IRL: Resources for Teaching YA Nonfiction

The Bride was a Boy  ( Hanayome was Mo todanshi )  by Chii 💘 Reviewed by: Danni Dickey, Eli Dominguez, Jackie Figueroa,  Brian Freeman, and Maria Mull Book Review: Originally written in Japanese, this manga-styled book specifically follows Chii as she navigates her social and personal life while dealing with her arduous transition from male to female (MTF). A heartwarming story, Chii's love life unfolds before readers' eyes with adorable animations while also providing an informational approach at complex terminology concerning gender identity and Japanese law (an example of how she tackles complex terminology to the right). Unlike other texts, this story deals with the process of transitioning and being recognized by the government but does not delve too deep into controversial problems, making it a lighthearted read. Thus, this book is perfect for adolescents in that it introduces LGBTQA+ individuals and issues pertaining to their commun...

A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919 By Claire Hartfield Project Contributors: Ashley Boswell, Alexis Bush, Hania Chaudhry, Hannah Clabough Review             Claire Hartfield's A Few Red Drops depicts the heart-wrenching struggles of Chicago's African American community during the tumultuous summer of 1919. It all began on the 29th and 26th street beaches, where an invisible line had been drawn segregating whites and blacks. On a sunny Sunday in July, five black teens were floating on their raft and began to slowly drift near the unspoken divide of the white beach. Once spotted, a white man became disgruntled and decided to throw rocks at the young boys, one of which ended the life of seventeen-year-old Eugene Williams and thus sparked the tinderbox of racial and social unrest that had been brewing in Chicago. Leading up to this point, the city's population had seen a sharp influx of 56,000 African Americans by 1919. This resulted...