Abby SherBesprekingen

Did you know that almost three million children and adolescents have a parent who has or had cancer? Knowing that there are so many people who have to suffer from this just makes you want to know how they deal with it.

This book is about a young girl who does not have her parents in her life. The conflict is her mother is always working and cannot always be there. Her dad is suffering from terminal cancer. She only has her good friend, Julian who is always there for her.

This book gives you the perspective of what life would be like with little to no parenting, self-harm, and love for someone who does not love you back. The only time that there is parenting is when her mother comes home from work. Along with this, when she gets angry and sad, she finds a safe spot. Then she will begin pounding on her head until she gets to the number five hundred. This is because she is angry and embarrassed at herself and others.

The book is emotional, and for some people, it might be relatable, because the main character and other characters share their feelings on dealing with life’s situations. For example, Eleanor goes to her dad’s doctor, Dr. Ganesh, to talk about her feelings. Since he is a doctor, he cannot listen and tell her personal information. Over time, she gains feelings for the doctor and tries to kiss him at the end of the book. She is going through this rough time with losing her dad and her best friend. I won’t say what happens with both of them but she needed them at this time.

I think the theme of this book is that if you need help with self-harm and feeling abandoned, you should get help. Before you do something that you might regret. Because in this life in the book, there is little help for a young girl who is struggling in life. There is her mother who comes in at the end of the novel along with her sister. Her sister is in college and just left her family behind. Eleanor’s mother took off time from her work when she learned what was happening to her husband. In reality, a young girl would do something like self-harm to get somebody’s attention.

I recommend this book because it has a nice but sad turn in the book towards the end. Although some parts may be sad, family is an important part of the theme because it highlights the importance of having someone. So, if you want to read a book about how to deal with stress, anxiety, and the death of a loved one, this would be a good book for you to read.

Gr 7 Up—Undocumented siblings Valentina and Ernesto confront life-threatening dangers as they try to get from the
East Coast to California, a sanctuary state. Set in the near future, many elements of the story—border walls, raids,
abusive human smugglers—already exist today. Rooted in Mendoza's work with undocumented people, this chilling
narrative is a realistic exploration of the diversity and trauma of undocumented immigrant experiences.

Trigger warnings for sexual assault, sexual harrassment, racism, murder, violence and child death. When I first read this, I kept crying and my hands shook a few times. I rated it four stars and had no idea where to begin on review, so I didn't. Now, I cautiously checked it out again, and took a day to prepare myself psychologically. This is an incredibly important read. I'm so glad it's widely distributed and I got to read it. The rest of my opinion is absolutely a "me" thing. The book opens up with a teenager walking across the border into a future USA, and she steps on a landmine. Such a powerful and tragic beginning! Surely it will be a theme. It...is never mentioned again beyond a few pages of the first chapter, and that's in the vein of "how sad. Let me go into exposition." The exposition would have been smoothly done, but here it was jarring. The way the teen was described as walking across the border was spread out over paragraphs of the narrator thinking. It made the teenager seem like she was waaaaaaalllllkinnnggggg acrosssss the borrrderrrr with no cares in the word, instead of a terrifying fifteen steps that Vali, the narrator, said it was. Fifteen steps while Vali, the narrator, was thinking so much! Ugh. Poorly done.

The book launches into emotions and dystopia immediately after the narrator stops thinking so much. Great! Wow. I'm liking this story and the world-building is chilling. My problem was that there were hunks of paragraphs with a sentence of action or dialogue, and I disliked the style. This continued throughout. In some cases, it fit incredibly well and I welcomed it. In others, it was, "Wow. Vali sure has a lot of time to think while all this stuff is going on." The details were so well done in this, and the plot, stakes, and obstacles were fantastic. I dislike "wandering in the wilderness" stories, and this one was that. I hadn't remembered it as taking up so much of the book, but it did, and I knocked off a star. On second read....I don't know why, but I was less emotional. I was sad. I was freakin' sad, and had to set the book aside nearly a dozen times so I could just...breathe. I needed to just breathe and try not to despair. I'm reading a book. These characters and circumstances are fictional, but they feel so real. But the first time, I had to set aside the book twice. I remember thinking I might not even finish it since I was so distressed. Now, I resolved to finish it that night. I did. I had forgotten several things in the second half of the book, so it was like going through them again for the first time. The ending was--it felt realistic. It felt "yes, that would happen in this story." I would have been pleased with the consistency had I not been still feeling a sense of dread and emptiness.

My compliments to the authors. When I fully recover emotionally, I'm curious to check out their other works, separately and together.

Vali and her parents came to the US after leaving Colombia. Since arriving in California, conditions for the undocumented deteriotriated. A Deportation Force was established, everyone with papers had to be chipped, and life becomes more and more dangerous for the family. In 2032, after her Papi has already been disappeared and her mother is taken, Vali and her younger brother try to get across the country to California, a place that has agreed to offer sanctuary. It's a harrowing journey and the obstacles put in place by the government of the United States are horrific and oddly familiar.
Vali's determination and perserverence in the face of tremendous struggle and obstacles made me want to see her story through to the end.

Always love these books. The stories are so inspiring, and this definitely counts as a speed read since it only takes about 30 minutes to read, so lots of great information in a short amount of time. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book reinforces the important truth that young women can start and run businesses that they believe in. By showcasing these particular women, it is clear that neither color, religion, or country of birth need stop a truly motivated person. Many of these icons are activists as well and are known to many, others are simply well-known in their own field. Excellent book that is designed to make all think outside the box and act of belief in their opportunity to enact change. The colorful illustrations continue to be excellent!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from Rebel Girls via NetGalley. Thank you!

The Rebel Girls books are a great encouragement for the girls who will grow to be the movers, shakers, and fixers of the world they will inherit. The role models in this book are mother/daughter pairs who have excellent rapport with each other and the goals they have set for themselves. There are women well known to all, or to today's mothers, or today's girls, or simply good examples from prior and current century. Excellent book that is designed to make all think outside the box and act of belief in their opportunity to enact change. The colorful illustrations continue to be excellent!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book from Rebel Girls via NetGalley. Thank you!

It is in these pages I find kindred spirits. It is nice to know that there are others out there who believe in saving the planet and innovating to get away from burning fossil fuels. I always feel surrounded by people that don’t care or pay attention to these things, so it’s nice to know I’m not alone. Of course, these remarkable women and girls are all way more inspiring than anything I have done is. It is sad that there are not more pages to this little book, we all need to be activists for Earth. Maybe there can be a second edition one day with even more remarkable women doing the hard work of fighting for our 🌎. Everyone should make time to read about these leaders. It literally takes about 30 minutes to read. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think that the publisher's blurb covers the basics very well. I can only add that the illustrations are colorful and right on target as are the choices of those who are working to save our planet. This is important! Get one for home and another for the local library!

This well put together and beautifully illustrated book has been vetted by an eighth grader, a second grader, and their grandmother, and gets a 5 star rating from each of us!
Women in the Olympic games have Frenchwoman Alice Milliat to thank, American Allyson Felix fought for women Olympians in another way, Australian Ariarne Titmus swam her way to the Gold in 2021, Brigette Lacquette grew up in a First Nations town in Manitoba where her dad saw her determination and built a her a hockey rink in their backyard where she honed her skills until she got on the 2018 Canadian Women's Olympic Hockey Team as the first First Nation's player. There are many more determined women who persevered despite ridicule and obstacles and even being refugees from their own beloved countries, and some of them are highlighted here.
Fleur Jong of The Netherlands lost her legs and more at 17 but went on to great heights in the Paralympic Games as a sprinter an in the long jump, and Tegan Vincent-Cooke from Great Britain has won in the Paralympics on a horse despite having Cerebral Palsy.
Get a copy for your local library, too!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Rebel Girls via NetGalley. Thank you!

Another wonderful collection of Rebel Girls. 25 powerful, rebel women with an longer descriptions of the women for an older audience. I bought the original Rebel Girls when my daughter was born and am thrilled that I can continue purchasing these books as she ages. I especially appreciated the added content at the end for young readers to add their own thoughts. This book will make a wonderful addition to the many Rebel Girls of the world.

This well put together and beautifully illustrated book has been vetted by a preteen and her grandmother and gets a 5 star rating from each of us!
Featured Women Include:
*Harriet Tubman, Freedom Fighter
*Leymah Gbowee, Liberian Peace Activist
*Wilma Mankiller, Chief of the Cherokee Nation
*Xiye Bastida, Mexican-Chilean Climate Activist
*Jacinda Arden, Prime Minister of New Zealand
*Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza, the First Indigenous Woman in Oaxacan Politics
*Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani Children's Education Activist
*Melinda Gates, American businesswoman and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable organization
*Stacey Abrams, Voting Rights Activist and US Politician
*Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Lawyer and US Supreme Court Justice and more!
Get a copy for your local library, too!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Rebel Girls via NetGalley. Thank you!

A dystopian America is headed by a Trump-like president who has it out for the "illegals" who are "ravaging" the country, employing a brutal Deportation Force to round them up. Vali and her mother, refugees from Colombia, have lived under the radar with their counterfeit ID chips. When California secedes from the nation Vali's family knows it is time to flee Vermont to find sanctuary. The journey however is hard and tragic. A dark interpretation of recent events that hones in on the humanity we all need to recognize.

RGG: Yes, another horror story of being undocumented. And despite being futuristic, it's so spot on to today's political environment that it's unnervingly realistic. But also an absolute page-turner. Mendoza and Sher figured out how to concisely convey a story with well-developed characters, a sensical plot, and a realistic ending. Reading Interest: 13-YA.

RGG: Yes, another horror story of being undocumented. And despite being futuristic, it's so spot on to today's political environment that it's unnervingly realistic. But also an absolute page-turner. Mendoza and Sher figured out how to concisely convey a story with well-developed characters, a sensical plot, and a realistic ending. Reading Interest: 13-YA.

Zoe and Hannah (aka Hank) are best of friends...since kindergarten. But something happened during the summer between sophomore and junior year of high school. Hank started noticing cuts on Zoe's arms and the fact that she barely eats became even more blatant, something Hank couldn't just ignore.Sure, Zoe was going through a lot with her parent's breakup. But even so.

It got to the point that Hank had to talk to someone and since Zoe's mother, Alli seemed to be in denial, it fell on Hank to talk to Zoe's dad, Travis. He took it seriously and had Zoe institutionalized for treatment.

While Hank's side of the story follows the story from the beginning of junior year and how the situation progressed to the point of her talking to Travis, Zoe's story consists of letters she writes to Hank from her hospital and the progress she makes from her initial hatred of Hank to her finally coming to terms with her illness.

Miss You Love You Hate You Bye is an easy read for a difficult topic. Well worth the time.

Eleanor is having a tough time. It all centers around her dad's cancer. As the book opens, her mother has left her in charge of injecting her dad with a saline treatment. It doesn't go well and she ends up having to take her dad to the hospital. This doesn't help Eleanor's already fragile psyche. She feels responsible for her dad's relapse.

At the same time, she's falling for the resident on her dad's case, Dr. Ganesh. They both seem mutually interested in one another, even though he is twice her age. Dr. Ganesh gives Eleanor his phone number so she can call to discuss problems with her dad. In a moment of impulse, she texts him a provocative photo of herself, and he cuts communication with her.

Julian is Eleanor's best friend. He is a dancer and has been admitted to a program on the West Coast, which devastates Eleanor. In the mean time, they are in a dance production together at school with a feminist director who wants everyone to get in touch with their inner female.

Here's the thing with this book. It's a character book, not a plot book. I like character books and I think this is a decent character book. Here are some of the things I learned about Eleanor.
1. She loves her dad. She fights for her dad. She has a mega load of memories with her dad. She has to accept that her dad is dying and this is hard for her.
2. She thinks a lot about death on a grand scheme. Each chapter begins with an example of a way humanity could cease to exist. Mass extinction. Nanotechnology. Pandemic. Pollution. To name a few.
3. She has issues with germs. Sometimes she washes her hands until they are red. She soothes her anger by hitting her head against the wall repeatedly and hard.
4. She resents her mom for working so much, and for trying so hard to understand her. In the end, she knows she needs her mom because her dad is dying. This is also true with her older sister. Both relationships improve over the course of the story.
5. She wants to be noticed, appreciated, loved. This explains her flirtation with Dr. Ganesh. She doesn't want to be an adult. She wants someone else to make everything turn out ok.
6. In the midst of her darkness regarding the end of the world and the realization that everyone is going to die, she finally realizes that yes, everyone is going to die, so don't waste one second.

Despite my dislike for teen fiction (I usually read middle grade fiction), I liked the many facets to Eleanor's character and her struggle to cope with her dad's death.

"Nobody was safe. Nothing lasted. Never, in the history of time, could we slow or stop ourselves from self-destruction." ... Wow. Just wow. With those exact words Abby Sher closes chapter 15 of All the ways the world can end. But it doesn't end there, this book follows the life of a young lady by the name of Elenor, "Lenny" for short. In 22 exquisite chapters, Lenny drags herself through life day by day dealing with the fact that her father is "actively dying". Lenny develops extreme anxiety and OCD about the end of the world. She keeps lists about the worlds strangest diseases, environmental catastrophes & any other way mankind would meet its fate. She convinces herself the world is soon to end. But aren't ends, just new beginnings?

Thanks to the #kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

very difficult to read, but a must read. The stories must be read and shared, and we need to talk about sex trafficking and the victims of this crime.

The book is horrendous and painful to read, but at the same time filled with strength, empowerment, hope and perseverance. It has inspired me.

very difficult to read, but a must read. The stories must be read and shared, and we need to talk about sex trafficking and the victims of this crime.

The book is horrendous and painful to read, but at the same time filled with strength, empowerment, hope and perseverance. It has inspired me.

very difficult to read, but a must read. The stories must be read and shared, and we need to talk about sex trafficking and the victims of this crime.

The book is horrendous and painful to read, but at the same time filled with strength, empowerment, hope and perseverance. It has inspired me.

A cute little YA book. But it's still terribly predictable and cheesy. Yeah, I'm not the target demographic, but surely you can do better than this. The characters are stereotypes with questionable motivations and plausibility. There isn't a sense of setting -- no one does much skiing. And the end romance seems doomed anyway. There are better selections out there.