of the book and I don't think it should be a hindrance, however, in full transparency, it is present. For students that enjoyed Percy Jackson and other Rick Riordan Presents books like Tristan Strong books or Pahua, this is an older version of their same comfortable genre. Give them these next step books. 

From the Publisher:

“Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.”


As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the chaotic Obsidian gods at bay. Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all—they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body melted down to refuel the Sun Stones, protecting the world for another ten years.

Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn't worried about the Trials . . . at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidiós and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten.

But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but two Jade competitors. Teo, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old child of the god of bad luck. Now they must compete in five trials against Gold opponents who are more powerful and better trained. Worst of all, Teo’s annoyingly handsome ex-best friend and famous semidiós Hero, Aurelio is favored to win. Teo is determined to get himself and his friends through the trials unscathed—for fame, glory, and their own survival.

Publication Information:

Author: Aiden Thomas

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (September 6, 2022)

Print length: 413 pages

Only This Beautiful Moment

 

Stars: 5  This has the potential to be a literature circle option

My Thoughts: 

This may be the template that Randy Ribay used for his own intergenerational trauma and love note book Everything We Never Had. Like Everything, this is about three generations of males in one family. They also share each person's story as a young man, but they do intersect in each otherʻs family as the grandson, the son/father, and Baba. 

This one holds so many secrets and so many cultural and historical barriers for this family, both in America and in Tehran that it feels like a documentary of one family with the backdrop of old Hollywood and 1970s Tehran. 

In the classroom:

If using this in the classroom for a literature circle, pair this with Everything. In addition,  add something in multiple voices that are also a reflection of the historical reality in which it is set even if it does not span generations by using Traci Chee's We Are Not Free and Nick Brook's Promise Boys. Promise is the only one set solely in a fictional time and place. It is also a murder mystery with lots of voices so it allows you as the teacher to differentiate the content while still keeping the same student learning objectives for each group (SLOs). Just some food for thought. 

From the Publisher:

2019. Moud is an out gay teen living in Los Angeles with his distant father, Saeed. When Moud gets the news that his grandfather in Iran is dying, he accompanies his dad to Tehran, where the revelation of family secrets will force Moud into a new understanding of his history, his culture, and himself.

1978. Saeed is an engineering student with a promising future ahead of him in Tehran. But when his parents discover his involvement in the country’s burgeoning revolution, they send him to safety in America, a country Saeed despises. And even worse—he’s forced to live with the American grandmother he never knew existed.

1939. Bobby, the son of a calculating Hollywood stage mother, lands a coveted MGM studio contract. But the fairy-tale world of glamour he’s thrust into has a dark side.

Set against the backdrop of Tehran and Los Angeles, this tale of intergenerational trauma and love is an ode to the fragile bonds of family, the hidden secrets of history, and all the beautiful moments that make us who we are today.

Publication Information:

Author: Abdi Nezemian

Publisher: Harper Collins (May 9, 2023)

Print length: 398 pages

Ex Marks the Spot

 

Stars: 4 for being as comfy and delicious as your favorite pajamas

My Thoughts:

This devour-worthy story has mystery, a great scavenger hunt and enough regret and drama to keep readers surprised. While Gemma always thought she had no family besides her mom, a surprise visit from a lawyer about an inheritance in Taiwan from her recently deceased grandfather puts her in a tailspin. Not only does she need the "inheritance" for her college, but she needs to figure out how to get to Taiwan. Of course her high school academic rival (and her ex) is running a summer program to Taiwan. Gemma must swallow her pride and dig up some pitiful story to get a spot on the Taiwan trip.

Gemma hates Xander, but luckily, Xander (Alex) does not hate her, so he uses his enormous charm with his family to accept her at the very last minute. The two teens were not ready for the "blood feud" type of resentment between  Xander's mom towards Gemma's mom, but between Gemma's grandfather's riddles  and Gemma's utter inability to speak anything but English, she has to learn to trust Xander and clue him in on what she is trying to do. She really is a fish out of water. Together, they travel around Taiwan and learn more about both of their grandfather's lives. The most interesting part of this book is not the romance between Xander and Gemma. That is inevitable. The real hook is the story of these two families. It is the misunderstandings, the hidden lives, the loss of relationships, and the understanding of a loved one even after they are gone. 

From the Publisher:

For Gemma's whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There's just one major problem: to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather's home in Taiwan. And the only way she can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, Gemma finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it's about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.

Publication Information:

Author: Gloria Chao

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (December 31, 2024)

Paperback: 384 pages

Grade level: 7-9

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya, book 1)

 

Stars: 4 for world building, and a powerful female protagonist

My Thoughts:

In a sweeping Arabic desert of shifting sands and ancient magic, Faizal also builds in hidden identities, political intrigue and ecological darkness. The characters are both heroic and deeply flawed, which makes them interesting and complex. I feel like only in a YA with young adult characters can this kind of character building of both heroic and non heroic/immature actions be done by the same person in a plausible way. 

The power of this book is in Faizal's adept world building as well as the ability to want to invest in the characters. It needs to be a movie.

From the Publisher:

People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya―but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds―and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Publication Information:

Author: Hafsah Faizal

Publisher: Square Fish (reprint edition: December 1, 2020)

Paperback: 480 pages

Grade level: 4-7

The Weirn Books, Volume 2: The Ghost and the Stolen Dragon

 

Stars: 3

My Thoughts:

I saw the Weirn Books on my NetGalley feed and thought I was reading part of the Nightschool Weirn series which I enjoyed. The Nightschool series by Chmakova is for an older manga audience. This is not the same series. This one is for upper elementary and lower middle students. The art is still clean and distinctive. I kept looking for vampires but there are none. This one is less likely to be banned. The story is cute, but I did not read volume 1, so I probably missed some background on the other characters (which is why I kept looking for the vampires).  

If you give your students time to read in middle school, this is a good series to have because it has the manga stylings, without the sexualized female bodies or inappropriate situations of other manga that considers YA like adult without the porn. 

From the Publishers:

After her terrible adventures in the Silent Woods, Na’ya’s world seems to have returned to normal…that is, except for the nightmares that keep haunting her. What she needs is the power to protect everyone in case the evil scientist returns, and she has the perfect solution―she’ll turn into a dragon, once and for all! With help from Ailis and Jasper, everything seems to be going according to plan. But what’s that dark shadow slithering around the spell-casting range…?

Publication Information:

Author, Illustrator: Svetlana Chmakova

Publisher: JY (October 15, 2024)

Paperback: 224 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1975311278

Grade level: 3-7

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