Tag: book-review

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Recommended Audience: Upper Elementary and Middle School readers/ Children aged 8-14

Opinion– Recommended

Synopsis: Set in 12th century Korea, orphan Tree-ear lives under a bridge in a small village spending his days with a kindly man he calls Craneman. Together, they eke out a meager living foraging and digging through the village’s midden heaps. Despite his love for Craneman, Tree-ear begins looking to the future. He happens upon a famous potter in his village and falls in love with the art of pottery. A Single Shard follows Tree-ear’s journey as he works hard to achieve his dream.

Advisories: mention of the word ‘concubine’ and a group suicide as part of a Korean myth

Details: I came across this title doing research on age-appropriate books to read with my upcoming students. As a historical fiction lover myself, I was intrigued because A Single Shard takes place in a time period I love, but in a place I admittedly know very little about: Korea. After reading the blurb, I added it to my list for review. I recommend this award-winning book on the merit of its writing, character development, and alignment with various Islamic values.

I appreciate Linda Sue Park’s rich writing as well as how she conveyed meaning to me as a reader without dumbing down the language. I could easily imagine myself standing in the forest surrounded by the lush green trees and digging clay on the riverbank next to Tree-ear. Most of all, I appreciate Park’s characterization of Tree-ear, Craneman, and Min the Potter. The descriptions of making and decorating pottery along with day to day life in a medieval Korean village made for an enjoyable read as well.

Character development is another strong aspect to A Single Shard. Readers never find out how old Tree-ear is exactly, but he seems to be between 11-13. He may not be as outrageous or adventurous as some more popular male protagonists, but he possesses grit and resilience. Throughout the story, Tree-ear is faced with moral dilemmas and he frequently falls back on the insight Craneman has given him over the years. More than once, Tree-ear defers to what he thinks Craneman would do as a trusted adult. Tree-ear is also respectful of his elders and never talks back to them. Although Tree-ear’s beliefs do not stem from Islam, they don’t contradict them either. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, respects his elders, refuses to beg for food, and does his best to make sure he does the right thing despite making things harder for himself. Additionally, he keeps his word and works extremely hard not only to work off a debt, but to achieve his dream. Although Craneman was a secondary character, it is plain that his wisdom and careful storytelling impacted Tree-ear in many ways. Additionally, Min undergoes a transformation as he lets go of some serious grief to embrace life.

There are mentions of Buddhism and a Buddhist temple in the story, but there are no explanations or descriptions of practices or rituals. The characters use the temple bells to mark time, but give no indication that they are Buddhists themselves.

Teacher’s Note: This book could lend itself to a plethora of unit studies and interdisciplinary lessons in both a secular or Islamic environment. It could tie into Asian American and Pacific Islander Month or be used to investigate the historical aspects of that time period, specifically for 7th graders. There are also many instances in the story that could spark conversations about right and wrong, societal expectations, grief, friendship, and hard work. Since I focus on novel studies in my class, I plan to read this with my students and study the story structure, vocabulary, and historical period. I look forward to discussing this with my students.

Things I Liked:

  • Craneman and Tree-ear’s genuine concern for one another
  • Tree-ear’s commitment to hard work, a moral code, and his dream
  • View into a different culture
  • The nuances–This book isn’t a difficult read, but it does require a certain level of attention to pick up on the nuances of the story. (Additional teacher’s note: this is a skill many students need to practice.)
  • Tree-ear’s commitment to hard work, a moral code, and his dream

Detailed Advisories:
At one point, Craneman does tell Tree-ear a story of a group of a king’s concubines (pg. 110) that choose to throw themselves off a cliff rather than be captured by the enemy. The story is told as an example of courage, but Craneman does go on to tell Tree-ear that “…leaping into death is not the only way to show true courage” (pg. 111). This may necessitate a conversation about how suicide is haram and not an option for us as Muslims, but I do like that Craneman suggests there are other ways to deal with our problems.

Final Thoughts: It’s a good story with no inappropriate words or actions, many characters have redeemable qualities. Furthermore, it gives opportunities for discussion about how to handle situations.

Smile (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience*: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: A perfect example of why book screening is really important in today’s day and age, Smile looks innocuous with it’s brace-faced smile emoji. What readers might not be aware of is how crushes are a central theme of this book, and therefore one that I didn’t feel comfortable keeping in my library.

Advisories: name-calling/teasing, romantic interests/crushes (major theme), mixed gender interactions (i.e. school dance, parties), cruel pranks, kissing, and more

Details:

I feel like Raina Telgemeier books are hit-or-miss when it comes to being appropriate for our readers. I love that she has made several books on real-life struggles that she had growing up. Many readers will be able to relate with the challenges of middle school and beyond. I can imagine so many readers find resonance and healing by reading her words. Unfortunately, many of her books however contain themes that many in our community feel are not appropriate such as a heavy emphasis on romantic interests/crushes as well as the introduction of LGBTQ+ characters and romance.

In this instance, this is a book that I couldn’t deem appropriate for our readers. While I love all that Telgemeier shares about her experience with a life-altering dental injury, I couldn’t justify recommending this book considering the other major theme: crushes/romantic interests. Page after page discusses different character’s romantic interests, their dreams of their first kiss, and even depicts a scene of playing “Spin the Bottle” at a mixed-gender party.

It’s a shame because there are some good elements here. I really appreciated how Telgemeier portrays the impacts of school bullies, even those who claim to be “friends.” I love how in the end, main character Raina stands up for herself and finds a new circle of friends, who actually build her up rather than tearing her down and making her the victim of their cruel pranks. Middle school and the beginning of high school are such trying times for so many. I think that readers will definitely empathize with Raina’s experience and hopefully take away that they would never want to be responsible for someone else feeling how she did.

Despite the benefits here, the crushes/romantic elements were too much for me and I didn’t feel like I could justify recommending this book to others, or encouraging my middle schooler to read it.

Things I Liked:

  • depicting the harms of bullying/teasing
  • sharing the feelings related to having an injury that impacts your physical appearance
  • standing up to bullies (p. 191)
  • finding your own way and friends, instead of trying to fit in with the crowd (p. 206-7)

Detailed Advisories:

  • reference to Easter (p. 4)
  • blood depicted (p. 9)
  • mild crude language– jerk (p. 27)
  • name-calling (p. 29, 53)
  • girls expressing desire to hang out with boys (p. 51)
  • main character expressing that she wishes boys liked her (p. 52)
  • romantic interests/crushes (recurring) (p. 60-1, 79, 83, 131-2, 135)
  • teasing (p. 83, 185)
  • discussion about the tooth fair (p. 99-101)
  • dating/girlfriends-boyfriends (p. 112, 114, 155
  • gender interactions – school dance, parties (p. 119-20, 158-62, 209-12)
  • kissing (p. 132, 158-9)
  • cruel pranks (p. 136-139, 186-7)
  • bare midrift & “tube top” (p. 138)
  • flirting (p. 156)

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

*Note: While we do not recommend this book, the intended audience indicated by the author/publisher is Middle School.

Only She Came Back

Novel by Margot Harrison

Recommended Audience*: None.

* Marketed to High School

Opinion: Strongly Do NOT Recommend

Synopsis: Geared towards high school students, this suspenseful novel portrays college-aged characters involved in the sudden disappearance of Callum Massey. While many suspect his girlfriend Kiri Dunsmore is responsible, main character Sam is determined to get to the bottom of the case. Sam becomes romantically interested in her old classmate Kiri, and will go to great lengths to protect her, even if she might be guilty. Nearly every box of “inappropriate content” is checked with this one. As such, this book is strongly NOT recommended.

Advisories: R-Rated language throughout, LGBTQ+ characters and romantic/sexual encounters, alcohol and drug use, glorification of casual sex, the list goes on…

Details:

This book caught my eye as it was a 2025 TAYSHA Reading List nominee on the shelf at my local library. As a lover of suspense and true-crime, I decided to give this book a read. Typically, I’m already on high alert when I see a book that is written for high school students but portrays college-aged students. This typically means that we’re exposing underage readers to adult situations and behaviors, and that rang true in this book as well.

If this book was marketed towards adults, this would be a different review. However, simply as a parent, forget as a Muslim parent, as I read I kept screaming internally, “WHY WOULD YOU MARKET THIS TO MINORS??!! WHO WOULD WANT THEIR TEEN READING THIS??” One would hope that the normalization of underage drinking, illegal marijuana use, and casual sex would make most parents want their teenagers to steer clear of this book and personally I can’t help but question the ethics of publishers that are pushing such agendas on our youth.

Furthermore, so much of this book is antithetical to Islamic values that I really pray that it doesn’t fall into the hands of our readers. There are so many aspects of this book that makes it unsuitable, not the least of which is that the main character Sam develops romantic feelings for her old classmate Kiri Dunsmore which culminates in a lesbian kissing scene.

In terms of any “value” in this book, I would say that I appreciated the cautionary tale that was the toxic relationship portrayed between Callum and Kiri. True-crime fans will likely draw parallels as I did to the real-life Gabby Petito case. Aside from that, there’s no great takeaways and the entertainment value wasn’t that high for me besides, at best a 3/5.

Things I Liked:

  • true-crime element
  • cautionary tale of toxic romantic relationships

Detailed Advisories:

  • R-Rated language throughout (f***, b****, sh**, etc.)
  • references to suicide, overdoses
  • LGBTQ+ characters and romantic themes throughout, including a lesbian kissing scene
  • reflections on heterosexual and LGBTQ+ past sexual encounters
  • description of a “threesome” sexual encounter that nearly occurred
  • normalization of alcohol and drug (marijuana) use
  • normalization of casual non-committal relationships and sex
  • portrayals of toxic and emotionally abusive romantic relationships

Need I go on….?! I think I’ll stop here but the list could keep going…

Advisories Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and does not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Sanity & Tallulah (Graphic Novel)

Book 1 of the Sanity & Tallulah Series* by Molly Brown

* This review is ONLY for the book described in this post, NOT the series in its entirety.

Recommended Audience: Middle School and Up

Opinion: Recommended w/ Advisories

Synopsis: This action-packed graphic novel would be a great find for science fiction lovers ages 10 years+. Readers tag along as best friends Tallulah and Sanity work to figure out who–or what–is wreaking havoc on their beloved space station. Could it be Sanity’s recently-escaped science experiment–a cuddly three-headed kitten–or something else? While there aren’t many overt moral lessons, the story is entertaining and enriching. If your reader enjoyed the cat-chasing antics of novel Grounded by Aisha Saeed, they’ll likely enjoy this book as well.

Advisories: lying, sneaking around, one LGBT+ inference, moderate crude language

Details:

This was a fun, engaging read filled with action and fun sci-fi STEM jargon. Sanity and Tallulah are best friends and partners-in-adventure living on a futuristic space station. When someone, or something, starts causing damage throughout the station, they suspect it might be Sanity’s latest science experiment: a three-headed kitten that has escaped from the lab! The two girls quest to find their fugitive furry friend without getting in to too much trouble along the way.

This was a captivating graphic novel that I would encourage my Middle Schooler to read. Engaging storytelling, strong female leads, STEM representation, and opportunities for critical thinking make this book of value for readers. I would recommend it for even younger grades if it weren’t for the moderate crude language (damn, hell, etc.) and higher-level sci-fi concepts and vocabulary that might leave them a bit lost. The illustrations’ limited color scheme and frequent transitions from dark to light palettes left something to be desired for me, however. If I were to put this on my shelf at home or in an Islamic school library, I’d censor the one LGBT+ inference found on p. 157.

Things I Liked:

  • engaging, fast-paced storytelling
  • diverse cast of characters
  • STEM/sci-fi related themes and vocabulary
  • strong female friendship
  • fun adventure with an element of mystery

Detailed Advisories:

  • sneaking around/trespassing (recurring) (p. 25, 32, 119)
  • death of pets (p. 56-57)
  • lying (p. 59)
  • moderate crude language (heck, damn, jerk, hell) (p. 125, 130-1, 143, 145, 179, 222)
  • one LGBT+ inference — male character says he had a crush on another male character in grade school (p. 157)
  • dead animals (p. 166)

Advisories Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Dear Rosie (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience*: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: The concept behind this graphic novel–learning to cope with the grief of a close friend passing away–had so much potential but ultimately did not deliver. The story line was weak and had just enough questionable content to push it from the “neutral” to the “do not recommend” category.

Advisories: mild crude language, engaging in dangerous/illegal behavior, reference to online boyfriend, etc.

Details:

While I was perusing books at the library, this one caught my eye; I was excited to see a book about coping with grief after losing a friend. The concept had so much potential. Unfortunately the book fell flat. Main character Millie desperately misses her late friend Rosie. When she finds a notebook that has a symbol she associates with Rosie, Millie tries to find out how the notebook is connected to her friend.

During this anticlimactic quest, Millie and her friends end up trespassing and vandalizing property (adding graffiti to an abandoned property). Later in the book, when Millie’s friend is feeling overwhelmed with grief, she attempts to runaway but chickens out. Honestly, the behaviors depicted were in my opinion dangerous, and I would not want my Middle Schooler to engage in anything similar. While I appreciated that this may truly depict how some tweens and teenagers cope with loss, I didn’t feel like it’s something readers would really benefit from, nor would I want them to emulate these behaviors.

Ultimately, there were very few takeaways that I felt would be beneficial for readers and too many negative behaviors portrayed. I didn’t feel like the storyline was particularly engaging or compelling either. While there’s not a ton of questionable content, the book just didn’t offer much and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Things I Liked:

  • portrayal of friendship
  • depiction of main character working in family business

Detailed Advisories:

  • toilet humor: farting (p. 5)
  • mild crude language: stupid, jerk (p. 36, 103, 179)
  • name-calling: loser (p.45)
  • belittling someone for their old/damaged phone (p. 51)
  • disrespect to authority figure (teacher) (p.101)
  • reference to online boyfriend (p. 113-5)
  • trespassing (p. 124, 152-4)
  • running away (p. 168)
  • vandalism (p. 183-4)

Advisories Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

*Note: While we do not recommend this book to anyone, the intended audience indicated by the author/publisher is Middle Grades.

My Side Of The Mountain

Recommended Audience: Middle Grades +

Opinion: Recommended

Rating: 8.5/10 — I enjoyed this book, it was entertaining and fun to read.

Synopsis: Sam runs away to the mountains from his family’s crowded apartment, with just five small items. There he must rely upon himself and the great outdoors to survive.

Lessons Learned: Skills used in nature and the bond made between nature and a boy.

Advisories: In this book there is nothing of concern except for guns mentioned to shoot deer

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Bounce Back (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: None.

Opinion: Do not recommend.

Synopsis: This graphic novel did not offer much in way of neither entertainment nor moral value. While the book does not contain egregiously questionable content, nor is it plentiful, the fact that the story itself was hardly engaging and the moral takeaways were minimal made this book a ‘pass’ for me.

Advisories: bullying/teasing, mild crude language, dating, kissing, and more

Note: I write this review with the caveat that I am far from a connoisseur when it comes to manga. I don’t read much of it, and I don’t particularly seek it out. A manga fan might have an entirely different opinion on this book.

Details:

This manga-style graphic novel has readers following along as Lilico, a middle school girl from Osaka who loves basketball, migrates from Japan to the United States. Lilico struggles to adjust to her new home and has to deal with harsh bullies as she tries to find her way. Lilico’s talent in basketball paves a path for her to gain popularity, but at what cost? Lilico must remind herself what it means to be a good friend and find ways to build bridges between peer groups.

This book fell flat for me. I found the melodrama of the book to be off-putting, but I recognize this can be a trait of manga. I felt that Lilico’s strategies to gain friends and repair relationships were weak at best and not strategies I would want my own children to employ. In order to win over her bully, Lilico basically proves herself on the basketball court and becomes a major asset to the girls basketball team. In order to build bridges between two rivals, she encourages Nala to design and create a team mascot costume for the school. I don’t like that in both scenarios, the characters had to offer some type of service/skill in order to curry favor with those who were treating them badly.

Sometimes if the moral takeaways and overall value of the book in one fashion or another is compelling enough, I can forgive some indiscretions in terms of questionable content. Ultimately, this book did not meet that threshold for me therefore I do not recommend it.

Things I Liked:

  • Lilico learned to stand up for herself against bullies but not in a particularly compelling way — she basically proved her value to them via her basketball talent
  • Lilico mended her friendship with Nala
  • Learning about Japanese culture (food, school experiences, clothing, beliefs, etc.)

Advisory Details:

  • references to being someone else in a “past life” (p. 15)
  • bullying, teasing (recurring)
  • mild crude language — shut up, crap
  • “guardian spirit” character that possesses a cat and assists Lilico (introduced on p. 50 and recurring thereafter)
  • boy and girls hanging out unsupervised in a character’s bedroom (p. 58)
  • eating pork (p. 85)
  • reference to a specific food believed to bring good luck (p.86)
  • boy and girls sleeping over together (p. 88)
  • reference to getting a boyfriend, crushes (p. 94, 139)
  • fan-girling over bands (p. 139)
  • dating (p. 176-7, 190-2)
  • boy-girl hugging (p. 218)
  • boy-girl kissing (p. 255)

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

Art Club (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: Middle Grades (Ages 8 – 11) and Up

Opinion: Recommended!

Synopsis: This graphic novel by Rashad Doucet was a delightful read with so much to offer readers! It features Dale Donavan, a comic book and video game loving kid who dreams of a career making comic books of his own one day. Dale’s tenacity and passion for art are captivating as he founds an afterschool Art Club. Dale and his club mates prove that hard work, creativity, and a can-do attitude are a winning formula for success, even in the face of adversity. Respectful, resilient, and creative, Dale is a great role model for readers. Engaging and colorful graphics throughout will capture young and old audiences alike.

Advisories: mild crude language (sucks, blows, jerk, stupid), sneaking around behind parent’s back (w/ consequences and remorse), art creation including drawing human-like characters

Details:

I loved this book! Honestly, there was so much to love, it’s hard to even know where to start. There are so many strong qualities exhibited in this book that I would love for young readers to emulate: respect for authority/elders, empathy, integrity, grit, and so much more! In particular, I really appreciated how the author portrayed moments of resilience for multiple characters in the face of challenges and criticism. There were many incidences throughout the book wherein Dale and the other members of the Art Club need to stay strong in the face of many who question the benefit of an Art Club or a career in the arts. Club Advisor Miss Ja’nae helps the students navigate these tough times with words of comfort and wisdom. When Dale has to stand up to a harsh authority figure (Mr. Ruffins, the Vice Principal), he does so with respect and grace.

Dale’s relationships with his family and friends are incredibly endearing. He is a good friend who occasionally makes mistakes. He makes efforts to repair friendships that he has hurt. Readers learn that even though sometimes characters seem to “have it all,” they are dealing with their own struggles and emotions. Dale’s fond memories of his late grandmother, who was the first one to introduce him to comic books, warmed my heart. He has a loving relationship with his grandfather, who teaches him life lessons of hard-work and responsibility.

I would recommend this book for Middle Grades and up given that it’s an overall very clean read with accessible content for younger readers. I love that a diverse set of characters were portrayed including an articulate, well-rounded main character of color. Readers will walk away from this book with a lot to reflect upon when it comes to pursuing dreams while also ensuring that they can pay their bills in doing so! So many positive messages make this a book I definitely recommend.

Things I Liked:

  • Dale interacting lovingly and respectfully with his grandfather in his multi-generational household
  • portrayal of respect for authority and elders, even when they are unkind
  • information about art and art history presented in a tangible way for younger readers (p.139)
  • characters shown receiving criticism and feedback regarding their art pieces; readers will get to appreciate how this process works and how to receive feedback that is hard to hear

Advisories:

  • reference to Halloween (p. 18)
  • mild crude language (e.g. sucked, blows, stupid, jerk) (p. 55, 57, 96, 143, 173, 189, 197)
  • sneaking around behind parent’s back, consequences and remorse are presented for these actions however (p. 91, 135)

Note: This list of advisories is not exhaustive and may not capture every instance of questionable content, but rather is intended to give an overall sense of the content of the book.

The Breakaways (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Audience: NONE

Opinion: NOT recommended.

Advisories: bullying, harassment, LGBT+ characters, LGBT+ romance, transgenderism

Details:

If you are someone who prioritizes mainstream Islamic values (which you likely are, since you’re on this website), this is not the book for you or your children. The overall plot offers nothing positive whatsoever. There is constant bullying and harassment between all the characters. They are all on a soccer team that they couldn’t care less about and ultimately decide that the best thing to do would be to completely abandon the team altogether mid-game. Not exactly the values I’m looking to instill in my kids.

Furthermore, there are very pro-LGBT+ messages conveyed in the book. A character comes out as trans (female to male) which the other characters affirm and support, and then said character proceeds to kiss another girl. Yet another character comes out as a lesbian and the other character is happy for her.

I was further shocked to learn the target audience for this book is middle grades (ages 8 – 11)! These seemed like really adult themes for young children! The only thing I liked about this book is the hijabi soccer player in the illustrations.

NOTE: As an observant Muslim book reviewer, it is important to me to uphold our Islamic values as it relates to many issues, including LGBT+ topics. However, these values are not to be misconstrued as hatred or condoning of disrespect, harassment, or violence to individuals associated with this demographic.

Guts (Graphic Novel)

Recommended Age: Middle School and Up

Opinion: Squeamishly Recommended

This book contains good messages such as the normalization of attending therapy, supporting peers when they’re ill, and learning coping strategies for anxiety. There’s hardly anything I would call morally questionable, however the constant mentioning of vomiting, going to the bathroom, and upset stomachs makes this reviewer a bit squeamish.

Advisories: cartoon portrayals of vomit, poop, and sitting on the toilet; name-calling and teasing, and a few other minor things

Details:

Guts is not going to be the book for everyone, especially if they’re a bit squeamish like me, but it is still a book I recommend. The overall theme of learning to navigate phobias and anxiety with the support of a therapist is a really important takeaway. I appreciate that more authors are bringing light to mental health issues such as this. Some readers will relate to the main character Raina and how her anxiety manifests in physical symptoms such as upset stomachs and needing to go the bathroom. Other readers will at least be able to learn more about these conditions and hopefully develop empathy and consideration for those who may be affected. This is a book I would keep on my shelf and would recommend to others (unless they’re really squeamish!).

Things I Like:

  • diversity of characters — Example: Raina’s good friend is Korean American and mentions of her food comes up more than once (ex: p. 95)
  • Raina learns different coping strategies from her therapist to deal with her phobias and anxiety (ex: p. 108, 153) and shares these with peers (p. 180-182)
  • classmates make a large get-well poster for an ill peer (p.192-193)
  • normalization of going to therapy (p. 200)

Advisories:

  • cartoon portrayal of vomit (p. 9)
  • Raina is depicted sitting on a toilet with her pants down (p. 30, 42)
  • name-calling and teasing (p. 10, 49, 92)
  • cartoon portrayal of a fecal sample [eww…] (p. 167)
  • discussion about periods (p. 197) — while there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, some parents may not be ready to introduce this idea to their reader
  • character mentions her father gets drunk sometimes and yells (p. 198)