Harper has read some wonderful books over the course of the last few months. Some, she shares with Jason or me, and some she reads on her own. She has a knack for picking interesting titles. When I asked her how she chooses her reads, she said she likes topics about what’s happening in the world, and she tends to read books with strong female leads.
Today we are sharing some of these with you. Stick them in your shopping cart if you have a young lady in your life.
Her favorite book of late has been While I Was Away. This one is about a girl who spends the summer going to school in Japan. She stays with her Obaasan (grandmother) while there, and though she finds life difficult to get used to, she ends up loving her time. Harper loved the Japanese words she learned while reading.
Her second favorite as of late was My Family Divided. This one is a true story of a young woman who grew up with two undocumented parents in the suburbs of Boston. When she was quite young (early middle school), her parents were deported to Columbia. It was shocking to read about how this child was literally left on her own, without help from our government at all. Caution, this book delves into some serious topics, including suicidal ideation and depression. But, it was a wonderful read, and our family had some fascinating conversations as a result.
Harper loved the book, Wish. The main character is forced to live in the foster care system when her young mother is incapable of taking care of her. She has a difficult relationship with her mother throughout the story and ends up choosing a life with two wonderful foster care parents. She finds and loves a stray dog along the way. The author of this book also wrote How to Steal a Dog which Harper read earlier this year and enjoyed.
Harper (me too!!!) adores the Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls books. We cannot recommend these enough. These books are collections of short (one to two pagers) biographical pieces about fascinating and trailblazing women. They are engaging to read, and the illustrations are lovely. The books are beautifully put together. Harper loves the quotes and adds favorites to her journal. We recently purchased 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World, the latest in the series.
Currently, Harper is reading three books. The one she’s reading independently is Can’t be Tamed. If you have a horse lover, this may be a series to introduce. So far, Harper is enjoying it. She says the characters are interesting … they don’t get along. So, she is curious as to whether or not they will manage the care-taking of the horse that is required.
Harper and I are reading Blended. Isabella, our main character, is struggling to get used to a new divorce and shared custody between her parents. The chapters alternate between “Dad’s Week” and “Mom’s Week.” In addition to this, her father is Black and her mother is white. For the first time in her life, she realizes how different it is to shop at Target with her dad than with her mom. Not to mention, Isabella is a tween, so life is just funky anyway. We love this book so far.
We are also reading The Period Book. This is such a girl-friendly read. It’s conversational yet informative. It celebrates girls and honors them but is also honest (yep, boobs are a big deal in our culture). It gives practical advice and is not intimidating. This mom recommends.
Harper and Dad are reading Ways to Make Sunshine. So far, this is a coming of age story about a girl who is easily frustrated by her big brother. Her family is tight on money, so they are always looking for ways to “make sunshine.”
Harper has also gotten into the graphic novel craze! She recommends The Babysitters Club and the Smile series. She is starting the Sunny series but doesn’t have a review just yet.
The best books of Harper’s life remain Harry Potter. And who can blame her? You cry, you breathe hard, you smile, you fantasize, you daydream. It’s all wonderful. Harper’s favorite book of the series is number seven. She says it’s action-packed from the get-go, which she loves.
For young readers, Harper recommends The Owl Diaries series. These books are about a sweet little owl whose life is much like ours (school, family, friends) except that she lives in a darling and colorful owl world. New books continue to be published, and though Harper is a bit old for them, we still order! Harper devours each one in a sitting and with a smile on her face.
From Harper’s bookshelf to yours, we wish you happy summer reading!
P.S. Harper strongly suggests reading with a s’more. 🙂
