Book Review: The Beast by Walter Dean Myers

"Spoon" grew up in Harlem, but due to his desire to attend an Ivy League college, he enrolled in a prep school. While there he works hard both in his academics and at his job. When he finally goes home for the first time, during Christmas vacation, he finds that the Harlem he knows is not the same. His friends have changed and not in the ways that he anticipated. Seeing these changes among his old friends, and the observing the lives of his predominately white prep school friends really highlights how the privilege that we have or do not have impacts each person's life.  This is a slow read, not a fast-paced plot driven book, but rather a quiet knitting together the beginning of a new kind of understanding.

Book Review: With the Fire on High / Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni gave birth during her freshman year of high school. Now in her senior year she has become a tough character, a good friend, a loving granddaughter, and a great mom. Now is the time for making decisions about her future, and while Emoni knows she wants to become a chef, she isn't sure how to get there especially while supporting her daughter. This book is so good that you can almost taste the food.

I love Emoni's character - she is no nonsense but under her tough exterior lies a compassionate soul. She struggles with how the world sees her and judges her, but doesn't let that stop her from moving forward.

Check out this video of Elizabeth Acevedo talking about With the Fire on High.