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Get Fired Up!

khohlfeld

If you haven’t heard by now that there is an ongoing organized effort to remove books from library shelves, it’s about time! This novel takes a personal and emotional view of this widespread book-banning issue and the teens directly affected by it.


After Noor’s father abruptly abandons

their family, her mom transplants them away from Chicago to a small suburb. Noor only has the tail end of senior year to finish off, and her plan is to keep her head down, keep an eye on her little sister, and get out of that place as soon as possible. Then she finds out that her prim and proper new school has been removing hundreds of books from the school library “for review”. Noor is unsurprised (but also incensed) that almost all of the books are by and/or about queer people and people of color. Her plan was to sit back and ride the year out, but she also doesn’t want to let this go. Can she actually change some hearts and minds around here? Is it worth making herself a target right as she’s about to escape high school? Noor has a lot of decisions to make, and it seems the smooth end of semester she had envisioned might just turn out to be a rocky beginning. 


One of my favorite parts about this book was the multiple realistic plot points. The book banning is a serious issue. Noor hasn’t come to terms with her father’s abandonment. Her new school (and town) is overwhelmingly white, and not everyone is exactly thrilled by her presence. Her little sister has been going through some problems of her own, and Noor feels responsible for her. Noor’s relationship with their mother has been in shambles. There are not one, but two, interesting boys in her class that seem interested in her. All of these plot threads weave together in a way that not only examines larger issues of community and freedom, but more personal issues like family life and first loves. 


This book got me fired up, and I think teens will find Noor inspiring. She is a curious, questioning character that has no problem calling out others for poor behavior, even if it gets exhausting. Even if she doesn’t always know the next step to take, she is willing to take a stand for what she believes in. The author includes a list of resources that teens may find helpful if they are interested in helping protect their right to read. I’m so glad this book was written for teens, because it’s primarily teen books (by primarily marginalized authors) that are being targeted. Exercise your own freedom to read with this book that is on our shelves!




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