Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Rating: 4 out of 5| this paves the way for authors like Jonny Garza Villa 

My Thoughts: 

I am way late to the Ari and Dante world. The original book came out over ten years ago and has been on my TBR list for just as long, but I never got around to it until now. I finally picked up the audiobook for two reasons: first, the recent news about author Benjamin Alire Sáenz; second, the audiobook is narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton, In the Heights, and Moana fame.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a tender, nuanced coming-of-age story. Ari lives in a sterile room with a father whose silence confuses him. He wants to know more about his incarcerated brother, but no one will talk about him—it's as if his brother never existed. In contrast, Dante is carefree and open where Ari is angry and sullen; their rooms act as mirrors to their inner worlds.

This is a deeply touching story of friendship and love, and the movie adaptation is just as moving. I only wish I had read it sooner.

From the Publisher:

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime.

And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Publication Information:

• Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
• Narrator: Lin Manuel Miranda
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: April 9, 2013
• Listening Length: 7 hours and 29 mnutes

Everything Sad is Untrue: (a true story). Audiobook

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 | a coming of age story that we have not yet heard

My Thoughts:

Plot/Theme--

This coming of age story, read by the author, is an interesting look into what it is like to grow up as an Iranian immigrant in middle America, specifically in Oklahoma. Khosrou, called Daniel by the white people, is a middle schooler in Oklahoma. His stories, long winded and tumbling like the tornadoes of Oklahoma, are likened to the kinds of stories Sheherazade must have told in One Thousand and One Nights. In other words, these stories  sound fantastically horrible and fictional, and yet I think they are told by 12-year old Daniel, as a way to live another day in this hostile classroom.

He uses the middle school strategy of talking about gross things like poop and blood, but in a way that is poetic and heartbreaking. . . because yes, we know that this is true. When Khosrou continues to emphasize why his mother is unstoppable, as well as how his father is immovable, it is heartbreaking. 

Recommendation --

As this child's culture is not familiar to me, and probably to most middle schoolers in Hawai'i, the audiobook, either as a read along or standalone, is the best introduction to this "window" memoir. Readers need to hear the patois of the author and how he pronounces those names and words that are not foreign to him, but foreign to our eyes and ears. That is the best way to respect his story. 

From the Publisher:

At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much. But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying, from the
moment his family fled Iran in the middle of the night with the secret police moments behind them, back to the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy...and further back to the fieldsnear the river Aras, where rain-soaked flowers
bled red like the yolk of the sunset had burst over everything, and further back still to the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan. Like Scheherazade in a hostile classroom, Daniel weaves a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. And it is (a true story).

Publication Information:

• Author/Narrator: Daniel Nayeri
• Publisher: Listening Library
• Release Date: August 25, 2020

Angelica and the Bear Prince (graphic novel)

 

Rating: 3 for unexpected depth and complex themes 

My Thoughts:

The title and the cover made me think that this was going to be a kids graphic novel, but it is not. The graphics are light and childlike on the outside, but the story deals with YA themes like burnout, grief, isolation. Angelica, the main character, suffers from debilitating depression like symptoms, but her internship at a local community theatre and her online friendship with the theatre's mascot, Peri the Bear, starts her on a journey of healing. This odd little magic, with some scenes playing out graphically without dialogue, seems to be a strength of Trung Le Nguyen. He also authored The Magic Fish. 

It is not that Angelica is without a support system of her own, but this story just made me think that sometimes we can feel alone in a crowd, so this relationship with the bear is a great reminder that sometimes our teens need to work things out for themselves. There will be students in your class who need to read this. 

It is cute on the outside. The bear itself is adorable and not at all kinky/fetishy. I also think the budding romance is what makes this cozy. However, I maybe wanted a little more on self healing and catharsis, even if that might not be the intention for this particular graphic novel. 

From the Publisher:

Angelica was the girl who could do it all—until suddenly, she couldn’t. Burnout hit hard. Now, after some very low moments, she’s ready to get her life back together, thanks to her friends, and one very surprising source of comfort.

A bear.

Peri is the mascot of the local theater. He’s been sending Angelica supportive messages from his social. They’ve become friends, and Angelica might even have . . . a crush?

Determined to find the human behind the bear costume, Angelica gets an internship at the theater. She might never go back to being the girl who can do everything, but perhaps she is becoming the girl who can magically have it all.

Publication Information:

Author/Illustrator: Trung Le Nguyen
Publisher: Random House Graphic (October 7, 2025)

Print length: 224 pages

Grade levels: 7-10

This Place Kills Me: Graphic Novel

 

Rating: 3 stars for mystery with a twist and a gray and pink illustration style that mirrors my favorite 80's Izod shirt

My Thoughts:

Tamaki takes on deep explorations of power plays, bullying, and identity in this multi genre whodunit. When transfer student Abby, the last to talk to Elizabeth Woodward, is told that her death was by suicide, she just cannot accept that. She goes digging into secrets that could destroy everything. 

With exceptional illustrations by Giroux, this book will capture readers.

 Be warned, however, as there is grooming and sexual abuse, as well as the very real misconception of victim blaming/shaming that could be triggering for some teens. Because of the 80s vibe of the artwork, I felt like the setting was in the 80s, so it was a different time. Perhaps from the viewpoint of a Gen Z or Gen Alpha, the grooming and the outrage FOR Elizabeth is not enough.  As a ladder to this book, perhaps students might read read Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, published in 1999. This was written pre Google, so paired with This Place Kills Me, perhaps perception will change, or at least readers will feel more empowered to control their own identity. 

From the Publisher:

At Wilberton Academy, few students are more revered than the members of the elite Wilberton Theatrical Society—a.k.a. the WTS—and no one represents that exclusive club better than Elizabeth Woodward. Breathtakingly beautiful, beloved by all, and a talented thespian, it’s no surprise she’s starring as Juliet in the WTS’s performance of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. But when she’s found dead the morning after opening night, the whole school is thrown into chaos.

Transfer student Abby Kita was one of the last people to see Elizabeth alive, and when local authorities deem the it-girl’s death a suicide, Abby’s not convinced. She’s sure there’s more to Wilburton and the WTS than meets the eye. As she gets tangled in prep school intrigues, Abby quickly realizes that Elizabeth was keeping secrets. Was one of those secrets worth killing for?

Told in comics, letters, diary entries, and news articles, This Place Kills Me is a page-turning whodunnit from award-winning writer Mariko Tamaki and acclaimed illustrator Nicole Goux that will have readers on the edge of their seats and begging for an encore.

Publication Information:

Author: Mariko Tamaki

Illustrator: Nicole Goux

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (August 19, 2025)

Print length: 272 pages

Reading age: 14-18 years

Sunhead: Graphic Novel

My Thoughts:

This is a love letter to those readers who find romance and friendship in books more than in people. This is for the readers who are obsessed with certain fictional characters and find the fictional world a much brighter place than reality. Although this takes place in Israel, this still feels like an American story. 

Rotem, the main character, is a Sunhead, or a fan of the international paranormal vampire series "Sunrise." Yes, it is a nod to Twilight, but the character uses this devotion to then tell the story of finding a friend IRL. I know this is supposed to be a coming of age romance, but the story is a little thin. Rotem's inner thoughts and motivation are a mystery to me. I could not get clues from the graphics and coloring either, so the story feels unfinished. The art is warm and light, but I just feel like there is more to be explored.

From the Publisher:

Rotem is a Sunhead, a fan of the international smash hit Sunrise series of books and films. She’s obsessed with the story’s love interest, Edmund, and no one else gets it. But all that changes when she befriends Ayala, a shy classmate and avid book lover who’s as swept away by the romance as she is. The two become fast friends, but as their deep connection grows stronger, Rotem starts to wonder: What exactly draws her to this story?

Alex Assan’s debut, Sunhead, is an earnest coming-of-age graphic novel that explores how the stories we love help us understand our friendships, our relationships, and ourselves.

Publication Information:

Author, Illustrator: Alex Assan

Publisher: HarperAlley (May 7, 2024)

 

How to Become a Planet

 

My Thoughts:

Pluto Timoney rockets the reader into the black hole of depression and anxiety. The author refuses to let us breathe as the opening scene keeps literally pounding frantically to get to Pluto from the other side of the door.  I know that young readers will empathize with Pluto. That this is a powerful mirror, window and sliding glass door into mental health for readers that need this book is a given. 

For me as a teacher, though, the strength of the character writing put me in my feels and I could not erase my parental empathy with Pluto's parents. Whenever love is not enough as a parent, there is such an immense feeling of guilt and helplessness. I raised three kids that went through that black hole of adolescence and we all made it through fairly unscathed. However, this book just pushed me back in. 

The intentionality of the metaphor that threads through the book on "what is a planet" added to the character's  name and her connection to the new classification of Pluto being "not a planet" is a little too obvious in adult literature, but I think it really strengthens middle grade literature. This will be a great literature workshop pick for 7th grade. 

From the Publishers:

A Publishers Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2021
One of The Nerd Daily's “Anticipated Queer Book Releases You Can’t Miss in 2021”
One of Lambda Literary's “May’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ Literature”

The two most important things to know about Pluto Timoney:  (1) she’s always loved outer space (obviously); and (2) her favorite season is summer, the time to go to the boardwalk, visit the planetarium, and work in her mom’s pizzeria.

This summer, when Pluto’s turning thirteen, is different. Pluto has just been diagnosed with depression, and she feels like a black hole is sitting on her chest, making it hard to do anything. When Pluto’s dad threatens to make her move to the city—where he believes his money could help her get better—Pluto comes up with a plan to do whatever it takes to be her old self again. If she does everything that old, “normal” Pluto would do, she can stay with her mom. But it takes a new therapist, new tutor, and new (cute) friend with a plan of her own for Pluto to see that there is no old or new her. There’s just Pluto, discovering more about herself every day.

Ink, Iron, and Glass

Description:

Can she write a world gone wrong?

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother—a noted scriptologist—constantly alters and expands their reality.

But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology—and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.

In debut author Gwendolyn Clare's thrilling Ink, Iron, and Glass, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created—and only she can stop it.

My Thoughts:

I wasn't looking to start this book because the reviews are not very good at hashtagging it. One says it is SF (science fiction)/ It is not. It takes place in an alternative Victorian Italy. Not my definition of science fiction. Another says it is a steampunk fantasy. I think that is closest but I was not looking for a steampunk fantasy.

I only started this because Net Galley offered up the second book in this series as an advanced digital copy and my local library had the first book available, so I read it. I admit, I was wrong.

This book was exciting. I liked the steampunk aspect, the Victorian Italy and the undercurrents of Indigenous decolonization and political intrigue. It reminded me of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart  but for older teens. This is another minority, girl power, action. Not enough is said about the main character, Elsa as an Indigenous character, but she definitely faces the same kind of colonization and racism. I want to explore that further as the books continue. 

Whatever: or how my junior year became totally f$@ked

Tags: LGBTQ, queer lit, coming of age, boy meets boy, coming out

Description:

It's like the apocalypse came, only instead of nuclear bombs and zombies, Mike gets school participation, gay thoughts, and mother-effin' cheerleaders.

Junior year is about to start. Here's what Mike Tate knows:

His friends are awesome and their crappy garage band is a great excuse to drink cheap beer. Rook Wallace is the devil. The Lemonheads rock. And his girlfriend Lisa is the coolest. Then Lisa breaks up with him, which makes Mike only a little sad, because they'll stay friends and he never knew what to do with her boobs anyway. But when Mike finds out why Lisa dumped him, it blows his mind. And worse—he gets elected to homecoming court.

My Thoughts:

This is a perfectly sweet coming of age LGBTQ book. There are several that I have read over the years like this but looking over my past posts I realize that I have read them but have not written about them. 

This one I like. It is sweet and although the character is confused like the character in Picture us In the Light, Mike does not have the same Asian guilt stigma and his secret is really only a secret to himself and a couple of his friends. His mother and grandmother are very supportive and his best friend who he thought was his girlfriend basically has to out him to himself. See, sweet. 

My issue is that this is a very good YA book for the middle level reader and I have no problem putting it in my classroom library. My issue is that I just need to know who to book talk this kind of book to. I don't have any suggestions yet, but I wonder if just having it as an option is enough?