I'm Not Dying with You Tonight by GILLY SEGAL AND KIMBERLY JONES is the story of an unlikely partnership between Lena, a black fashionista and social butterfly, and Campbell, a shy, white transplant from Connecticut who is still trying to find her way in her new home. Campbell and Lena meet when Campbell is working at a concession stand during their school's football game. A fight between the long-time rival teams spirals into a brawl, and Lena and Campbell are forced to flee the concession stand and find a way to get home safely. With Campbell's dad out of town and Lena's boyfriend unable to reach them, the two must find a way to get through the riots at their school and in their town.
I enjoyed this book because it highlights some of the assumptions we make about others and how detrimental those assumptions can be to our ability to relate to people. Lena and Campbell both have assumptions they make about the other without even realizing it. As they travel through the city and are confronted with dangerous situations, one after the other, they have to figure out how to get beyond those assumptions and work together to get to safety. I believe that we all have assumptions, and we all have things that connect us to one another. This book made me think about focusing more on the connections, and I enjoyed that.
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When Dimple Met Rishi, by Sandhya Menon, is an adorable story about the unlikely relationship between Dimple Shah and Rishi. Patel Dimple, an aspiring coder, and Rishi, an aspiring engineer, both have very clear plans for their individual futures, but all of that changes when they meet at InsomniaCon, a local app development competition. Dimple reevaluates her priorities and all that she has planned for her future, while Rishi has to decide whether to be practical or passionate. Since Rishi and Dimple's "chance" meeting was the result of an arrangement between their parents, both characters have to figure out how to honor their parents while finding their own way in the world. What I loved most about this novel is that touches on a few important themes. First, there's the constant struggle between holding on to the time-honored traditions of our families versus being willing to accept more modern and progressive ways of living. In addition, there's the question of following a passion or following the rules that we create for ourselves (or that others create for us). Finally, it's a story about love, not just the dating kind, but the self kind and the family kind, and I love love. Note: This novel does include some mature topics. Thank you, my awesome student, for your recommendation! |
AuthorMs. Singletary teaches 8th grade ELA. Archives
September 2020
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