5 Historical Novels I Wish Someone Would Write

For the first time in my life I am not enjoying my history class (European History) so to cheer myself up and rekindle my love of history I have begun looking for historical fiction to read once college apps/finals are done. My search led me to start thinking about what books I wish would be written about certain time periods. Maybe they will inspire an aspiring author!

1. Harlem Renaissance era story about a dancer. Or aspiring author who visits all the literary hangouts. Luckily for me I recently discovered Persia Walker, I got one of her Harlem mystery books from the library this week. But I'm not a big mystery fan (I don't think haha) so I would like a more general historical fiction book set during this time.

2. Eighteenth Century Enlightenment Salonniere-Salons were hosted by women and they were brilliant. The salons were gathering places for the leading intellectuals of the day and the women steered the conversation. Thus they had to be knowledgeable about a variety of topics. Tres cool! I was astonished at the lack of fictional and non fictional books about these amazing women. Granted this could only be about a person of color if it was steampunk but that would persuade me to try that new genre!

3. Spain during the Golden Age (Siglo de Oro) 15th-17th centuries. I just want to read a book about life during these times, prefarbly for the nobility. Or a fictionalized story about the famous Diego Velaszquez painting, Las Meninas. For some reason that painting intruges me.

4. Life in Paris for Black people post WWI-pre WWII. Many soldiers stayed in France because of the equal treatment they received. Was life really better for them there? Did they all intermarry or stick to Black women from the American forces?

5. Japan's Golden Age (1568-1618 I believe). I would love to know more about life for women during this time as Japan started to reform and Westernize.

As you can see golden ages fascinate me. Mainly because I hope to one day be a "Renaissance woman", someone with basic knowledge about a variety of topics and this often leads back to golden ages of society. Next week will be my 5 Contemporary Novels I Want Someone to Write!

Do you agree with these? Or better yet do you know of any books that pertain to this topic? What are your five historical novels you want someone to write?

THE COLLEGE POST (Part 1)

As you read this I am either a) trying not to fall asleep while taking the SAT (this would only happen during the math section. I simply CAN NOT concentrate on math for 20 minutes. I'm working on it though since it's kinda-sorta-majorly important) b) Anxiously waiting for the SAT to be over, c) Stressing out over what I'm going to get on the SAT, d) Hanging out with friends in an effort to forget about the SAT

I've been known to ask some college questions on Twitter (such as whether or not I should talk about my blog on my applications, which got a resounding yes and makes me want to hyperventilate or just to bemoan how expensive college is) and often people give me college recommendations. Sometimes it's their alma mater or they have a good friend there or they sent a child (or two or three) there. I decided I needed to a post for all that information. Basically, this is a post where I need, WANT advice.

What do you wish you knew about applying to college? What do you wish you knew about college?

Any advice is so greatly appreciated. Also feel free to leave college recommendations, and scholarship info. But let's keep it realistc. I don't think there's any point in suggesting Harvard because my GPA is higher than a 3.0 but lower than a 4.0. Dartmouth is out not only because of grades but because it's in a rather remote area. I don't know much about what I want in my college experience but I do know 5 things

1. Medium-Large student body (preferably with school spirit. I really like sports but I can deal if school spirit is lacking).

2. Suburban or city. NO RURAL

3. DIVERSITY (if the school only has 4% AA and 2% Latinos I can't do it. I would love to be at school where there are many Asian students and Muslims and Jewish kids because I've never been around that kind of environment on a daily basis).

4. Service opportunities. Giving back is a big deal for me so the school needs to have more than one service club, even better if it actively encourages its students to go out there and do something.

5. Excellent study abroad program. I haven't yet figured out how I'll pay for it (unless it's DukeEngage which is probably one of the greatest programs I've ever come across because it's service and traveling) but I want to have that option.

Bonuses: Field hockey team and I really really really don't think I can handle a school that requires 3 years of math. Preferably no math requirement, but I can deal with 1 year.

So I already hinted a bit at one of my dream schools but I refuse to deluge those details. why? I'll be mortified if I don't get into my dream schools and it wouldn't be fair for me to post the schools I don't really want to go to. Believe me I have a lot of reach schools and based on my GPA I'm probably in for some disappointments. But I'm going to try!

March 19-27 is my spring break and I'm going on a college road trip. Any recommendations of questions I should ask? I don't want to ask questions that could easily be found by searching their website.

Hmmm any more details needed? Oh! I have no idea if I'm going to go into politics/international relations or publishing. I do know that (at the moment) I want to major in International Relations and minor in something that I could use for publishing (marketing, English, not really sure what would be helpful right now).

But enough about me. This post is also going to contain my list of Diverse College Reads. That way, if by some off chance, a teen is scouring my blog and wants a list of books about/set in college, she will find the list and some advice :) I think that books about college students counts as YA and I know that I'm not the only one who wants to see more of these books. College is the great unknown and I think it's ripe for writers! It could be a really fun, challenging topic. I've seen a few more college books popping up, but to my knowledge, none of them feature a main character (or even secondary character) of color. So prove me wrong, leave lots of recommendations :D Some of these books have to do with applying to college and all that stress, and a few others talk about options besides college, which I deem as relevant to Young Adults.

About the College Process

Good Enough by Paula Yoo

She's So Money by Cherry Cheva

What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez

The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintero

Pull by B.A. Binns

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

An Ocean Apart, A World Away by Lensey Namioka

Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa (the summer before college) by Micol Ostow

So Punk Rock: And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother by Micol Ostow, illustrated by David Ostow

Set in College

Beta Gamma Pi series (Work What You Got=1st book) by Stephanie Perry Moore

YA Fiction Latino Booklist 2000-

My first ever booklist! It will continually expand as you give me recommendations and more and more books are published in YA/MG with Latino main characters. I didn't go further back than 2000. Let me know if I incorrectly listed a book (i.e. the author is Latino but the book does not feature a main character who is Latino). Also when possible, I tried to include the cultural background of the main character.

2011

You Don't Have a Clue: Latino Mysteries for Teens, edited by Sarah Cortez
SkateFate by Juan Felipe Herrera

I AM J by Cris Beam

Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garcia (Cuban)

Luminous by Dawn Metcalf (Mexican-American)

If I Could Fly by Judith Ortiz Cofer (Puerto Rican)

Illegal by Bettina Restrepo (Mexican)

Playing for Keeps (Amigas #4) by Veronica Chambers (mix: Mexican, Argentinean, Puerto Rican and Dominican

The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez (Mexican)

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3) by Simone Elkeles (Mexican)

2010

When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer (Cuban)

The Good Long Way by Rene Saldana Jr.

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos (Mexican)

Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintero

Fifteen Candles (Amigas #1) by Veronica Chambers (same as 4th book)

Lights, Camera, Quince! (Amigas #2) by Veronica Chambers

She's Got Game (Amigas #3) by Veronica Chambers

Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2) by Simone Elkeles (Mexican)

Fabulous by Simone Bryant (Dominican)

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle (Cuban)

Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes (Mexican)

Secret Saturdays by Torrey Maldonado (Puerto Rican)

The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Kidnapped by Yxta Maya Murray (Mexican)

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sis (Chilean)

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco Stork

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (Cuban)

2009


We Were Here by Matt De La Pena (Mexican)

Milagros: Girl From Away by Meg Medina

Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Chilean)

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (Mexican)

Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gill (Mexican)

Jumped by Rita Williams Garcia

Muchacho by LouAnne Johnson

Border Crossing by Jessica Lee Anderson (Mexican)

2008

Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry #1) by Simone Elkeles (same as 3rd)

Love & Lies: Marisol's Story by Ellen Wittlinger (Puerto Rican/Cuban)

Fat Hoochie Prom Queen by Nico Medina




Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole (Cuban)

Girl v. Boy by Yvonne Collins & Sally Rideout (Mexican)

Roberto & Me by Dan Gutman (Dominican)

The Dead and the Gone (Last Survivors #2) by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Puerto Rican)

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott (Panamanian)

Rogelia's House of Magic by Jamie Martinez Wood (Mexican)

How to Salsa in a Sari by Dona Sarkur (Cuban)

The Brothers Torres by Coert Voorhees

That's What's Up by Paula Chase Hyman

Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (Mexican)

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggles for Freedom by Margarita Engle (Cuban)

Voices in First Person: Reflections on Latino Identity, edited by Lori Marie Carlson

Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos

Mexican Whiteboy by Matt De La Pena (Mexican)

2007

!Scandalosa! by Michele M. Serros (Mexican)

It's Not About the Accent by Caridad Ferrer (Cuban)

Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa by Micol Ostow (Puerto Rican)

The God Box by Alex Sanchez

Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra

Sofi Mendoza's Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico by Malin Alegria (Mexican)

Don't Get it Twisted by Paula Chase Hyman

So Not the Drama by Paula Chase Hyman

Red Glass by Laura Resau (Mexican, Guatemalan)

Earrings of Ixtumea by Kim Baccellia

Useful Fools by C. A. Schmidt (Peruvian)

The Whole Sky Full of Stars by Rene Saldana Jr.

Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs (Mexican)

2006

Gamma Glamma by Kim Flores

Behind the Eyes by Francisco X. Stork

The Sista Hood: On the Mic by E-Fierce

Estrella's Quinceaneara by Malin Alegria (Mexican)

Getting It by Alex Sanchez

La Linea by Ann Jaramillo (Mexican)


Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer (Cuban)

Haters by Alisa Valdes Rodriguez

Honey Blonde Chica by Michele M. Serros (Mexican)

Call Me Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer (Puerto Rican)

Red Palms by Carla Haycak (Ecuadorian)

Accidental Love by Gary Soto (Mexican)

Cubanita by Gaby Triana (Cuban, duh ;)

Arana Vol 1: Heart of a Spider by Fiona Avery, Mark Brooks

The Throwaway Piece by Jo Ann Hernandez (Mexican)

Chasing the Jaguar (Martika Galvez Mystery) by Michele Dominguez Greene

Sister Chicas by Lisa Alvarado, Ann Hagman Cardinal and Jane Albderston (Mexican)

2005

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales (Mexican)

Cinammon Girl: Letters found inside a cereal box by Juan Felipe Herrera (Puerto Rican)

Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa (Cuban)

Surprising Cecilia by Denise Gonzales Abraham, Susan Gonzles Abraham (Mexican)

Downtown Boy by Juan Felipe Herrera

Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan

The Afterlife by Gary Soto

2004

Sammy & Julianna in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz (Mexican)

Who's Your Daddy? by Lynda Sandoval

Cecilia's Year by Susan Gonzales Abraham, Denise Gonzales Abraham (Mexican)


2003

Drift by Manuel Luis Martinez (Mexican)


2002

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan (Mexican)

Flight to Freedom: First Person Fiction by Ana Veciana Suarez (Cuban)

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (Mexican)

2001

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (Puerto Rican/Cuban)

Lorenzo's Secret Mission by Lila Guzman

Quincean~era Means Sweet Fifteen by Veronica Chambers

2000





*Please note that I have not read all these books so this is not an endorsement of all the books on the list. I'm just trying to provide info. But if you ask, I will certainly share some of my favorites :)

And for those of you who asked for booklists based on ethnicity, was this what you had in mind? Or would you prefer recommendations?

New Crayons & What books MUST I read before 2010 ends?

First, the year is almost over. I've already created my rather-lengthy list of the best books I've read in 2010 (so far). I'm going to spend these last few weeks of 2010 trying to finish up all my challenges and read all the books sent to me for review. But what other books must I absolutely read before 2010 ends? Must be by/about a poc, of course. But I so don't want to miss out on anything good! So let's have at it, in the comments leave me title suggestions. Odds are, I'll only get to read one or two of the recommendations but I'm curious to see if I missed out on ALL the great titles or if I read a great deal of them.

New Crayons is hosted by Color Online

Everything is from the library

Wanting Mor by Rukshana Khan

Jameela lives with her mother and father in Afghanistan. Despite the fact that there is no school in their poor, war-torn village, and though Jameela lives with a birth defect that has left her with a cleft lip, she feels relatively secure, sustained by her unwavering faith and the strength of her beloved mother, Mor. But when Mor suddenly dies, Jameela’s father impulsively decides to seek a new life in Kabul. Jameela, a devout Muslim, is appalled as her father succumbs to drink and drugs and then suddenly remarries, a situation that turns Jameela into a virtual slave to her demanding stepmother. When the stepmother discovers that Jameela is trying to learn to read, she urges her father to abandon the child in Kabul’s busy marketplace. Throughout it all, it is the memory of Mor that anchors her and in the end gives Jameela the strength to face her father and stepmother when fate brings them into her life again.

-Reading for the South Asian Challenge

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

This little thing with the perfect face and hands doing nothing but counting on me. And me wanting nothing else but to run crying into my own mom's room and have her do the whole thing.

It's not going to happen....

Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.

With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson looks at the male side of teen pregnancy as she delves into one young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. No matter what the cost.

-I'm 99 % sure I'm going to cry while reading this. C'mon it's a teenage father who actually cares about his baby. And yes I have recommended this book countless times but I've never read it. Haha. But I'm 100% sure I'm going to really really like this book.

Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

Since his parents' divorce, John's mother hasn't touched him, her new fiancé wants them to move away, and his father would rather be anywhere than at Friday night dinner with his son. It's no wonder John writes articles like "Interview with the Stepfather" and "Memoirs from Hell." The only release he finds is in homemade zines like the amazing Escape Velocity by Marisol, a self-proclaimed "Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian." Hanging around the Boston Tower Records for the new issue of Escape Velocity, John meets Marisol and a hard love is born.

While at first their friendship is based on zines, dysfunctional families, and dreams of escape, soon both John and Marisol begin to shed their protective shells. Unfortunately, John mistakes this growing intimacy for love, and a disastrous date to his junior prom leaves that friendship in ruins. Desperately hoping to fix things, John convinces Marisol to come with him to a zine conference on Cape Cod. On the sandy beaches by the Bluefish Wharf Inn, John realizes just how hard love can be.

-For GLBT Reading Challenge

Finding My Place by Traci L. Jones

"For most people, 1975 was the year that bell-bottoms were in, Happy Days was the best show on TV, and shag carpeting was the ultimate interior decoration. For Tiphanie Jayne Baker, however, it’s the year her parents decide to uproot her from her life in Denver and move to the ritzy suburb of Brent Hills, Colorado. The only Black girl at a high school full of Barbies, Tiphanie suddenly feels like she has to be better than her peers just to be equal. Ninth grade has never been so unbearable.

That is until Tiphanie meets Jackie Sue Webster. Jackie Sue may be blond, but she’s definitely not a Barbie. She spouts out crazy vocabulary words like “anomaly” and “imbroglio,” and announces that she’s walking trailer trash as grandly as if she were declaring she were descended from Queen Elizabeth. So what if Jackie Sue has some secrets? Now that Tiphanie has finally found a real friend, life at Brent Hills High suddenly seems like it might be bearable—possibly even enjoyable. But as Tiphanie begins to feel more comfortable in her new home, her ties to her old community start to fray, and she can’t help but wonder—does fitting in have to mean selling out?"

-I want to read as many of the books I WoWd as I can, including this one

I got more books from the library but that's all I'm going to share for this week.

All summaries from Amazon.com

What new books did you get? What books do I need to read before 2010 is over?

Go West young minority!

A short while ago, I completed a fantabulous five meme, in which I talked about five books I recently read, planned to read, etc. I also added my own category, 'five things I want to see more of in YA poc lit'. After I made my list (need more paranormal, boarding school, athletes, inter cultural romance and cowgirls/cowboys/Westerns), I decided to make a list of the few books out there that fit my criteria. You can find my list of YA paranormals about poc here and my list of boarding schools books in which race is not the main issue here. The latest addition is a list of poc athletes. My goal is to list at least 10 suggestions. This week I'm listting Westerns about people of color. Originally I was just going to list historical fiction but maybe we can open it up a bit to the modern day (as long as it has a 'western' feel to it. Y'know? haha. What I mean is, the book can't just be set in the west, it should take involve farms/ranches/history/cobwboys/cowgirls/pioneers/anything else YA/MG Western). I could only come up with 5 so please help me out!

1. Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Walter (I read this book as a kid and had forgot all about until I recently found it in my house. Really cute and it talks about Black cowboys past and present!)

2. Valley of the Moon: the Diary of Maria Rosalia de Milagros (1846) by Sherry Garland

3. The Journal of Jesse Smoke: A Cherokee Boy, Trail of Tears, 1838 (My Name is America) by Joseph Bruchac

4. Blessing's Bead by Debby Dahl Edwardson

5. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

6. The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner by Walter Dean Myers

7. Black Storm Comin' by Diane Lee Wilson

8. Wrango by Brian Burks

9. The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen

10. Geronimo by Joseph Bruchac

11. The Big Burn by Jeanette Ingold

12. Adventerous Deeds of Deadwood Jones by Helen Hemphill

13. Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

To Be Young, Athletic and a Poc

A short while ago, I completed a fantabulous five meme, in which I talked about five books I recently read, planned to read, etc. I also added my own category, 'five things I want to see more of in YA poc lit'. After I made my list (need more paranormal, boarding school, athletes, inter cultural romance and cowgirls/cowboys/Westerns), I decided to make a list of the few books out there that fit my criteria. You can find my list of YA paranormals about poc here and my list of boarding schools books in which race is not the main issue here. My goal is to list at least 10 suggestions. This week, I'm spotlighting YA/MG books by/about poc in which the main characters play sports.

1. Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley (YA-snowboarding)

2. Surf Mules by G. Neri (YA-surfing) ETA: I didn't fully do my research, Doret has informed that the two main characters in this novel are white.

2. The Ring by Bobbie Pyron (YA-boxing). The main character and author is white, but there are strong supporting poc characters.

3. Haters by Alisa Valdes Rodriguez (YA-motocross)

4. How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbaelstier (YA-basketball)

5. Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes (MG-baseball)

6. Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz (YA-baseball)

7. The Contender by Robert Lipsyte (YA-boxing)

8. The Warriors by Joseph Bruchac (MG-lacrosse)

9. The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr (YA-basketball)

10. Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury (MG-baseball)

11. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher (YA-swimming)

12. Double Dutch by Sharon Draper (MG-Double Dutch)

13. Ball Don't Lie by Matt de La Pena (YA-basketball)

14. Necessary Roughness by Marie G. Lee (YA-football)

15. Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gill (YA-basketball)

16. Slam by Walter Dean Myers (YA-basketball)

17. Black and White by Paul Volponi (YA-basketball)

18. Mexican White Boy by Matt De La Pena (YA-baseball)

19. I Wanna Be Your Shoebox by Cristina Garcia (MG-surfing)

20. Perfect Shot by Debbie Riguad (YA-volleyball)

21. The Hoopster by Alan Lawrence Sitomer (YA-basketball)

Upcoming Sports Release

1. Skate Fate by Juan Felipe Herrera (YA-skateboarding) Release Date: February 22, 2011

2. How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen (MG-bowling) Release Date: February 22, 2011

3. Tall Story by Candy Gourlay (YA-basketball) Release Date: February 22, 2011

*Please note that I tried to avoid featuring too many books in which the African American main character plays basketball. If you recommend them, I would be happy to add them, but I wanted to try and feature more diverse sports and characters.

Supernaturally Brown

Due to a bookish meme that I gave a new twist, I have begun to think of specific YA sub genres in which poc are ignored. I listed 5 sub genres and I hope to have five posts with recommendations of books in this genre that fit my criteria. If you missed last week's post, it was a list of YA book set in/near boarding schools with poc as the main or very important secondary characters. Feel free to add on recommendations to that list as well!

I'm not entirely clear as to the difference between paranormal and supernatural so I decided to include both. I would love it if someone clued me in on the difference though :) Some of these titles do come from recommendations left at the original post so stop by there to see who recommended what (and thank you so much for all who left recommendations!)

1. Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda (and its sequel The Dark Goddess). I LOVE these books. There are no friendly paranormal creatures in this book, they all want to kill you. Bringing scary back (but not nightmare scary). Seriously READ THEM.

2. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves. Another book that I become a fangirl over. MUST READ. One of my favorite books of 2010.

3. Daughters of the Moon series by Lynne Ewing

4. Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith

5. Dead Gorgeous by Malorie Blackman

6. Manifest by Artist Arthur

7. City of Ghosts by Bali Rai

8. Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

9. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

10. Half World by Hiromi Goto

11. Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz

12. Other by Karen Kincy

13. Sisters of Isis series by Lynne Ewing

14. Ruined by Paula Morris

OK I won't make myself mad by thinking about all the white YA paranormal titles I could list.....

Please leave recommendations!

ETA: It's hard sometimes to distinguish between paranormal and fantasy (for example Half World could probably go either way) so I'm using my discretion when it comes to adding to the list. If it has the usual suspects of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, it will definitely make the list. For less-popular creatures (at the moment), it's harder to tell but I'll do my best! I don't want fantasy recs yet, solely paranormal.

B.W.B. (Boarding While Brown)

After I mentioned in a random bookish meme, that I wanted to see more YA/MG about poc in boarding schools with some humor, I received some recommendations via Twitter and I did some research of my own. So I've decided for the next five weeks, I will ask for recommendations of books that fit the criteria listed in that meme. This week is poc at boarding school YA/MG that are not completely unhappy and about being the "only" (fill in blank).

So please Please PLEASE help me make this list longer. The list was so tiny as is that I decided to just include all YA/MG about a poc at a boarding school. One day I will be able to differentiate the categories into 'humorous' and 'why so serious?'

1. The Fall of Rome by Martha Southgate (not YA but I think I've heard that it has crossover appeal?)

2. Maizon at Blue Hill by Jacqueline Woodson (MG/YA. Very good)

3. New Boy by Julian Houston (YA. Have yet to review, need to re-read but I remember really liking it)

4. The Poison Apples by Lily Archer (YA. I THINK one of the girls is Asian. and I think it might actually be funny)

5. Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz (YA. Funny)

6. Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey (YA. I think it's supposed to be humorous and I'm not sure if the main character is a poc but let me know if it needs to be taken off the list). ETA: See comments. Staying on list because boarding school is the backdrop and the cast is diverse.

7. Hidden Talents by David Lubar (YA. I actually own this book. I've read it. and yet I only remember that it was funny and that the guys were "delinquents")

8. The School For Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer (YA. I think it's a plot spoiler if I say who is a poc so just take my word for it?)

9. The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales (YA. I believe half of it is set at boarding school and the other half at home)

10. Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell (MG/YA)

11. Black Mirror by Nancy Werlin (YA)

12. It's All About Us series by Shelley Adina (YA)

And I just threw this one in because I want to read it...

Black Ice by Lorene Carey (Memoir of her teenage years at boarding school)

Not bad huh? But I bet I could name more than 10 about white teens in boarding school. So help me out, leave recommendations! I will add on to this list as recommendations come in.

Waiting on Wednesday: Shooting Kabul & I Need Recommendations! Again

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on

Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai

Simon& Schuster

Release Date: June 22, 2010

Fadi never imagined he’d start middle school in Fremont, California, thousands of miles away from home in Kabul. But, here he was, half a world apart from his missing six year old sister who’d been lost because of him, as they'd fled Afghanistan. Adjusting to life in the United States isn’t easy for Fadi’s family and as the events of September 11th unfold, the prospects of locating Mariam in a war torn Afghanistan seem slim -- impossible. Desperate, Fadi tries every hare-brained scheme he can think of to find her. When a photography competition with a grand prize trip to India is announced, Fadi sees his chance to return to Afghanistan and find his sister. But can one photo really bring Mariam home?

Based in part on Ms. Senzai’s husband’s experience fleeing Soviet controlled Afghanistan in 1979, Shooting Kabul is a powerful story of hope, love, and perseverance.

From the author's website.

I think there is a huge lack of novels set in or about the Middle East for young readers and I want to read more about that partiuclar region. This book is middle grade and it sounds really cute and I have a feeling it may tug at my heartstrings :)

Wanted: Global Recommendations for YA/MG POC set in Europe

I'm participating in the 2010 Global Reading Challenge. I kinda sort of forgot about it. So I need some recommendations so I can list the challenge in my sidebar. I was going to do easy but now I think I'll try and do medium (it depends on how many recommendations I get!) because this is a hard challenge ( on the expert level you have to read 2 book about Antartica. I'm pretty sure there are no MG/YA books about POC set in Antartica. We haven't gotten that far yet!)

ETA: I do not need Anatartica recommendations (that would be for expert which I'm not doing. Sorry for the confusion). Thanks though! Also if you have time check my lists for other challenges (sidebar) to make sure I don't already have the book you are about to recommend a book already on there. And please make sure the book is about a POC (if you're not sure that's ok, but if you know there are no POC in the novel, don't recommend it here).

The Medium Challenge
Read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2010:
Africa
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America (incl Central America)
South America

Try to find novels from twelve different countries or states

Here's my preliminary list (I don't want to crosspost with any other challenges, I just love to make things harder for myself!). I need help with Europe and South America especially but feel free to give me any recommendations for any country that has a blank. Just needs to be YA/MG about POC set in the country listed. Thanks!

Africa:

1. Aya by Marguerite Abouet, Clement Oubrerie

2. Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

Asia:

1. Guardian of the Spirit by (Moribito) by Nahoko Uehasi

2. Sold by Patricia McCormick

Australasia:

1. Deadly Unna? by Phillip Gwynne

2. The Pearl of Tiger Bay by Gabrielle Wang

Europe:

1. The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo (MG)

2. Lila Says by Chimo

3. The Black Canary by Jane Louise Curry (MG)

Why are all the POC books for YA/MG readers set in England, instead of other parts of Europe? I would prefer YA recommendationss for the Europe category so that's still open!

North America (includes Central America):

1. Grease Town by Ann Towell (off-color)

2. Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon

3. Raining Sardines by Enrique Flores-Galbis

South America

1. Exposure by Mal Peet

2. The Indigo Notebook by Laura Resau (is the main character a POC?)

Waiting on Wednesday & I Need Recommendations! And Bloomsbury + a winner!

Waiting on Wednesday is the meme started by Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on....

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle

Release Date: March 16, 2010

The freedom to roam is something that women and girls in Cuba do not have. Yet when Fredrika explores the magical island, she brings along Cecilia, a young slave who longs for her home in Africa. Soon Elena, the daughter of the house, sneaks out to join them. As the three women explore the lush countryside, they form a bond that breaks the barriers of language and culture.

In this quietly powerful new book, Margarita Engle paints a portrait of early women's rights pioneer Fredrika Bremer and the journey to Cuba that transformed her life.

-This book sounds amazing. I love reading about Cuba and women's suffrage, so the two combined sounds like it will be really good! I got the summary from a comment by Wendy left here (Wendy got an ARC, I'm jealous!).

Bloomsbury News: Continuing the fight but I'm going to try and have reviews for the rest of the week as well and only post Bloomsbury updates. A recap of posts I've done here

My first, very angry response: Really Bloomsbury? I'm Done. The Publishing World Needs to Take Note. Read this post to read the comments and excerpts to other blog posts as well as links to the full posts. Thanks guys and I'm sorry it's not completely up to date!

My calmer, Open Letter to Bloomsbury (To clarify: Of course I emailed this to Bloomsbury)

Next Step: What Are We Going to Do? To Boycott or Not to Boycott-The problem has been identified now how are we going to keep it from happening again? Read the post that lists the pros and cons of boycotting, comments from other bloggers with suggestions and my own suggestions.

Giveaway news: I've hit 200 followers (currently 207) which is super cool. So be ready for another giveaway in celebration. I never thought I would hit 200. Thank YOU so much guys!

The winner of The Ring, Flight to Freedom AND The House on Mango Street is....

Mindy!

Congrats Mindy you have 48 hours to reply to my email. Thank you all for entering =)

Finally, I need GLBT recommendations! POC obviously. I went to the library and got Fat Hoochie Prom Queen by Nico Medina. Except the main character isn't GLBT (I thougth she was) her best friend is. This wouldn't be a problem except her best friend is white and I really want to read a book about a lesbian POC. I have a huge backload of Male Monday reviews to do, so I don't need any guy suggestions. Just girls. So leave me a comment or email me with recommendations. Thank you in advance :)