This incredibly topical book tackles the fictional story of a twelve-year-old Black boy named Jerome who is shot and killed by a police officer when he is seen holding a toy gun. The story starts at the time of the officer's gun being fired and follows the aftermath of this decision, with chapters switching between before and after Jerome’s death. Jerome narrates from beyond the grave as he watches his family grieve, the trial, and the police officer and his daughter’s reactions. Jerome does not face all this alone in the afterlife; he is given advice and history lessons from another ghost he comes to learn is Emmett Till. Jerome is able to communicate with the police officer’s daughter as she struggles to understand her father’s actions. This tragic but hopeful book encapsulates a lot of different perspectives and weaves this with the history of violence against Black boys and men. Although this novel has a reading level for middle schoolers, its themes are those that adults can benefit from as well.

Wolf Camp
Andrea Zuill

I read the book Wolf Camp by Andrea Zuill and I really enjoyed it! The book was about a dog named Homer, who felt like a wolf. I related to this because I sometimes feel like a wolf when my dad and I sing together! Homer was eating at home one day when he got a flyer for Wolf Camp! He kept asking his parents to let him go, and eventually they did! I would recommend this story to everyone because it is a good book that talks about change, and change is something we all go through.

We Want a Dog
Lo Cole

Everyone at the bookstore knows that when a book about dogs comes in, I have first dibs on reading it. The nice people at Sourcebooks even sent along a tie for me!

I really enjoyed the drawings in the book, and think I saw myself and my sister Shadow in them!
I also liked the rhyming; it was super clever and fun! I think that everyone should read this book AND get a dog.

The ending of We Want a Dog by Lo Cole, was NOT what I was expecting! I think everyone should have a dog, or two, or three in their life! (My family also has a cat, but one of them is enough.)