The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

The year is 1932 in Berlin and now that Hilde is eighteen, she must leave her orphanage and set out on her own. She quickly discovers, however, that finding a job is near impossible in these economically depressed times. But fate intervenes one night when she meets Rosa, who brings Hilde to Café Lila where she meets a cast of characters that soon become her chosen family. 

As Berlin falls further and further into the authoritarian grip of the Nazis who are scapegoating Jews and the queer community, Hilde along with the employees and patrons of Café Lila continue to remain quietly hopeful and defiant... until trouble comes loudly knocking on their door. 

Just as the title suggests, this YA historical fiction in verse by Kip Wilson is dazzling.  Berlin is my favorite city on earth, mostly because there has always been a provocative, defiant, avant-garde, and counter-cultural energy about it. That was true in 2004 when I visited for the first time, and it was certainly true when this novel takes place. 

But just as this book is a window into 1930s Germany, it's also an alarming mirror to societies, including American society, that allow idealogues and populists to rise to power. 

In addition to being a cautionary historical fiction in verse, The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin is also a gentle queer/lesbian love story, which is a much-needed addition to the canon of LGBTQ+ YA fiction, which seems to lean more heavily towards male romance. Because this book is many things (historical fiction, novel in verse, queer romance, a cautionary tale for modern times), there would be potential in the hands of a less adept writer for this book to have taken on too much. But never fear, dear reader, Kip Wilson manages to weave all of these elements perfectly and seamlessly. 

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson*
Published: March 29, 2022
Publisher: Versify
Pages: 416
Genre: Historical Fiction/LGBTQ+ Romance
Audience: Young Adult
Disclosure: Advance listening copy provided by publisher

*Purchasing the book from the above Bookshop affiliate link supports independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-28-22

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Last week I read and loved:

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
I finished this just in time to discover that Angeline Boulley is coming to my local library next week. The 2022 Printz Award winner is a slow burn of a mystery where the setting of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan reads like a character in the novel. 

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

Stunning, clever, and cinematic illustrations. Put this one in your Mock Caldecotts.

Chester Van Chime Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen, illustrated by Abby Hanlon

A fun and clever book that sets teachers and kids up for the perfect read aloud scenario... text that you think is predictable, but the author humorously leaves you tearing your hair out while laughing at the same time that the text cadence does not end in the predicable rhyme.

Currently reading:

Duet by Elise Broach

Currently reading with my ears: 

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-21-22

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

Last week I read and loved: 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This beloved book was a re-read since this is the first book we are reading for our school's staff book club that meets today. I reviewed this book back in 2014 when it first came out and I had more time to write longform book reviews. :) 

A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson, illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey

This is an important book in the canon of children's picture books about mental health. It deals very specifically with depression and does so with so much grace and dignity. What Rachel Tomlinson does so perfectly in this book is help to establish what depression looks and feels like, while also establishing the need to see feelings as neither good nor bad, but messages that our brains are sending us. As an adult who struggles with depression, I found this book incredibly affirming and uplifting despite the heavy topic. Currently reading:  Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman Speak Up, Speak Out! The Extraordinary Life of "Fighting Shirley Chisholm" by Tonya Bolden Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 3-14-22

 

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a wonderful community of readers, teachers, and librarians. Hosted by Jen over at Teach Mentor Texts along with Kellee and Ricki at Unleashing Readers, participants share their reading adventures from the past week along with their reading plans for the week ahead.

My Monday posts are generally just a highlight of what I've been reading during the week so if you'd like to see all that I've been reading, follow my Goodreads page.

I recently read and loved:

Out of a Jar by Deborah Marcero

Llewellyn struggles with big feelings, so instead of working through them, he bottles them up and ignores them. But he soon comes to realize that putting all your big feelings in a jar (both positive and negative) leaves him feeling not much of anything at all. A wonderful book for SEL discussions with students. I found myself incredibly moved by the message of this story that we need to find healthy ways to express all of our big feelings so they don't come out later in unhealthy ways. With Lots of Love by Jenny Torres Sanchez, illustrated by Andre Ceolin A beautiful story about a young girl who moves to the U.S. and misses her home, especially her abuela.   Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Yas Imamura Based on the true story of the author’s maternal grandparents who were sent to the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho during World War II, this is a charming story despite the characters’ grave circumstances. Currently (Re)Reading: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin Currently reading with my ears: Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley Purchasing books from any of the above Bookshop affiliate links support independent bookstores and gives me a small percentage of the sale.