Smackdown Books 2021

Ordinary Hazards
We Dream of Space
If These Wings Could Fly
We Are Not Free
The King of Jam Sandwiches
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team
The Companion
Punching the Air
Show Me a Sign
Land of the Cranes
Furia
Dragon Hoops
When Stars Are Scattered
Snapdragon
The Radium Girls: The Scary But True Story of the Poison That Made People Glow in the Dark
American as Paneer Pie
Tune It Out
The Gilded Ones
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
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Friday, February 25, 2022

Me and Banksy vs. We Are Not Free

 This was a tough choice for our group, as both texts were really engaging for very different reasons. We Are Not Free offered a unique perspective that hasn't had a lot of coverage in YA literature that I've read. For many students, reading about the Japanese internment in America would be an eye-opening experience, especially paired with discussions about similarities in Canada. The multiple narrators were interesting, and even though each of them only got a chapter, I felt that I really connected to many of the characters. Me and Banksy was engaging for entirely different reasons. The conflict in this story felt very topical and current and felt like it would be very easily relatable for students. The narrator, Dominica, was SO ENGAGING and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. In the end, we voted for Me and Banksy because we thought it would have a broader readership among our students, but we will definitely book-talk We Are Not Free and encourage everyone to read it! 

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