Not Your Average Librarians Book Blog - Jessica Martinez

Culture 3 - Hispanic/Latino(a) Literature Book Reviews Book 1: Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems about Love by Pat Mora 1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Mora, P. (2010). Dizzy in your eyes: Poems about love. Alfred A. Knopf. 2. PLOT SUMMARY Dizzy in Your Eyes is a beautiful collection of poems, each told from the perspective of a different teen. Every poem gives you a peek into someone’s world, whether it’s a girl who finds peace while swimming or a guy who leaves flowers on the windshield of his crush. Each voice is unique, but they all share one common theme: love. This book captures all the ups and downs of love at a young age, the butterflies of a first crush, the heartache of losing someone close, and the deep bond between siblings who are more like best friends. Some poems are sweet and hopeful, others are sad and reflective, but they’re all honest and relatable. Whether it’s romantic love, family love, or just figuring out what love even means, these poems hit on emotions we’ve all felt at some point....

Culture 2 - Black/African American Literature Book Reviews Book 1: Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down By Andrea Davis Pinkney 1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Pinkney, A. D., & Brian Pinkney. (2010). Sit-in: How four friends stood up by sitting down. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2. PLOT SUMMARY Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down is an inspiring informational story that tells how four African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, decided to take a stand by sitting down. On February 1, 1960, motivated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s powerful words, four boys walked into Woolworth’s lunch counter, ordered a doughnut and coffee with cream on the side, and quietly refused to leave even though the counter was for whites only. Their peaceful protest sparked a movement, and each day, more and more people joined their sit-in, staying seated until they were served. Soon, the sit-ins spread beyond lunch counters to buses, parks, libraries, and more. ...

Culture 1 - International Literature Book Reviews Book 1: The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat 1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Mourlevat, J.-C. (2006). The pull of the ocean (Y. Maudet, Trans.). Delacorte Press. (Original work published 1999) 2. PLOT SUMMARY The Pull of the Ocean follows Yann Doutreleau, a 10-year-old boy who doesn’t speak and lives in rural France. After overhearing something terrifying, he leads his six older brothers, who are three sets of twins, on a risky escape from their abusive home, all the way toward the ocean. During each chapter the story is told from a different person’s point of view like the brothers, random strangers they meet, and even the people trying to find them. It’s a really creative way to show how everyone sees the same situation a little differently, and it gives the reader a deeper look at how strong the bond is between these brothers. Although it is written for middle schoolers, The Pull of the Ocean doesn’t shy away from tough topics like abuse, ...