A few months ago, my school had the honor of hosting Jason Chin on his debut tour for The Universe in You. Aside from the fact that the book is jaw-droppingly gorgeous (and mine is signed!) we had an opportunity to hear about his research process, which sounded both detailed and extensive. This nonfiction picture book tells you about what lies beneath our skin, from the atoms and molecules to the DNA helices (my favorite page). I loved it!
📖 If you’re interested in the things that we can’t always see, but know are there, pair this with middle grade novel Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly!
📖 Got big questions at a young(ish) age? Neil deGrasse Tyson wrote a YA book called Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, mimicking Chin’s ability to provide bite sized nuggets of information in a way that’s accessible and fun!
📖 Want to put cells in a real world, high stakes context? Pair this with adult stand-out The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
The moment I finished this book, I wanted to pick it back up again. It was hard to pick my favorite aspect – the intentional color scheme, the story of a young Cuban immigrant told through wordless graphics, or her immersion into a new world through books (!) This is a story I won’t soon forget.
📖 If you crave a wordless narrative, pair this with Allen Say’s picture book The Arrival!
📖 If you want to read more with a strong female Cuban voice, pair this with YA story Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno!
📖 If you’re curious to learn more about the Cuban Revolution, pair this with adult memoir (also a graphic novel!) called Goodbye, My Havana by Anna Veltfort!
This book really rocked me to my core. What a powerhouse novel, a then-and-now structure about a Pakistani family confronting the darkest pieces of their past and their present. I was drawn to Salahudin and Noor’s bond immediately. This is a must read. Definitely some trigger warnings, so make sure to do due diligence and research first!
📖 As Noor and Salahudin struggle with feeling “Other” in their predominantly White school, I thought immediately of Nadia’s Hands, the picture book by Karen English!
📖 Want a story to pair this with about what it takes to own, run, and take on the many many tasks that make a motel run? Pair this with Kelly Yang’s middle grade Front Desk!
📖An intergenerational Immigrant experience story? Look no further than to pair this up with adult novel Radiant Fugitives by Nawaaz Ahmed, as deeply poignant as the first.
same page book blog 