Uni High Reads

A book review blog of the Uni High Library

Friday, June 5, 2020

Uplifting Black Stories: Fiction Books by Black Authors

This is an illustration by Casey Moses of a few YA fiction books by Black authors.
This is an illustration by Casey Moses (@_thebookcase on Instagram). The order of the books listed below is determined by the illustration, top to bottom, left to right.

Nic Stone (author of Dear Martin, Odd One Out, and Jackpot) urged readers in an Instagram post to read beyond books about racism and “also read books about explicitly black people– especially black kids– just being human. Doing things humans are allowed to do in our imaginations: falling in love, dealing with illness, navigating time travel, questioning other aspects of their identities, saving their country, fighting with their parents.”

In response, Casey Moses (@_thebookcase on Instagram) illustrated a stack of YA fiction books written by Black authors across various genres, including contemporary, romance, fantasy, and LGBTQ stories. These books showcase everyday life, the fantastical, and the brilliant imagination of Black people. I’ve listed below the titles illustrated in the graphic.

I made note of where you can find online copies through OverDrive and Hoopla via the Champaign Public Library and Urbana Free Library. If you need help finding books at your local library or with anything else, don’t hesitate to ask!

Please note: Books that are available as physical copies through the Uni High Library are noted with a call number in case you reference this list once we are able to return to campus.

  • Dear Martin by Nic Stone (Audiobook and eBook on Overdrive)
    • Call # Fiction St722de
  • The Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds (Audiobook on Hoopla and Overdrive) (eBook on Overdrive)
    • Call # Fiction R3355op
  • With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (Audiobook and eBook on Hoopla and OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction Ac37wi
  • Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (Audiobook and eBook on Overdrive)
    • Call # Fiction G1922fu
  • Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson with lyrics by Malik “Malik-16” Sharif (Audiobook and eBook on Hoopla and OverDrive)

Post by Cynthia

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Bookish Playlist: Music-themed Books

A graphic of music-themed books with the covers cropped as squares to look like music albums in a playlist. The words "Uni High is listening to: Bookish Playlist" are along the top.
Book covers are organized in order of the list below from left to right.

Lately, I’ve taken to playing a song to get me up and ready for the day, maybe with a quick dance session to get my energy up! I’ve had “Sunday Best” by Surfaces stuck in head. The music video is super cheesy, but it was just the type of thing to put a smile on my face during these weird times.

So, for you music lovers out there or for anyone looking for a new book to read, I put together this “playlist” of books that are music-themed. Hope you find something to read and perhaps new music to listen to.

I made note of where you can find online copies through OverDrive and Hoopla via the Champaign Public Library and Urbana Free Library. If you need help finding books at your local library or with anything else, don’t hesitate to ask!

Please note: Books that are available as physical copies through the Uni High Library are noted with a call number in case you reference this list once we are able to return to campus or want to request for pickup by May 15th at midnight. 

  • Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess (Audibook and eBook on Hoopla and OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction Al272s
  • Spin by Lamar Giles (Audiobook on Hoopla)
    • Call # Fiction G392sp
  • The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen (eBook on Hoopla)
    • Call # GN G412w1
  • Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes (eBook on OverDrive)
  • Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson with lyrics by Malik “Malik-16” Sharif (Audiobook and eBook on Hoopla and OverDrive)
  • Spider-Gwen, Vol. 0: Most Wanted? by Jason Latour (Writer) and Robbi Rodriguez (Artist) (eBook on Hoopla)
    • Call # GN L351sp
  • Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills (Audiobook on Hoopla)
    • Call # Fiction M625fa
  • Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Audiobook and eBook on OverDrive)
  • This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (Audiobook and eBook on Hoopla and OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction Sch91m1
  • Behind the Song edited by K.M. Walton; foreward by Ameriie (eBook on Hoopla)
    • Call # 814.54 B3951
  • Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch (Audiobook and eBook on OverDrive)

Post by Cynthia

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Ramadan Reads: Books By and About Muslim People

This image is a collage of book covers for the books listed as recommendations for Ramadan Reads.
Book covers are organized in order of the list below, from top to bottom, left to right.

While staying safe at home, you might be looking for books to read, so the library wanted to put together a list of online resources to access books and recommend a few titles. This time around, I wanted to share books by and about Muslim people in honor of Ramadan, which began April 23 and will end May 23.

There is a limited selection of popular titles in audiobook and eBook format through the University, so I’ve had to focus on titles that can be accessed through public libraries. Many public libraries use OverDrive and Hoopla for their online collections. Once checked out, you can read/ listen to the books on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or e-reader, or even on your phone using the appropriate app! I searched the Champaign Public Library and Urbana Free Library catalogs to round up these titles and I have indicated in paranthesis which format is available and on which app.

Please note: You need a public library card to check out books. 

If you do not have a public library card and/or your local library is not in Champaign or Urbana, please do not hesistate to contact us for help with:

  • Getting an electronic public library card.
  • Navigating the online collections at your library.

Whatever the case is, ask for help and you shall recieve it!

Now without further ado, here is my list of recommended reads.

Please note: Books that are available as physical copies through the Uni High Library are noted with a call number in case you reference this list once we are able to return to campus.

Fiction

  • Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi – (Audiobook on OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction Ah519do
  • Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi – (eBook on OverDrive)
  • Internment by Samira Ahmed – (Audiobook and Ebook on OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction Ah52in
  • All American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney (Audiobook on Hoopla & OverDrive) (eBook on OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction C8359al
  • Exit West by Mohsin Hamid – (Audiobook & Ebook on OverDrive)
    • Call #Fiction H1801ex
  • The Love And Lies Of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan— (Audiobook on Hoopla) (eBook on OverDrive)
  • A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi – (Audiobook on Hoopla & OverDrive) (eBook on OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction M269ve
  • I Hope You Get This Message by Farah Naz Rishi – (Audiobook on Hoopla) (Ebook on Hoopla & OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction R493i
  • Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed— (Ebook on OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction Sa163w
  • Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi – (eBook on OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction Sa178te
  • An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Audiobook and eBook on OverDrive)
    • Call # Fiction T13e
  • Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga – (eBook on Hoopla)

Nonfiction

  • We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future by Deepa Iyer – (ebook on Hoopla and OverDrive)
    • Call # 305.8009730905 Iy1w
  • We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World by Malala Yousafzai— (eBook on OverDrive)

Graphic Novels

  • That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story by Huda Fahmy (Ebook on OverDrive)
  • Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions Of Our Time by Saira Mir (Audiobook and Movie on Hoopla)
    • Please note: This is a picture book, but I watched the movie version on Hoopla and it was oddly soothing and very informational! ?
  • Ms. Marvel, Vol.1 by G. Willow Wilson – (eComic on Hoopla and OverDrive)
    • Call #GN W6933m1

Post by Cynthia

Monday, March 2, 2020

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

“Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different. She’s making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive, because last time . . . well, last time things got ugly.

Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.

Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on.” – Goodreads

Garrett captures the insecurity, turmoil, sweetness, and excitement of first love and building close friendships in a respectful, honest, and deeply caring way. This book is unique in its subject matter, and I found it informational without being preachy or heavy-handed. Alternatively, it broke down stigmas, which I believe will lead to more stories about teens who are HIV-positive just living life. Simone and her friends, Claudia and Lydia, read in an authentic, age-appropriate, and relatable voice, not shying away from any topics. There were unabashed conversations about sex, and the characters encompassed a diverse array of sexual identities and experiences that felt open-ended and explorative rather than neatly defined and cemented.

One issue I came across was that we never meet Claudia and Lydia’s partners despite them coming up in conversation frequently. They seemed like icebreakers to bring up the topics the girls wanted to discuss about their relationship struggles instead of fleshed out characters affecting the plot. Since Claudia is asexual and frankly discusses the pressure she feels from her girlfriend to do sexual things, I think teens would benefit from dialogue and interaction to process a very real issue ace folks experience. As it stands, there’s room to make one’s own judgements about the couple’s relationship and Claudia’s experience. Readers curious about sex and invested in relationship-driven stories will enjoy Full Disclosure. Fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Little & Lion will be swept into the drama and consequences of secrets spilled.

Call # Fiction G1922fu

Review by Cynthia

 

Friday, November 15, 2019

Multicultural Parent Advisory Group’s Uni Reads Resources

In keeping with our mission to create an open and inclusive community that values a multitude of viewpoints and cultivates a desire to understand and expand social awareness, Multicultural Parent Advisory Group (MPAG) is hosting an evening discussion session based on a set of short readings and videos.

MPAG members put together resources that demonstrate the act of making a person who might be seen as “other” as real, not a stereotype. By learning a person’s story and making connections, we get to know each other better.

Most of the reading material is taken from the book, Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, and Identity, by Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi, two recent high school graduates, who wanted to make a difference. The book is a result of their year long trip across America interviewing over 500 people.

See below for the list of resources:

Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, and Identity by Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi excerpts

Internment by Samira Ahmed excerpt

Videos

We look forward to seeing all members (students, parents, and faculty) at our discussion.

Posted by Medrano Torres Cynthia at 4:04 am

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki, Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (Illustrator)

Freddie Riley is in love with Laura Dean, the most popular, dreamiest, and charismatic girl in school, but there’s a few problems: Laura isn’t all that nice to her. Full of desperation after Laura breaks her heart again, Freddie begins writing to advice columnist, Anna Vice, framing the story through these emails. Despite the sound advice from her best friend, Doodle, and local mystic, Seek-Her, Freddie can’t seem to give up on her toxic relationship, even at the cost of her closest friendship. Throughout the book, Freddie isolates herself and becomes a bad friend.  She must realize the person she’s dating brings out the worst in her. This heartfelt graphic novel follows Freddie’s journey of re-learning how to show up for her friends (and herself).

The muted pinks bursting across the black and white sketches are raw, making readers empathize with intense emotions. Much like Mariko Tamaki’s previous works (This One Summer and Skim), this snapshot delves into an experience that alters a girl’s self-perception and opens opportunity for growth. There isn’t a dramatic crescendo for plot, but rather continuous moments of deep introspection. You keep wondering “will she, won’t she?” as it offers convincing portrayals of a queer teen girl making choices and finding herself. Tamaki and O-Connell succeed in representing racially diverse LBGTQ characters in a way that feels natural and layered. While this novel promotes universal experiences of first love, heartbreak, and friendship, the queer characters bring a refreshing perspective and send a powerful message, especially regarding Laura and Freddie’s unhealthy relationship. It gifts LGBTQ readers with open conversations about their experiences in a genuine and touching way. Audiences who enjoy highly emotional and realistic stories will appreciate this sad, but soft (oh so soft) book.

Side note: The plushies that sent little messages were so cute.

Call #GN T15la

Review by Cynthia

Friday, May 10, 2019

March: Book 1 by by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin (Co-writer), Nate Powell (Artist)

“Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon, one of the key figures of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper’s farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African-American president.

March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’ personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.

Book One spans John Lewis’ youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall.
Many years ago, John Lewis and other student activists drew inspiration from the 1950s comic book ‘Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story.’ Now, his own comics bring those days to life for a new audience, testifying to a movement whose echoes will be heard for generations.” – Goodreads

This is a must-read graphic novel series. The illustrations are a perfect blend of realism and dreamy artwork. Powell took on the task of depicting Civil Rights giants with such care, consideration, and thoughtfulness. The story is framed by Lewis’s experience at Obama’s first inauguration, an interesting device that reminds the reader who far we’ve come – and yet how far there is still to go.

Call #GN L58m

Review by Vicki

Friday, April 26, 2019

Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide; written by Isabel Quintero & illustrated by Zeke Peña

“Graciela Iturbide was born in México City in 1942, the oldest of 13 children. When tragedy struck Iturbide as a young mother, she turned to photography for solace and understanding. From then on Iturbide embarked on a photographic journey that has taken her throughout her native México, from the Sonora Desert to Juchitán to Frida Kahlo’s bathroom, to the United States, India, and beyond. Photographic is a symbolic, poetic, and deeply personal graphic biography of this iconic photographer. Iturbide’s journey will excite readers of all ages as well as budding photographers, who will be inspired by her resolve, talent, and curiosity.” – Goodreads

While the black and white images and thoughtful interspersing of Iturbide’s real-life photography is incredibly moving, this book’s strength is the writing. This is a great example of what happens when #ownvoices writers are given free-reign over the creative aspects of a piece of work. Quintero’s words radiate love, respect, and awe for Iturbide’s work, and given that this is a graphic novelization about photography, that’s really saying something.

Call # 770.92 Q458ph

Review by Vicki

Thursday, April 18, 2019

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

Content warning for explicit descriptions of sexual violence and murder

“A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.” – Goodreads

This book won the Goodreads Choice Award for Nonfiction (2018) and is one of the scariest books readers will pick up in their life. A heart-stopping blend of descriptive true crime, personal memoir, and extended discussion of law enforcement ethics, McNamara painstakingly traces the actions of the East Area Rapist (also known as the EAR). This violent criminal terrorized people in northern California for years before moving south and committing ten horrifying murders. Through her dogged research, McNamara rebranded this person as the “Golden State Killer,” and this book is about her attempt to help solve this string of cold cases with one singular perpetrator.

The explicit descriptions of sexual violence and murder means this is a book that is NOT for everyone; however, it provokes plenty of questions about human nature, the use of DNA in criminal justice, and the sacrifices that everyday people can make in the relentless pursuit of a goal.

Call # 364.15 M45987il

Review by Vicki

Friday, April 12, 2019

Blood, Water, Paint by Joy McCullough

Those sensitive to the topics of rape or torture should proceed cautiously. While this book is never extremely physically graphic, it doesn’t shy away from the emotional repercussions of the events it details.

A story expertly told in verse, Blood, Water, Paint retells the true story of Artemisia Gentileschi, a female painting prodigy in the 16thcentury. The book follows her frustrations in a male-dominated society – the injustices of her father, her painting “tutor,” and an incredibly sexist court system. I won’t go too far into her story, as I couldn’t do it the justice she deserves, but suffice to say, it uses verse to combine her development as a painter with her development as a woman – fighting through her mother’s death, a rape, and a trial.

I found this book stunning. I don’t normally go for books in verse, but in this case, it perfectly captures the narrator’s artistic nature, without feeling pretentious at all. The structure of the book also helps it go by very quickly – I read the whole thing in one night. Artemisia Gentileschi was an amazing woman, who endured innumerable struggles fighting for nothing more than justice – not to mention one of the finest painters of the Baroque era. Her work was largely undiscovered until the late 20thcentury, when her paintings were finally shown. The feminist themes in her paintings made her an icon within the movement (as well as the more modern #MeToo movement) and her name continues to hold those connotations today. Those familiar with her work will recognize (and enjoy) the theme of gendered power dynamics at the heart of many of her paintings reflected in this story. However, you also don’t need any knowledge of the painter to enjoy the book. Her story touches themes of injustice, resilience, and self-worth that resonate around the world today.

Call # Fiction M4599b

Student review by Elizabeth