Positive Archives - Page 3 of 85

Swinging Into History: Toni Stone: Big-League Baseball’s First Woman Player

“Nothing could stop Toni “Tomboy” Stone from playing baseball—not even her parents. The only girl on a church team, she persevered as insults were hurled her way from the boy players. She caught the attention of former major leaguer Gabby Street, who gave her a chance at his summer baseball school. With Coach Street’s training—and the cleats he gifted her—Toni managed to earn a spot in the minor leagues. Though teams were hesitant to sign a woman, she pitched the idea that fans would pay to see a woman play—and it worked! But Toni’s persistence and optimism were not enough to win over the Jim Crow South crowds nor her male teammates. Coaches put her in the starting lineup and then benched her early, every game, no matter her results. But her talent got noticed and she was signed by the Indianapolis Clowns, becoming the first woman to break into the pros. “Toni arrives,” shouted newspaper headlines, and she delivered! In her first professional game she ripped a single and drove in two runs, and left the crowd chanting “TONI! TONI! TONI!”” — publisher […]

The Equinox Test (School for Unusual Magic #1)

“Welcome to the Brooklyn School of Magic, where seeds of enchantment are planted and magic sprouts in every corner. And where each fall, fifth years must pass the Equinox Test if they want to move up to Middle Magic.

Rose is worried. She’s never been the best student. And if she doesn’t pass with flying colors, Principal Ivy says she may have to transfer to a boring, non-magical school. Amethyst knows she’s got the skills to ace the test. But to really impress her mom, she’s got her eye on the school’s top prize. Lavender just wants to fit in. Even after a few years in the States, he still feels homesick. All. The. Time. Passing the test might just be his ticket back to the island.

But with best friend battles, a cheating scandal, and trouble brewing in the magical community, the Equinox Test may not even be the biggest challenge these Magic Bearers will face this year…” — publisher […]

The Other Ones

“Salem Amani is a world-weary sixteen-year-old living with his mother and older sister in a haunted house. But all Sal really wants is to be ordinary, which is hard to do when you live in a house full of ghosts. And when a strange boy arrives on his doorstep asking more questions than he’s at all comfortable with, Sal’s efforts to be ordinary are put under even greater strain. Until Pax makes his offer: “I could help you with the hauntings…I’m good with ghosts.”

But despite his initial dislike of Pax, Sal can’t help but find himself unexpectedly drawn to the boy. And as the two grow closer, and Pax offers to help Sal scare away his ghosts for good, Sal finds himself sinking deeper into a lie concealing the truth about his family.

When the true nature of the “hauntings” is revealed, Sal must confront reality – or risk losing Pax for good.” — publisher […]

The Partition Project

“When her grandmother comes off the airplane in Houston from Pakistan, Mahnoor knows that having Dadi move in is going to disrupt everything about her life. That fact is confirmed when Maha has to give up her bedroom to the grumpy old woman and is assigned to be Dadi’s unofficial babysitter.

As an aspiring journalist, Maha knows all about the importance of facts (though her best friend would say that stories are just as important). She can’t wait to start her journalism elective—until their teacher announces that their big assignment will be to film a documentary, which feels way outside of what she would call “journalism.”

While Dadi starts to settle into life in Houston and Maha scrambles for a subject for her documentary, the two of them start talking. About Dadi’s childhood in northern India—and about the Partition that forced her to leave her home and relocate to the newly created Pakistan.

As details of Dadi’s life are revealed, Dadi’s personal story feels a lot more like the breaking news that Maha loves so much. And before she knows it, she has the subject of her documentary.” — publisher […]

The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist

“Ivy Winslow has the house to herself for a week while her parents are away. She’s planning to use this newfound freedom to binge-watch her favorite fantasy TV show, H-MAD, and hang out with her best friend, Henry. She’ll also have to avoid her former best friend-turned enemy (and neighbor), Mack. But things quickly go awry when Ivy wakes up to find Weston, the gorgeous, very fictional main character of H-MAD in her bedroom, claiming to be her soul mate.

Ivy realizes that her fanfic writing has somehow brought Weston as she’s imagined him to life. But it turns out that the tropes she swoons over in her stories are slightly less romantic in reality, and her not-so-fictional crush is causing some real-world problems. To figure out why Weston is here and what to do with him, Ivy decides to team up with Henry and (against her better judgment) Mack. But with Mack back in her life, Ivy starts to wonder if Weston, her “perfect guy”, is the one who’s truly perfect for her . . . or if that was someone else all along.” — publisher […]

The Secret Gardeners: Growing a Community and Healing the Earth

“With the mentorship of Amy, a neighbor who is well-versed in no-dig gardening, Luna, Bianca, and Billy set to work mixing manure, spreading mulch, and sowing seeds. After a few weeks of hard work, the yard is transformed into a sustainable community garden, and more and more people are showing up to grow herbs, mushrooms, vegetables, and fruit. Just when everyone is beginning to harvest their hard-earned local food, they learn that the property is going to be cleared for a parking lot. Will this be the end of their secret garden? Or can the children rally their community to save the day?” — publisher […]

This Book Won’t Burn

“After her dad abruptly abandons her family and her mom moves them a million miles from their Chicago home, Noor Khan is forced to start the last quarter of her senior year at a new school, away from everything and everyone she knows and loves.

Reeling from being uprooted and deserted, Noor is certain the key to survival is to keep her head down and make it to graduation.

But things aren’t so simple. At school, Noor discovers hundreds of books have been labeled “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library in accordance with a new school board policy. Even worse, virtually all the banned books are by queer and BIPOC authors.

Noor can’t sit back and do nothing, because that goes against everything she believes in, but challenging the status quo just might put a target on her back. Can she effect change by speaking up? Or will small-town politics—and small-town love—be her downfall?” — publisher […]

Read More… from This Book Won’t Burn

We Are the Medicine (Surviving the City #3)

“Miikwan and Dez are in their final year of high school, and they have a lot to decide on. Grief and anger take precedence over their plans after the remains of 215 children are found at a former residential school in British Columbia. Can they find the strength to channel their frustration into action towards a more hopeful future?” — publisher […]

Wires Crossed

“Just as her longtime BFF, Addy, is gravitating toward the popular crowd and starting to care more about school dances than tree house playdates, Mia finds out that her favorite science camp friend, Tariq, is moving to town and will be going to school with her. She’s super excited and can’t wait to show him around and help him make friends. But when Tariq arrives in town, he seems like he’s grown up a lot, too. No more braces or glasses. A new haircut. And who knew he was also a soccer star, immediately making the team mid-season?? He’s welcomed to Buttonwood Bay Middle School with open arms in a way that Mia can’t even recognize, and now she’s feeling more lost than ever. But then her science teacher announces the school’s science olympics, and she and Tariq are teaming up again to crush the competition—just like at camp. Only this time they’re joined by a couple of unconventional teammates in Kinsey (more artist than scientist) and the lovable, if also sometimes kind of gross and goofy, Evan. Do Mia and Tariq still have enough of a spark to build a killer robot (figuratively speaking, of course) and take home the prize? Through much experimentation and a little trial and error, Mia navigates new friendships and old as she tries to find her place in middle school—and on the winner’s podium.” — publisher […]

You Are Here: Connecting Flights

“A powerful and engaging exploration of contemporary East and Southeast Asian American identity through interwoven stories set in a teeming Chicago airport, written by award-winning and bestselling Asian American authors.

An incident at a TSA security checkpoint sows rumors and chaos, creating a chain of events that impacts twelve young Asian Americans in a crowded and restless airport. As their disrupted journeys crisscross and collide, they encounter fellow travelers—some helpful, some hostile—and discover the challenges of friendship, the power of courage, the importance of the right word at the right time, and the unexpected significance of a blue Stratocaster electric guitar.

Twelve powerhouse Asian American authors explore themes of identity and belonging in the entwined experiences of young people whose family roots may extend to East and Southeast Asia, but who are themselves distinctly American.

Written by Linda Sue Park, Erin Entrada Kelly, Grace Lin, Traci Chee, Mike Chen, Meredith Ireland, Mike Jung, Minh Lê, Ellen Oh, Randy Ribay, Christina Soontornvat, and Susan Tan, and edited by Ellen Oh.” — publisher […]

Cross Group Sub: Positive

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