Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Published: January 22nd, 2019
Publisher: Hachette Books
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Memoir, Social Issues, Abuse, Motherhood, Work Conditions

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REVIEW:

The low average rating for this one baffles me.

Personally, I was completely consumed. I had never read something like this before. Stephanie Land opened my eyes and made me face the truth about so many issues I had never thought much about before. She also made me realize that there are ways to discuss poverty and financial issues with dignity, elegance and strength.

Jackpot – Nic Stone

Jackpot by Nic Stone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Penguin Random House Canada
Published: October 15th, 2019
Publisher: Crown BFYR
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Romance, High School, Family, Social Issues, Money

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REVIEW:

I love the concept of this one. Two teenagers, one rich and one poor, are brought together as they try to retrace the steps of an old lady who may have just won herself over a hundred million dollars! It’s also possible she may not even have realized it…

No Fixed Address – Susin Nielsen

No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Penguin Random House Canada
Published: September 11th, 2018
Publisher: Tundra Books
Recommended Age: 8+
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Friendship, Family, Social Issues, Competition

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REVIEW:

I admire the hell out of Susin Nielsen for tackling the topics she does. It isn’t easy to talk about controversial subjects like poverty and homelessness to a middle grade audience. And yet, Susin Nielsen tries… and, in my opinion, does a superb job of discussing them.

Tyler Johnson Was Here – Jay Coles

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Distributor
First Published: March 20th, 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Recommended Age: 13+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Racism, Social Issues, Family, Romance, College

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BLURB:

When Marvin Johnson’s twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid. The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it’s up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans by Don Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
First Published: April 4th, 2015
Publisher: HMH BFYR
Recommended Age: 10+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Graphic Novel, Nonfiction, Environment, Middle Grade, History

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BLURB:

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina’s monstrous winds and surging water overwhelmed the protective levees around low-lying New Orleans, Louisiana. Eighty percent of the city flooded, in some places under twenty feet of water. Property damages across the Gulf Coast topped $100 billion. One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three people lost their lives. The tale of this historic storm and the drowning of an American city is one of selflessness, heroism, and courage—and also of incompetence, racism, and criminality.

The Hate U Give Review

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Edelweiss
Publication Date: February 28th, 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Social Issues, Race

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BLURB:

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice. Movie rights have been sold to Fox, with Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) to star.