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You know you are reading an epic book when you just can’t put it down until you are finished! “If I tell you” by Alicia Tuckerman is THAT epic. “If I Tell You” is full of teenage drama, secrets, fears, hate crimes, drinking, drugs, swearing and very real life issues that many teenagers face as well as one of the sweetest, most adorable love stories you’ll ever read. I love how relatable and empowering this story is, it’s full of dark and scary themes but is just gorgeous. “If I Tell You” is about a girl named Alex who has a secret that she has been trying to keep because in a small town with small minded people, she felt as if she would not be accepted. It all changed when a girl named phoenix and her family moved into Two Creeks. I also love hoe this story takes place in a beautifully described Aussie landscape as Alex and Phoenix embrace who they are and take a jump, literally and metaphorically. I could really relate to “If I tell You” as I wanted to be accepted and it took me a long time feel comfortable enough to embrace the fact that I am Bisexual. So I absolutely believe that this book is perfect for all young adults and teens who are struggling with or questioning their own sexuality, but I would never limit it to just that audience either, I think books like this should be completely mainstream and available in high school libraries across the country too! I absolutely fell in love with the main characters (especially phoenix) because they are so relatable and so human to me as I read more and more about them I just thought “are these real people”? They are portrayed so beautifully in this book; I am in awe of how well Tuckerman has portrayed them in this amazing book! When I was lucky enough to meet Alicia Tuckerman she mentioned that some people loved the ending but others hated it… and I’m torn in between, without giving too much away, I found the end to be completely devastating but also poetically beautiful and peaceful, I couldn’t imagine it finishing in another way so I feel like the ending was perfect, even though I would have preferred the happily ever after we unrealistically crave. This is definitely not a book for kids, it for young adults and teens, there is swearing, violence and very adult themes, it mentions sex, drinking and drugs but they are not vividly described all, it just cuts to the next scene, so no censorship required! I think it’s perfect for ages 13+ with parental permission for the younger ones. I love the fabulous representation of the LGBTQ+ community and the fact that the two main charters are lesbians! It was incredible! So raw, honest and relatable! Alicia Tuckerman did an incredible job and I can’t wait for her next book to be released! I challenge you to read this book without falling in love with Alex and phoenix… I bet you can’t do it!
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How to be held is an incredible book of poetry by the amazing Maddie Godfrey. It also includes my favourite one of all her poems; Labels are for Jars which is about not judging people and how we should never put labels on people like boy, girl or straight as you may not know how others identify and it’s really none of our business either. I absolutely loved reading How to be held as I adore how raw and open Maddie Godfrey’s poetry is.
I have been lucky enough to actually meet her and it was an incredible experience! She is an amazing, funny and honest person and I had a great time meeting her and getting to chat with her. This book does have some very mature poetry in it but Maddie told me that if you’re not ready to read that you can still get book and ask an adult to just block out the poems with a more mature content. She has actually had some parents block out the poems that they felt their kids weren’t ready to read and they still were able to read most of the book and enjoy it. Some of the poetry tackles really important issues such as abuse, discrimination, depression and much more, and the way she writes about these issues is very empowering as it is often hard for us to step up, take a stand and talk about abuse, discrimination, mental health and all of these urgent challenges. This is another reason why to me, she is such an inspiration, because of how she tackles this mature content. If you love reading the works of Maya Angelou or Jesse Oliver and feel inspired by them, I’m sure you will love and feel inspired by this book! Click the link below to watch the interview I did with Maddie for Booktoberfest 2019. Can one child change the world? Yes, every action has an impact and every positive step can have a ripple effect, leading to big, wonderful changes. Can a cat be elected as a mayor? Sadly no. Claire Malone changes the world is a quirky, imaginative and empowering picture book which I believe will definitely motivate kids to do small things to change the world. This story is about Claire Malone who is a young activist, she is concerned about our future and our planet; she writes letters to the bureau of meteorology, the education department and the prime minister. She also campaigns for her cat marmalade to become mayor. Claire Malone is an amazing role model for little kids and will remind them of how powerful and awesome they can be, even as kids because everyone can make a difference! All it needs is one person to stand up and others will surely follow. I also adore the illustrations, they suit the story perfectly and bring Claire and Marmalade to life. The kids will LOVE it!  |
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