Recommended Literature

Iqbal is an amazing novel, it is so insightful and educational. It provides readers with a perspective that simultaneously has an active role in the book’s events but also serves as an observer of Iqbal. This book highlights and vividly illustrates the conditions and daily struggles Iqbal and many other kids his age faced. It uncovers the harsh realities of child labor in international countries. It takes readers through a rollercoaster of realistic events and scenarios to express the detrimental effects of the kids’ maltreatment and struggle to fight for freedom.

I absolutely recommend this book, it is great to include in your classroom library and just an overall great read. It has great anecdotes of humor and wholesomeness all while allowing students to relate to a diverse character. I loved Melissa’s Story, I saw how much she developed throughout the novel. It is great that books like these exist, allowing growing adolescents to read novels that they are relatable. It hits even the smallest of moments, such as when Melissa locked herself in the bathroom so she could read magazines that pictured beautiful women just like she wanted to, just like she knew she would be.

Personally, not the biggest fan of this book, it is missing so many great elements that would push the book to be 3-D. This book has an omniscient perspective explaining and expresses the day a young, white boy will never forget. The boy goes through a series of events that reveal the ugliness his family shows to other races as well the harsh realities of racism and discrimination. It even ends a last striking event that leaves the young boy distraught. While the intentions of the novel were great, the overall effectiveness of those intentions were not. This book is meant for middle grade level readers, yet the themes, messages, and even the plot are so small and lack dimensions. It plainly expresses the ideas of racism and discrimination and provides no real objective. I hoped for more from this writer, hoping the book would allow students to access more critical thought processes.

This novel was very informative all while providing an overall theme and message to the readers. The information that was provided was interesting and even thought-provoking. However, my favorite element of this book was the themes that it portrayed. One of the main themes that stood out to me was the idea of tragedy versus miracle. In many instances, the fact Phineas Gage merely so chivied the incident is a miracle. The idea that he still kept his cognitive skills, mental capacity and even his regular motor skill ability intact amazed doctors and scientists who chose to study the phenomenon. In contradiction, others perceived his survival of this incident a tragedy because he wasn’t able to keep his social life. It was understood to be a tragedy because he was not able to actually live, he was able to keep up human function, but he was unable to attain humane attributes and life.

I absolutely love this book! This book would have been so relatable for me when I was in junior high school. It highlights that stigma that many black girls feel during that age of adolescence. The main character, jwafi, faces issues of making herself heard despite how profound her words are. Her counselor reaches out to her and tries to recruit her for a women’s support group so she feels empowered to use her voice as an asset. Despite much reluctance, she decides to continue with the program, and it soon becomes extremely beneficial to her and her development as a woman. She finds her voice and makes herself heard. I find this book so relatable especially as a young girl who faced some of the same issues. I am beyond grateful for the support group I joined, it truly allowed me to blossom and become unapologetic about my voice and even my opinion. It encouraged me to see the value that lied in me speaking out no matter what anyone else thought of it.

I first picked this book because one of the characters had a name the same as my own, Autumn. I was pretty skeptical about the novel, hoping that it would hold my attention past that point. I am so glad I kept reading, the novel was great and extremely inclusive. Reading the beginning of the novel immediately draws me in as the author allows the readers to catch a glimpse of both sides of the situation. You get to see the longing Autumn feels for Adonis as she constantly fonds after him and is always excited to see him. You can also feel the repel Adonis feels for Autumn that eventually fades away as he gets to know her better. This author truly took a typical tale and made it more inclusive as she adds their physical and mental deficits within the plot and literary elements of the novel.