#Nate Petroski | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ericleo108 · 1 year ago

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My Favorites 2023

Last Years: 2020, 2022

This is a list of my favorites. This started off as my favorite YouTube channels, but I have since expanded the list. I watch a lot of media over the internet. I still watch youtube every day. I do not have cable. I tend to gravitate to informative and educational content. As a hip-hop artist I watch a lot of rap-related content to keep my hand on the pulse of the culture. I have broken down my lists into categories. I still watch the posted YouTube clips from the night before late shows in the morning.

My Top Favorite (Late Night) TV Shows I watch on Youtube

Amber Ruffin

The Problem with John Stewart

Jimmy Kimmel

Stephen Colbert

Seth Meyers

Jimmy Fallon

The Daily Show

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Real Time with Bill Maher

It’s no longer hard to pick who my favorite late night tv show host is. If I had to pick between them I’d STILL pick Amber Ruffin. I’ve been missing John Stewart who does an excellent job of getting right to the heart of the problem. I like Kimmel’s dry sense of humor and Fallon’s antics. I’m really impressed with John Oliver’s program and Seth Meyers’s “A Closer Look” segment.

I have broken down my favorite YouTube channels into two categories, general, and farm. I watch a lot of farm-related content. Although I don’t think I want a farm even if I could afford one, I love watching the animals and farmers doing chores. I feel I get a different lived-experience when I watch these videos so I have the perspective of a farmer, which I’ve always wanted.

Top Five YouTube Farm Channels

Gold Shaw Farm

Urban rescue ranch

Just A Few Acres Farm

Justin Rhodes

Nate Petroski

Greg Judy Regenerative Rancher

Top Favorite YouTube Channels

Philip DeFranco

Leeja Miller

Adam Conover

HasanAbi

Democracy Now!

Mark Rober

Casey Neistat

How Ridiculous

Casual Geographic

Robert Reich

I don’t even watch Drama Alert anymore. Roman Atwood doesn’t hold my interest like it used to. I’d rather watch something with animals in it rather than explosions or rc cars. Mark Rober got knocked off his top spot. His videos are engaging and awesome but there is only one per month. I still watch Phil every day he posts a show. I don’t even watch the vlog squad anymore or Jason Nash. My interests are more sociological and news-oriented from the top.

I still watch an ASMR video every night to fall asleep. The one thing I can’t stand is when ASMR artists touch or poke the screen or their lens. It’s a pet peeve that gives me that cringe you get when looking into bright lights for too long. Some artists do it all the time, like FrivolousFox ASMR, which really prevents me from liking them although I want too.

Top YouTube ASMR Artists:

Ephemeral Rift

Dr. T

ASMR Zeitgeist

Hypnotic dreams

asmr_divinity

Dong

Trigger Happy ASMR

Peaches

Sophie Michelle

ASMR Bakery

Honorable mentions on tiktok

Asmr kenobi

Luke ASMR

Depending on the time of day determines what type of asmr video I watch. If it’s at night it has to be a dark background and a long video. If it’s during the day it can be brighter and shorter. ASMR Zeitgeist is still one of my favorites. I still think they are the Cadillac of ASMR. I have logged the most hours on my tv with Ephemeral Rift. Dr. T has great videos for naps, same with Hypnotic dreams tapping videos. Divinity has been giving ephemeral rift a run for his money as I have been using her videos more and more to fall alseep. I added ASMR Kenobi and Luke as honorable mentions who entertain and put me to sleep from tiktok.

Top 10 Hip-hop related content

Now we will get into the hip-hop-related favorites starting with dancing channels.

Top 5 Dancing Channels on Tiktok/Instagram

The Pitman Sisters

Cost and mayor

Party with Carly

The Begin sisters

The Song Twins

My current favorite rappers

LaRussell

Russ

Snoop Dogg

Connor Price

Gawne

Honorable mention:

Mike Posner

Top ten affiliated underground rappers

Headband Henny

Jay Matthews

Cmadd

Rich G

Zen Requium

Duce

Kurupt the killa

Gibson

Kharii

Mr. J

Honorable mentions:

Hundo music

Ardea

Lumi funk

I put Mike Posner as an honorable mention because he is one of my favorite artists, is from Michigan, but isnt a rapper. The top ten affiliated underground hoonorable mentions are Michigan artists that I know or work with. Hundo is a guitar player with a couple albums. Ardea is my producer’s artist moniker from Kalalmazoo Michigan. And Lumi funk is a funkadelic band from the UP who I went to school with the bassist.

Here are channels that are about hip-hop whether it be educational, entertainment or interviews. I did my top favorite commentary channels but Pat CC is the best, but he does documentary style commentary.

Favorite Hip-hop related content channels

Kyle Beats

Pat cc

Ocean

Hiphop dx

Big boys neighborhood

Curtis king

Brand man Sean

CrackaLacktv

Adam Ivy

Wendy day

Top 5 hip-hop commentary/reaction channels:

Hiphop madness

Anthony Fantano

Blacky speaks

Mattyballz

Louaista

Fantastic hiphop

Top 10 beat makers; I have a published song made to all of these

Tantu

Keyano

Ryini

Anno domini

That Kid Goran

Feniko

Destiny

Kylo

They Call Me Heat

Bb beats

Honorable mention:

RJ Pasin

I have made a song with all of the listed beat makers. RJ makes guitar samples, but I have a song from one of his samples that is currently doing well. Maybe next time I’ll have a list of sample makers. Like most independent artists, I only work with producers who I like their sound, so naturally they’re also my favorite. But if money was no object I left the list of unobtainable producers who are way outside my career and pay range. The last one is dead but arguably the most sought-after producer ever.

Top 10 Unobtainable Producers:

Dr. Dre

Pharrell

Timbaland

DJ Mustard

Swiss Beats

DJ Quik

Mike Will Make-it

Rick Rubin

The Alchemist

Just Blaze

No ID

J Dilla

#rap #rapper #hiphop #love #michigan #usa #favorites #youtube #producers #hip-hop

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parsippanylibrarykids · 6 years ago

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By: Miss Rose, Miss Sam, & Miss Kristen

FICTION

Ahdieh, Renee. Flame in the Mist. G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2017. 416p. (gr. 7-9)

On the way to the imperial city to meet her betrothed, Raiden, Mariko and her escort are ambushed by the dangerous Black Clan, a gang of bandits that were hired to kill her. She dresses as a peasant boy to survive, infiltrating their group and eager to find out who hired them. Mariko impresses them with her wit and connects with Okami, one of the leaders. While there, she starts to question the truth about her family and her desires.

Albertalli, Becky. The Upside of Unrequited. Balzer + Bray, 2017. 340p. (gr. 9-12)

Molly has had her more than her fair share of crushes but nothing ever seems to come from them, as her twin sister Cassie keeps reminding her. When Molly makes a connection with Will, Cassie pressures her to start a relationship with him but Molly isn’t so sure that is what she wants, especially as she starts to get to know her coworker Reid and bond with him. Molly and Cassie’s relationship becomes additionally strained as Cassie starts spending more time with her new girlfriend and not participating as much as Molly would like when they need to start working on their mothers’ long-awaited wedding after gay marriage is finally legalized.

Benway, Robin. Far From the Tree. HarperTeen, 2017. 374p. (gr. 9-12)

After Grace, who was adopted as an infant, becomes pregnant and decides on an open adoption for her baby, she realizes that she would like to learn more about her own biological mother as she struggles with her feelings for her baby and her decision. Her supportive parents help her with the search and she discovers that she has a younger half-sister who was also adopted as an infant and an older half-brother who has been in the foster care system since he was a toddler. She connects first with Maya and then with Joaquin, who are struggling with their own issues, which include Maya’s mother’s alcoholism and Joaquin’s feeling that he isn’t worthy of love. The three siblings bond over their search for information on their birth mother and help one another sort through their feelings.

Buxbaum, Julie. What to Say Next. Delacorte Press, 2017. 304 p. (gr. 9-12)

When popular and beautiful Kit Lowell starts having lunch with socially awkward David Drucker, everyone at Mapleview High takes notice. But Kit doesn’t mind especially since David’s brutal honesty is oddly refreshing at a time when she’s struggling to overcome the shock and devastation of her father’s recent passing. Used to being outcast and ignored, David welcomes the sudden friendship and agrees to help Kit try to solve the mystery behind her father’s tragic car accident.

Cheng, Jack. See You in the Cosmos. Dial Books, 2017. 320 p. (gr. 5-9)

Aspiring astronomer Alex Petroski is only eleven, but he’s already building a rocket to send into space. Alex and his dog Carl Sagan (named after the real life astronomer), make the journey from their home in Colorado to the Southwest High-Altitude Rocket Festival (SHARF) in Albuquerque to launch his Golden iPod into space aboard his rocket, Voyager 3. Along the way to SHARF and beyond, Alex meets new friends and captures his adventures in daily recordings on his Golden iPod, in the hopes that other lifeforms will get to hear about what life on Earth is like.

Colbert, Brandy. Little & Lion. Little, Brown and Company, 2017. 330p. (gr. 10-12)

After Suzette’s stepbrother Lionel begins to exhibit disturbing behavior stemming from undiagnosed bipolar disorder, Suzette is sent to a boarding school across the country while Lionel receives the treatment he needs. At school, Suzette has a secret relationship with her roommate but it ends disastrously and she’s not sure she is ready to come out to her parents, even though they are always supportive of her. While home for the summer, she realizes she has feelings for both her long-time platonic male friend Emil and mysterious new acquaintance Rafaela, which makes her even more confused. On top of this, Lionel confides in her that he is off his medication and Suzette agrees to keep his secret against her better judgement. When Lionel runs off during an outing, Suzette is forced to come clean to her mother about everything.

Cook, Eileen. The Hanging Girl. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. 311p. (gr. 9-12)

Skye’s mother believes in all things paranormal, especially psychic abilities. Skye isn’t a believer, but she has convinced her classmates that she is indeed psychic and gives tarot card readings to her classmates. A fellow student convinces her to use her pretend skills in the kidnapping of a rich girl, but things go horribly wrong for the kidnap victim and Skye has to stay one step ahead of the police.

Firestone, Carrie. The Unlikelies. Little, Brown and Company, 2017. 323p. (gr. 9-12)

The summer before Sadie’s senior year of high school looks like it is going to be a dull and lonely one, as all her closest friends are a grade ahead of her and leaving for college. After an altercation at the farmers market where she works is caught on video, Sadie is lauded as a local hero and invited to be honored along with other teens who have done extraordinary things. The hero teens form a bond and over the course of the summer work together to help underdogs as best they can. An unexpected windfall bequeathed to Sadie by her employer aids them in their quests.

Frank, Steven B. Armstrong and Charlie. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. 304 p. (gr. 6-8)

It’s 1973 and Charlie and Armstrong are starting sixth grade in Los Angeles. For Charlie it means starting a new school year without his brother Andy who recently died in a tragic accident. Armstrong is not looking forward to sixth grade either. He is feeling uncertain and apprehensive about being bussed to an all-white school away from his neighborhood and most of his friends. Charlie and Armstrong clash at first, but what starts as a fierce rivalry soon turns into a close friendship.

Goo, Maurene. I Believe in a Thing Called Love. Farrar, Straus & Giroux BYR. 2017. 336p. (gr. 7-9)

Desi is an overachiever who likes to plan things out. So when she finds herself flailuring (failing at flirting) yet again, she plans the perfect way to get noticed by her crush, Luca, in a good way. Raised by her widowed Korean father, she grew up with a steady diet of K-Dramas. With her Appa’s help, she meticulously creates a perfect list for her real-life K-Drama and sets her plan into action.

Green, John. Turtles All the Way Down. Dutton Books, 2017. 286p. (gr. 9-12)

Billionaire Russell Pickett is being investigated for fraud and bribery, currently on the run from authorities and there is a substantial reward being offered for knowledge of his whereabouts. Because Aza knew his son Davis when they both attended the same grief camp as children, her friend Daisy convinces her to talk to Davis to try to find out where his father is hiding so they can split the money from the reward. When she and Davis reconnect, Aza develops feelings for him. Her overwhelming anxiety interferes with her friendship with Daisy and makes it difficult for her to pursue her romance with Davis.

Lloyd-Jones, Emily. The Hearts We Sold. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2017. 381p. (gr. 10-12)

In a world in which demons are real and they can grant anyone a wish….for a price, Dee Moreno decides that the only way to get away from her bad home life is to make a wish. Unlike modern myth, the price isn’t a soul, but a body part. With the news that she won’t have a scholarship come the new school year, she trades away her heart for two years and is enlisted to protect the world by closing the voids that open up to unleash monsters on the world.

Lu, Marie. Warcross. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2017. 368 p. (gr. 9-12)

Teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet illegally on the virtual reality game called Warcross. When Emika needs to make some quick cash, she takes a chance and hacks into the opening game of the Warcross Championships and ends up at the center of the biggest international event. Unfortunately, Emika gets caught and finds herself face-to-face with the elusive creator of Warcross, Hideo Tanaka. Instead of arresting her, Hideo asks Emika to play in the tournament and spy on the other players to uncover a security problem. But Emika’s investigation uncovers much more than just a security breach in the Warcross empire.

McManus, Karen M. One of Us Is Lying. Delacorte Press, 2017. 368 p. (gr. 9-12)

It’s a typical afternoon for five students who are stuck in detention. By the end of it, though, one of those students, Simon, won’t make it out alive. When it’s revealed that Simon had planned to expose juicy secrets about the other four students on his gossip app, “About That,” all four of them become suspects in the murder. Bronwyn (the brain); Addy (the beauty); Nate (the criminal); and Cooper (the star athlete) are forced to confront the allegations brought to light by Simon’s blog. Though they barely know one another and belong to different cliques, the four band together to prove their innocence. And yet they were the only ones with Simon when he died. Did one of them kill Simon to protect a powerful secret or are they being framed by an outsider?

Menon, Sandhya. When Dimple Met Rishi. Simon Pulse, 2017. 384 p. (gr. 9-12)

Dimple Shah is glad but surprised when her parents agree to pay for her to spend the summer at coding camp in San Francisco. Dimple is passionate about coding and also looking forward to the break from her mother who mostly just wants Dimple to find the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic so when his parents tell him the girl they hope to be his future wife, Dimple, will be attending the same summer camp as him he is eager to meet and impress her. Needless to say, Dimple and Rishi’s first meeting does not go as planned once Dimple learns the Patels and Shahs played a role in the “suggested arrangement.” But slowly Dimple and Rishi’s friendships grows into something more and both are forced to confront their conflicting feelings between family obligation and the future they envision for themselves.

Murphy, Julie. Ramona Blue. Balzer + Bray, 2017. 408p. (gr. 9-12)

Ramona, her sister Hattie, and her father have been living in a FEMA trailer in a small town in Mississippi ever since Hurricane Katrina destroyed their old home. Their trailer becomes more crowded once Hattie’s boyfriend Tyler moves in after Hattie becomes pregnant. Ramona works several jobs to help her family as much as she can and she gets frustrated when people inquire about her plans for the future because all she can envision for herself is continuing to stay right where she is, working at menial jobs just to keep a roof over her family. When her old friend Freddie moves back into town and encourages her to swim with him and his grandmother, she starts to see that there might just be way out of small town life. Up until now, Ramona has only ever had romantic feelings for girls but she starts to see Freddie as more than a friend.

Nielsen, Susin. Optimists Die First. Wendy Lamb Books, 2017. 228p. (gr. 9-12)

After the death of her younger sister Maxine, Petula’s family falls apart. Petula’s mother starts hoarding cats and her father avoids home as much as he can. Petula has become hyper-focused on all the bad things that could possibly happen to her loved ones and she does her best to keep herself safe at all times. She has been attending an art therapy program through her school and meets Jacob, who has a robotic arm and his own issues that he has to cope with. Petula and Jacob form a bond but when she learns about his involvement in the death of a friend, she isn’t sure she can remain on good terms with him.

Ormsbee, Kathryn. Tash Hearts Tolstoy. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017. 367p. (gr. 7-9)

Tash is of the director of an amateur web-series that goes viral. Tash loves Tolstoy, and with her best friend, Jack (Jacqueline), they put together a modern production of Anna Karenina entitled Unhappy Families. With a mention on a popular vid-blogger’s own channel, Seedling Productions starts to reach acclaim in the webseries world, and with fame comes haters. Meanwhile, she’s also coming to terms with the the deepening divide between her older sister and a new, long distance relationship with a male video blogger who doesn’t know she’s asexual.

Perkins, Mitali. You Bring the Distant Near. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017. 320 p. (gr. 9-12)

In 1960, sisters Tara and Sonia Das are getting used to life in Queens after living in Ghana and London for several years. While Tara and Sonia adjust to life as teens in America, matriarch Ranee works diligently to make sure her family maintains customary Bengali traditions. Years later, Tara’s own daughter Anna must leave her beloved home in Mumbai and go to school in New York with her cousin Chantal. Told in alternating point-of-views and spanning generations, this is the story of the Das women.

Perkins, Stephanie. There’s Someone Inside Your House. Dutton Books, 2017. 287p. (gr. 10-12)

After an incident at her high school in Hawaii, Makani moves to Nebraska to live with her increasingly forgetful grandmother and start over where no one knows her secret. When students in her high school start dying at the hands of a serial killer, Makani and her friends investigate. While trying to figure out who in their small town is behind the slayings, Makani is forced to reveal the secret of how she attacked a friend during a hazing ritual gone wrong.

Poston, Ashley. Geekerella. Quirk, 2017. 320p. (gr. 10-12)

Elle grew up watching the sci-fi series Starfield with her late father, but the news that the movie’s version Federation Prince Carmindor is teen heartthrob Darien Freeman has her seething. An unlikely friendship begins when Darien accidentally contacts Elle when trying to talk to management at ExcelsiCon. Through her job on the Magic Pumpkin Food Truck and her friendship with her co-worker, Elle decides to go to ExcelsiCon, the Con her father helped created, to win money to get away from her stepmother by entering their Cosplay Contest.

Reynolds, Jason. Long Way Down. Atheneum, 2017. 306p. (gr. 9-12)

Will has been taught to live by the Rules of his neighborhood: no crying, no snitching, and always get revenge. After his brother Shawn is shot and killed, Will has no choice but to get Shawn’s gun and head to where the boy he is certain is the killer lives to exact revenge. On the elevator ride down, different figures from Will’s life who died from gun violence, including his father and his uncle, get on at each floor and help him figure out what he should do.

Riazi, Karuna. The Gauntlet. Salaam Reads, 2017. (gr. 4-6)

On her birthday, Farah and her two friends get transported into a board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand to rescue her impulsive younger brother, Ahmad. Inside the game, the Architect created three challenges they have to complete to escape, all the while making sure no one finds out that they’re also trying to locate Ahmad to save him. If they lose a challenge, they’ll be trapped inside the game forever.

Roth, Veronica. Carve the Mark. Katherine Tegen Books, 2017. 468 p. (gr. 8-12)

Cyra is the sister of the brutal ruler of the Shotet people. In a world where people develop unique powers called current gifts, Cyra’s is more burden than gift. She feels and can deliver intense pain and her brother exploits this, using Cyra and her power as a weapon against his enemies. Akos is the son of an oracle from the planet Thuve. His gift allows him to turn off the current, so that he is not affected by other current gifts. When he is captured by the Shotet people, Akos finds an unlikely ally in Cyra.

Ruby, Laura. The Shadow Cipher. Walden Pond Press, 2017. 448 p. (gr. 6-8)

In the 19th century, the eccentric Morningstarr twins build a dazzling New York City using new technology and impressive machines no one has ever seen before. Skyscrapers reach new heights and the Underway travels miles and miles below the ground. When the architects mysteriously disappear fifty-seven years after arriving in NYC, it’s revealed that they’ve left behind the New York City Cipher, an intricate puzzle and treasure map woven into the buildings and machines in the city they created. By present day, the Cipher still hasn’t been solved. Tess and Theo Biedermann and their friend Jaime Cruz make one last desperate attempt to solve the Cipher when they learn their beloved apartment building (a Morningstarr masterpiece) has been sold to a money hungry real estate developer with plans to demolish it.

Sanchez, Erika L. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2017. 344p. (gr. 9-12)

Julia’s older sister Olga is the perfect, dutiful Mexican daughter who only leaves the house to go to her job or attend classes at the local community college. Julia is rebellious, has a hard time controlling her emotions, and wants nothing more than to leave Chicago and go to college in New York. After Olga is killed in an accident, Julia’s relationship with her parents becomes even more strained. It isn’t until after Julia attempts to take her own life and has to be hospitalized and then has an opportunity to spend a few weeks with her family in Mexico learning more about her parents and their journey to America that she and her mother and father are able to understand each other better. She also learns her sister’s secrets and realizes that Olga was not as perfect as she seemed.

Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. Balzer + Bray, 2017. 444p. (gr. 9-12)

Starr is a passenger in the car when her friend Khalil, who is driving, is pulled over by the police for having a broken taillight. Khalil is shot and killed during the traffic stop even though he is unarmed and hadn’t been doing anything wrong. His death is all over the news and the people in her largely African-American, lower income neighborhood respond very differently than the mostly-white students at the elite prep school she attends. Caught between two worlds, Starr tries to cope with what she witnessed and get her friends from school to realize what she is going through but even her own family doesn’t quite understand.

Watson, Renee. Piecing Me Together. Bloomsbury, 2017. 264p. (gr. 9-12)

Jade loves art and language and has dreams of traveling the world someday, even though opportunities for a girl from a low income family seem limited. She hopes to get picked for her private school’s study abroad program, but when she is called down to the guidance office, she learns that she has instead been selected to participate in a mentorship program for African-American students. She reluctantly agrees to give the program a try but has a hard time connecting with her appointed mentor, Maxine who is distracted with her own issues.

Zappia, Francesca. Eliza and her Monsters. GreenwillowBooks, 2017. (gr. 10-12)

Eliza Mirk fades into the background at school, but online, she’s the creator of the popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Within her anonymous world online, she has friends and people that understand her, but it isn’t until she finds out the new guy at school, Wallace, writes Monstrous Sea fanfiction that she starts to appreciate the real world. When her parents accidentally share her online identity, she has to not crumble under the pressure of needing to finish her comic, her relationship with Wallace, and her anxiety.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Chmakova, Svetlana. Brave. JY, 2017. 248p. (gr. 4-6)

Jensen’s reality is very different from his daydreams. He has trouble in middle school with making friends, with his school work, and even just not being left out of activities in Art Club. Akilah and Jenny, part of the school newspaper, ask for Jensen’s help with a special project about being bullied. While Jensen doesn’t believe he’s really bullied, the project opens his eyes to what challenges everyone faces in middle school, and that it’s important to be brave and make the changes you want to see in the world by reaching out to someone who seems lonely. Holm, Jennifer L. Swing It, Sunny! Graphix, 2017. 224 p. (gr. 4-7)

Sunny is having a hard time adjusting to life in middle school and at home without her brother. Even when Dale comes home from boarding school to visit, Sunny can’t figure out why he seems so different and angry all the time. Sunny is finding the year really confusing, but despite it all she’s determined to stay positive. Sunny doesn’t let her sadness get in the way of doing all the things she loves like listening to records and watching her favorite TV shows, General Hospital and Gilligan’s Island. She even makes a new friend and learns how to twirl a swing flag!

Jamieson, Victoria. All’s Faire in Middle School. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2017. 248p. (gr. 5-8)

Imogene’s parents work at the Renaissance Faire, which is a huge part of the entire family’s life. Imogene and her brother have been homeschooled but now that she is entering middle school, she is going to start public school. School proves to be a huge culture shock for her. Imogene tries to fit in with the popular girls, but ends up isolating her only genuine friend and damaging her relationship with her younger brother in the process. She figures out a way to make things right, using the skills she has learned from the Renaissance Faire.

Meyers, Marissa. Wires and Nerve. Feiwel Friends, 2017. 238p. (7-9) Iko, an android, is out to prove she is more than just a machine by tracking rogue wolf-hybrids for her friend, Cinder. The soldiers have other plans and don’t make it easy for her, even with the help of a royal guard. Iko is forced to confront the fact that while she may feel human, not everyone will see her as anything more than an android.

NONFICTION

Aronson, Marc & Marina Budhos. Eyes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and the Invention of Modern Photojournalism. Henry Holt and Company, 2017. 294p. (gr. 7-12)

Photographers and reporters Robert Capa and Gerda Taro were both Jewish refugees from Europe who made their mark in the photography world by documenting the Spanish Civil War, with a focus on chronicling the war’s effect on children.

Bolden, Tonya. Pathfinders: The Journeys of 16 Extraordinary Black Souls. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2017. 124p. (gr. 5-8)

In this biographical compilation, readers learn about achievements of some of the less well known African Americans in history who made a great impact. People profiled include Civil War spy Mary Bowser, race car driver Charlie Wiggins, and mathematician Katherine Johnson.

Gonzales, Andrea & Sophie Houser. Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting It Done. Harper Collins, 2017. 272 p. (8-12)

Andrea “Andy” Gonzales and Sophie Houser met at Girls Who Code and teamed up to make a video game that went viral. Through the success of their video game, the duo was thrust into the spotlight, inspiring girl coders everywhere. Girls are so often left behind in the tech industry, and the authors message is to not give up on your dreams and career goals despite the statistics. Included are resources for readers who are interested in computer science topics discussed throughout the book.

Heiligman, Deborah. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers. Henry Holt & Co., 2017. 464 p. (gr. 9-12)

This book explores the complex but close relationship of the Van Gogh brothers. Through nearly 700 letters, the story follows the brothers from their early childhoods, into adulthood as they developed careers of their own, and up to both of their early deaths. The author reveals the successes, differences and issues that existed between the two brothers. By becoming an art dealer, Theo made true on a promise made to his brother as a teenager to always support and encourage him, even as Vincent’s mental health deteriorated and issues developed in Theo’s personal life. Back matter includes a timeline and author’s note.

Slater, Dashka. The 57 Bus. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017. 302p. (gr. 9-12)

On November 4, 2013, Sasha, an agender teenager, fell asleep on the bus. Richard, another teen on the bus, noticed Sasha’s gauzy skirt and held a lighter to it, thinking the act would startle Sasha and nothing more. Sasha’s skirt caught fire and burned Sasha’s legs severely. Video footage from the bus led police to find and arrest Richard and charge him with a hate crime. This book examines what Sasha’s life was like before and after the attack as well as how Richard and his family were impacted by his actions. Information on the criminal justice system is included, along with information on gender neutrality.

Walker, Sally M. Sinking the Sultana: A Civil War Story of Imprisonment, Greed, and a Doomed Journey Home. Candlewick, 2017. 208 p. (gr. 6-12)

At the end of the Civil War in 1865, more than 2,000 people boarded the Sultana, a steam boat equipped to carry only 376 passengers. Aboard the boat were Union soldiers who had recently been released from Confederate prisoner-of-war camps where they had been mistreated and endured atrocious conditions. On the third night into their journey north, the boilers exploded, engulfing the Sultana in fire. More than fifteen hundred people were killed. This book describes the tragic event and examines who (or what) was responsible for the disaster and how it could have been avoided. The book is filled with photographs, maps, a glossary and in depth author’s notes.

#books #ya books #middle grade books #best books #book recs #book recommendations #best books of 2017 #middle grade #teen

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