Praise
Their easygoing relationship adds levity to thought-provoking themes of wealth privilege, stereotyping, and insecurity. In this sweetly rendered debut, Hoàng employs well-paced plot points and dynamic character development that coalesce into an amicable tale.
(Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend)
[Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend] is a sincere story of unexpected bonds and self-discovery. The lightness of the summer adventures is balanced by raw, honest conversations and depictions of Gary’s poverty and Gloria’s parents’ conflicts. Mental health and toxic masculinity are also explored throughout the novel. A moving story of true friendship.
Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend is a richly layered, relatable teen novel about what it means to be a man and how to be a good friend. With a cinematic summer setting and well-drawn characters to root for, this young adult novel explores important topics in today’s teen landscape, from toxic masculinity to classism and mental health, while remaining appropriate for the youngest in its audience.
It's not very often that you can read a book that's directed at children and preteens and have them feel like the characters could actually be real. But here they most definitely do feel real. I could see a little bit of each of the characters in my son. The twists and turns and mystery were honestly incredibly well done. Every aspect of this book was truly perfect and even I loved every minute of it. I couldn't put it down and neither could my son.
You're also looking for a fantastic book for ages 9 and up, especially if your child is going into middle school, that shows them the important parts about still being a kid, that growing up and changing is okay, and how important the magic of finding fantastic friends who will always love you for you is.
(Minecraft: One Last Quest)
I'm known for being just a tad more lenient with my MG reads than those that are YA. I'm very far removed from my MG years, but I would have killed for a book like this growing up.
(The Crossbow of Destiny)
The Crossbow of Destiny has it all: cinematic adventure, mystery, travel, humor, and the intersection of Viet legends and history. Freddie is a delight. The story engaging as well as laugh-out-loud funny, and gave me more insight growing up between cultures and figuring out who you are. Perfect for the 10+ crowd, but teens / preteens, you'll love it too.