Fresh Ink: An Anthology

Giles, Lamar. Fresh Ink: An Anthology. 2018. 198p. ISBN 9781524766283. Available at FIC GIL on the library shelves.

The number of books written by authors who do not hail from a White Anglo-Saxon American heritage has increased over the last twenty years, but it remains low enough that many teens of diverse backgrounds still cannot find stories that showcase people like them as other than stereotypical sidekicks. Fresh Ink stands as a concerted effort to increase the number of stories available, not only for these readers but for everyone.  Twelve stories of all types are told, with the common theme of having the main character as someone not often portrayed in young adult literature.

In Eraser Tattoo, Shay and Dante have loved each other since they were five and in the same class together. Shay is now moving away from Brooklyn to North Carolina, and Dante's world is collapsing. In Meet Cute, Two girls meet at the Denver Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention. Nic is cosplaying a gender-flipped Sulu from Star Trek, while Tamia is dressed as an African-American version of Agent Scully. Both are attracted to each other, but neither wants to volunteer that they are queer. Don't Pass Me By features a Native-American boy who attends school off the reservation, and has trouble recognizing himself in the White culture that surrounds him. In Be Cool for Once, the main character is Muslim, and she confesses her love to a boy at a concert.

Tags is a one-act play that discuss how four boys died. In Why I Learned to Cook, a Persian-American girl is wondering about how to introduce her girlfriend to her grandmother. A Stranger at the Bochinche tells a science fiction story about a stolen book and the people who want to retrieve it. A young artist in A Boy's Duty has left the farm life and hopes to join the Navy and fight Nazis, and finds refuge in a big city cafe. Racial slurs undermine the college experience of an Asian-American girl in One Voice. Paladin/Samurai is an illustrated short story about boys involved in a roleplaying game and the girl next door. Tommy just came out as a boy to his swim team, and find himself in the boy's locker room for the first time in Catch, Pull, Drive. Finally, in Super Human, X, a superhero, has decided to destroy the world unless someone can talk him out of it.

Each of these stories feature a message that is most often well executed about race and belonging. Fans of paths less traveled will appreciate the range of emotions and stories featured and will connect all of them to the humanity that we all share.

Flame in the Mist

Ahdieh, Renée. Flame in the Mist. Book 1 of the Flame in the Mist series. 2017. 392p. ISBN 978-0-399-17163-5. Available at FIC AHD on the library shelves.

Mariko is on her way to the imperial capital to marry the eldest son of the Emperor. She resent this trip and her upcoming nuptials to a man she has never met. She resents her father for forcing her into this arranged marriage that will benefit him. But most of all, she resents having been born a girl and be bound by customs and traditions, instead of having been born a boy like her twin brother Kenshin. She wishes she had every opportunity available, including becoming a samurai and enjoy the way of bushido, the code of honor that joins every warrior. She has extensively studied the art of alchemy, and prides herself in noticing everything around her.

Near the edge of a forest reputed to be haunted, her heavily guarded convoy is ambushed by brigands of the Black Clan, and all of her guards are slaughtered. When it is clear that the bandits are not here to steal but rather to kill her, Mariko manages to escape in the forest, but becomes hopelessly lost. Found by a ruffian intend on either trading her back to the Black Clan or claiming her as his consort, Mariko kills a man for the first time, steals his clothes, and heads deeper in the forest.

Notified of the attack on the convoy, her brother Kenshin, the Dragon of Ki and one of the best samurai of the Empire, cannot believe that his twin sister is dead. He begins tracking her down, and when he finds the site of the ambush he discovers enough clues to reveal that his sister has escaped.

Now dressed as a boy, Mariko devises a plan of action. She will infiltrate the Black Clan, and take down those who were responsible for the killings of her convoy. Finally locating the Clan on the outskirts of the forest, she is taken prisoner and brought to their camp. Still able to hide her gender, Mariko is dubbed Lord Lackbeard, and is forced to do many of the menial tasks of the camp. She quickly realizes, however, that the Clan's leader, and the man ultimately responsible for her capture, is intent on training her and letting her join. Finally valued for her ideas and her abilities more than just for her gender, Mariko now finds herself thorn between seeking revenge, and pursuing a growing sense of finally belonging somewhere.

But with her brother hot on her trails, and with the Wolf, second in command of the Clan keeping a close eye on her, Mariko will need all of her wits to survive this subterfuge and the deadly game she became involved in the day the convoy left her father's palace.

Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Rodi, Robert and Laura Ross. Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Part of the Living Proud! Growing up LGBTQ series. 2017. 64p. ISBN 978-1-4222-3511-9. Available at 306.76 ROD on the library shelves.

Gender identity and sexual orientation are often confused and used interchangeably. Gender identity refers to how an individual perceives himself or herself, regardless of their genitals at birth. Sexual orientation represents an individual’s attraction, both physically and emotionally, to another individual.

Once considered a mental illness, hoosexuality is now recognized through scientific research as not a choice, but a biological element just as the color of one’s eyes. This recognition, though slow to develop, eventually led to the Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage in 2015. The authors examine traditional understandings of gender and sexual orientation. It discusses the debate of nature versus nurture in one’s sexual preference, as well as the struggles that occurred to secure the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals’ civil rights to a normal life like the rest of American society. Controversies concerning whether being homosexual is a choice are also explored.

With many civil rights now secure, the LGBT community continues to push for normalization and to ensure that everyone has the right to be happy and be in fulfilling relationships with whom they love.

Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World

Jensen, Kelly, Ed. Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World. 2017. 240p. Available at 305.42 JEN on the library shelves.

The word feminism is associated with several ideas, some of them portrayed in the media as negative. But really, what is feminism? What does it mean for young people to declare themselves feminists in the 21st century? This powerful word possesses as many meanings as there are people. Fraught with struggle, feminism is often ignored or not understood by society. The central premise of feminism is that everyone deserves equality, and diversity is not only necessary, it must be encouraged. This collection of 44 different voices attempts to explore, over seven wide ranging themes, some of the aspects of feminism and what it represents for men and women of different faiths, sexual orientations, physical abilities, and experiences.

These feminist voices, including pop culture icons, public figures, and authors eloquently present their views on what being a feminist means to them, and how they live it every day. In formats ranging such as essays, comics, photos, poems, and lists, each writer explores his/her/their emotions on the subject and delves into the complexity inherent in feminism. The stereotypes that abound on the topic of feminism may make it a hard sell to a significant proportion of readers, but with some librarian help getting over that initial hurdle, the reader will find him/her/them-self immersed in a creative exploration of feminism and how one can live with and embody this ideal every day.