Though I have read many awesome books with many characters in the 2022-2023 school year, one character that stood out to me was Trev from Hands by Torey Maldonado. In this story, Trev goes through many physical and mental situations that shape him to be a better person and man. Once his step dad hits his mom and threatens her, Trev is lost and confused and doesnt know how to solve his problem other than learn to throw hands to protect his mom and sisters. During his journey to learn how to box he develops many traits like bravery, anger, and toughness. Trev believes that learning how to fight is the only way he can protect his family, but he learns later on that that’s not the way. Meanwhile, I can connect to this in other ways not related to fighting. When I was about 6, I wanted to be a professional baseball player (And still do), so I did what many kids would do. I would go outside to play and practice. I kept that up for about a year and then ran into an issue. I wasn’t practicing the right way, this relates to Trev when he started to find that fighting wasn’t the right way to resolve conflict. I began to start practicing the right way to hopefully reach my goal one day. Trev wanted something and went out to get it, but realized it could be done a better way and that’s how Trev connects to me. I hope you chose to pick up Hands and can learn a similar lesson of taking a step back to do things the best way possible.

 

Looking back at the year 2022 I have read many great books, but one that really stands out to me has to be The Hero Two Doors Down by Sharon Robinson. Me being a baseball player definitely plays a big role in why I liked this book so much. Also, Jackie Robinson is one of my all time favorite baseball players because of how much he has done for the game and for African American baseball players and really everyone in general. Furthermore, I have read many books about Jackie when I was younger, but this book has given me a new perspective on what he had to deal with and how good he was when facing life changing obstacles. The Hero Two Doors Down made you realize what African American people and athletes faced then and even now. It was very heartfelt and funny at the same time and is one of the best baseball novels ever. In addition, you are able to connect with all of the characters and feel like you are living in the same neighborhood with Jackie Robinson. 

One goal I have for the 2023 year is to read fifty books. During this period of time I would like to read Torey Maladano’s new book Hands. In 2022 I read Tight in was a big fan in the way he writes and the adventure in the book. Another book that really strikes my interest is the new City Spies:City of the Dead by James Ponti. This book strikes my interest also because I have read the other city spies books and it has made me want to keep reading.

 

 

The earth is like a computer, when one piece is missing the computer cannot be complete. So how will the earth continue to function when a polar bear encounter, a fire, and hurricane come a little too close to home? Climate change comes to center stage in the novel Two Degrees by Alan Gratz. Two Degrees follows the main characters Akira, Natalie, and Owen and George and their fight against climate change. Akira is riding on her horse in California with her dad when she notices some signs of a fire start to appear. Her dad also noticed, it but doesn’t pay attention to the signs of yet another climate change prone fire. After that, Akira and her dad meet some visitors that have never been to these parts in the woods, but traveled to see the giant sequoias. Then, what Akira predicted became overwhelmingly true and a fire that sound turned into a giant fast spreading wildfire and Akira, her horse, and her dad are trapped. Will Akira make it back to their house in time or will the new people they have met on the way slow them down and get engulfed in the flames? Other characters in this story include Owen and George, the two boys from Churchill, Canada. Owen and George are tour guides for their family’s business that goes around to different places in Churchill so the guests can see some of the giant polar bears. This is where brown lie down, black fight back, and white say goodnight comes into play, as they teach this saying to everyone on the tour. Once their day was over as tour guides they were going to go to their families cabin when problems arose. After starting out strong towards the house they run into a baby cub. If there is a cub there is a mom somewhere nearby. Then, they heard it, the mama bear was right by them the whole time and just about to pounce on them. Will Owen and George survive the attack or will climate change making the polar bears come closer to town be a factor in life or death? The last character in this novel is Natalie. Natalie is with her family when reports of a hurricane come into play. Her and family start getting ready right away so that what happened in the last hurricane won’t happen again. As the storm gets closer the storm starts to get very big and Natalie starts to become worried. They soon bring their elderly neighbor over so she is protected against the storm. When the storm hits it is as they expected, but even worse. Then, it broke Natalie and her family were in serious trouble and getting worse by the minute. Will Natalie and her family survive or will climate change get the best of them and claim their lives? To find out, read Two Degrees by Alan Gratz.

One scene that was very impactful in Two Degrees was when all of the kids in the book came together at a climate change convention. They made very impactful speeches and try to help persuade people to change their mind about climate change. When Natalie is up, a very powerful thing she says is “Climate change is big. It’s overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like you’re swimming against a hurricane” (Pg. 355). I have always known about climate change a little, but never really from this standpoint, and this book and quote just helped me realize this is a big problem and it just keeps getting bigger. This quote also helped me realize that climate change is starting to be a problem and people are facingthese natural disasters that are getting fed off of climate change. Finally, everyone around the world should do their part to not only help themselves, but anyone else that could be affected by this or any people in any future generations. To find out more about climate change and how you can help stop its effects, read Two Degrees by Alan Gratz.

 

                 Imagine if kids had the fate of the whole world right in their hands as part of a secret spy organization. This is exactly what happens in the novel City Spies by James Ponti. In City Spies Sara Martinez is a hacker, well sort of. Sara hacked the New York foster care system from a school computer to expose her parents for abusing the right to get money to pay for kids you adopt. Well, although Sara thought she was a hero she was still sentenced to years in juvenile detention and many years without the use of a computer. Then, one night when Sara was talking with her “Lawyer” (Randall Stubbs) when a mysterious man called Mother entered the room. Mother is a British spy in MI6 in search of one more kid for his top secret mission in Paris. Once he learned about Sara and her computer abilities and he knew she was right for the job. Mother was looking to get Sara out of juvy, but to do that they had to convince the judge,which only made it right for Mother to defend Brooklyn in court. Once the court case came Mother said his goal to Sara which is get her out of court and not have to go to juvy. After the court case Mother tells Sara that she is going to be taking her tech savvy skills to the FARM in Scotland. Not knowing anything about the FARM and whoever Mother is, Sara starts to become suspicious only to find out there is nothing to worry about. She is there with Paris, Rio, Sydney, and Kat, who are all kids aging from 12-15 also training to be a M16 spy. Furthermore, she has to become friends with kids from around the world and get to know everyone before the top secret mission. Once Sara gets to the FARM she gets a completely different name (Brooklyn) and a whole new place to live. Next, she would eventually figure out that Mother needs her for a top secret mission against Umbra (an evil spy organization). She then has to become friends with kids from around the world and get to know everyone before the top secret mission. Will Brooklyn and her team prevail against Umbra and save all of Paris? Or M16 and Brooklyn be discovered to the whole world and conquered by Umbra?

If you are interested or liked City Spies, then Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt would be a great fit for you. These two books connect because both main characters are trying to keep a big secret all the while facing an evil organization trying to defeat them. This book follows the main character Nicki, who is an orphan that used to be a pickpocket, but now part of the Witness Protection program. She then gets assigned to the Marshall’s family to protect them. The Marshalls are hiding from some of America’s most notorious criminals. This is where Nicki comes in, she was added to the Marshalls as a decoy so the criminals would not think the Marshalls were the people they were looking for. Will Nicki help the Marshalls stay protected and hidden? Or will the criminals figure out their secret and find and punish them? To find out, read Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt, but make sure you also read City Spies by James Ponti!

 

Do you like books that suck you in from page 1 and make you not want to stop reading? If so then Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz is the book for you. In Projekt 1065 Michel O’Shaunessey’s and his family are living a fake and fraudulent life under the German dictator Adolf Hitler. Michel finds himself in the Hitler youth pretending to be a good student when all of the sudden he and the other students go looking for a pilot.  Michel, going against everything that he was taught in the Hitler youth, decides to hide the pilot and keep him safe until he can be sent back to his home. One day in Hitler youth, one of his classmates, Fritz, shows Michel the plans that could change the war forever. Michel has to figure out a way to get a hold of these plans or his job as a spy fighting against Hitler could be all over. Although these plans could help change the war, one small slip could end it for him, his family, and everyone involved. Will Michel and his family get their cover blown by the Nazis or will they uncover project 1065 and help defeat the Nazis? To find out, read the book Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz.

If you liked Project 1065 by Alan Gratz you might also like City Spies Book 1 by James Ponti.  These two books connect because Michel and Sara both have a secret organization they are working for and keep many secrets.   In this book, Sara Martinez is a hacker who just hacked into the New York foster care system exposing her foster parents who have been using her and her siblings for money.  Instead of being thanked by the government they decide that she will have to go to juvy unless she can prove her innocence. Then, a mysterious man (called Mother) says he can get her out of court and have her own safe home in Scotland.  Mother gets her released only for Sara to find out what she has just gotten herself into. Sara has just been flown to Scotland to find out she is staying at FARM, while being tested for a mission. This mission has her hacking into a hackers computer and dangling from 30 feet up to catch a notorious villain. To find out what happens read City Spies Book 1 by James Ponti, but don’t forget to also read Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz.