Library Analysis Recommendations by Michael Prate

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

michaelwprate — 2025-06-16 01:26:24 UTC

This collection of short stories was published in 1979 in France, because it was banned in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia. It is broken into seven parts, with notable protagonists like Mirek, a journalist whose story of political persecution mirrors Kundera's, and Tamina, a young woman who struggles with the difficult international situation in Czechoslovakia as she tries to reclaim letters from her dearly departed husband. This book aligns with the recommendation of adding more international literature to the collection, providing the perspective of the struggle against oppressive government. The book, as the title suggests, considers how humans forget things, and the impacts of such forgetfulness, and its contrast, remembrance. It also contains themes of magic realism. It is best suited for 11th and 12th grade students.

Paradise of the Blind

michaelwprate — 2025-06-16 01:27:15 UTC

This book, written by a Vietnamese woman who lived through Communism coming to power in her country, tells the story of a young woman, Hang, living through the same experience. The complex family dynamics of her wealthy aunt and struggling mother shift drastically as the Communist regime takes power, then loses it. In addition to fitting the library's need for more international literature, this book is a powerful coming-of-age story for young readers, in which Hang navigates her role as her brother's keeper and grapples with the absence of her father. It is suitable for any grade level in high school, and would work well in units focused on themes of family responsibility, coming of age, oppression, family structures, and more.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

michaelwprate — 2025-06-16 01:48:54 UTC

This Stonewall Book Award winner tells the story of two young men, Aristotle and Dante, who become fast friends. The two then live apart for a year when Dante's father becomes a professor at the University of Chicago. Dante later confesses his love with Ari, who tells Dante he shouldn't speak about such things, and the two try to get a handle on their feelings toward one another. I recommend this book for the classroom library because it will add to the collection of LGBTQ+-themed books, but also because of its literary merit: it has won three awards and been honored for another. Well-suited for 7th-9th graders.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

michaelwprate — 2025-06-16 01:55:05 UTC

This book tells the story of Lily Hu, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, living in 1950s San Francisco and discovering her sexuality while facing discrimination for her ethnicity. This is a great recommendation for the library because Lily's perspective is not one-dimensional: her struggle in this book is not only as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but also as a person dealing with racism. this book is suitable for all grades 9-12.

Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States

michaelwprate — 2025-06-16 02:01:36 UTC

This collection of poems provides a look through the lens of Latino people living in the United States: families, parties, and music, and the struggle with the English language and its native speakers. This book fits the library's need for bilingual books, and is comprised of poems that make for fun and easy reading which is sure to keep the interest of students. This is a good read for any student in 7th-12th grade.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

michaelwprate — 2025-06-16 02:06:30 UTC

This book tells the story of Julia Reyes and the intricacies of her difficult time dealing with her older sister's death. Julia dreams of being a writer. She is not the "perfect Mexican daughter" her sister Olga was. She is not obedient and domestic; she is a dreamer. This is a bilingual text, but more importantly, it contains themes that may be relatable to the school's student body, which has an increasing Latino population. The themes of this book make it lend itself better to upperclassmen in high school, 11th and 12th grade students.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

michaelwprate — 2025-06-16 02:13:49 UTC

This "remix" of Ibram Kendi's "Stamped From The Beginning," written in the captivating style of Jason Reynolds, tells the story of racism's inception and how it wove its way into American systems and individual mindsets. It also elaborates on antiracism: the belief that everyone is equal, and that racism needs to be counteracted. This book was published in 2020, so it fits the library's need for more recent titles, but its focus on the sadly-still-relevant theme of racism is important. Jason Reynolds writes this historical information which impacts the present in a way that will engage high school students as they read, and help them to perceive and combat bias inn themselves and others. I would recommend this book predominantly for use with freshmen, but it is valuable for any grade 8-12, in my opinion.

Westfallen

michaelwprate — 2025-06-16 02:23:31 UTC

In this novel, Henry, Frances, and Lukas, three modern-day middle-school students, make contact with three middle-school students living in the same neighborhood... in 1944. Information shared over their time-travelling radio has unpredictable effects on World War II and life in America. The book contains themes like responsibility, inclusion, and racial inequity. It contains important messages for young readers, and was published in 2024, meeting the library's need for more recent books. It is also a good fit for 7th-9th grade readers, which would give the library more books below grade-level as an extra bonus. Additionally, though, this book meets the need for young adult literature that will simply keep students entertained. It was a gripping read!