Author: KelseyC the Librarian

What The Fact is about how to get correct and accurate information in the modern world and stay safe from fake news. The first part of the book goes into interesting, fact-filled detail about the different kinds of false information on the internet, how to recognize it, and how to prevent yourself from falling prey to it. The second section, in my opinion, is the most interesting part of the book. It talks about the bias and how your brain works when hearing stories vs. facts. This part also talks about how your brain and biases can fall prey to false information. The third part was a bit repetitive, and it talked too much about politics, which I as an eleven-year-old found boring. It talks about the history of American news and how news is created. The fourth section talks about social media and its effects on you. The fifth and last section talks about different types of reasoning and how to persuade someone.

I think the book is a very important one to read and can help you protect yourself from predatory information. It explains the problem of fake news in great detail and it can help you spot fake news on the internet. After reading, it also helps you figure out where you can be biased and what biases you may have. It is very helpful in the modern world and it could really come in handy many times in life. The book makes you more aware of yourself and surroundings. However, it can get a bit boring because it is mostly just a compilation of facts on facts. It also isn’t helpful if you want a concise text for the topics it discusses or if you just want to just dive a little bit into a subject. The examples given in the book are helpful to understanding it, but in my opinion, the author put in too many examples in some places which felt unnecessary.

A memorable part of the book is when they talked about biases. It is very interesting to learn the biases you can have when you check news or are in a debate with a friend. It also can give a glimpse into human psychology.

Reviewed by Eshaan, Twin Hickory Area Library

Kavya Joshi is competitive, to say the least. There’s a word she’s always been called- besharam. Her relatives and classmates, especially the ones that don’t speak Hindi, describe her with some intricate spin on the word. Brazen, bold, brash, or shameless- anything that indicates that she tries a bit too hard and talks a bit too much. Kavya knows what people think about her, but she’s determined to achieve much more than anyone ever expected her to. More than anything, she’s steadfast in beating her childhood rival and once friend, Ian Jun. He’s the only one who can defeat her in everything (including AP Stats), and she’s not going to give up anytime soon. However, due to an unexpected turn of events, a long coming break-up with her boyfriend, and a twisted game of truth-or-dare, she ends up kissing Ian. That’s right- kissing her arch nemesis. Kavya continues to treat Ian like a rival, but she can’t shake the feeling that something is different. Sick of the never-ending bickering between the two, their respective friend groups decide to create a series of challenges for Ian and Kavya to complete over the course of summer break. Along the way, Kavya navigates a difficult relationship with her sister, cracks in the Moon Girls, and of course, her painfully expanding feelings for Ian Jun.

I loved all the characters in the book because of their apparent flaws. The most prevalent example of this is the main character, Kavya Joshi. Kavya makes some poor choices throughout the story. However, she never hesitates to help her friends and family, making her a good person regardless of her mistakes. The duality of her personality is what makes her an interesting character. This description can also be used for many characters in the story, like Simran (Kavya’s sister) and Ian. One thing I slightly disliked was the writing style of the book. I feel like some sentences were structured a bit awkwardly. However, this didn’t detract from the overall message of the story. The trope “rivals to lover” is often overused, but this book incorporates it in a way that doesn’t feel cliché. The side characters feel like real people instead of props to push along the plot. Overall, this book is great!

One memorable thing about this book was the pop culture allusions. The book cleverly references relatively modern-day franchises like Pokémon, Sailor Moon, and Schitt’s Creek. Also, the title is an incredible pun. I might be a bit biased because of the awesome Desi representation.

Reviewed by Vaidehi, Twin Hickory Library

Hayley is one step closer to her dream of becoming a renowned animation director when she makes it into the summer internship held by her animation hero, Bryan Beckett. Inspired by the well-known film Beckett directed based on his son, A Boy Named Bear, Hayley has loved animation for her entire life. She will do anything to become a director on one of the four short films her and the other interns will be making. However, when Bear himself shows up as one of the 41 interns, and Bryan Beckett isn’t the type of man she thought he would be, Hayley’s well-thought-out future plans begin to crumble.

I loved Drawn That Way because of the powerful narrative of representation and inclusion. Within Hayley’s internship group and the employees at the studio, the vast majority of people are white males. The girls in the internship learn from their own experiences and the retellings from their female advisors that the world of animation is often sexist and cruel. While Hayley has a real, authentic talent, she has to fight harder than any of the boys in the internship to make herself be seen, and she doesn’t always win the battle. Reading Hayley’s story is empowering and will show young girls and people of color that even when it may seem like the world is against you, you have the strength to continue fighting and achieve the recognition you deserve.

It may seem like this book would only be relatable to teenagers who love art and animation, but that is not the case. Drawn That Way is a story of making and losing friends, failure and recovery, healing broken relationships, and realizing that what you wanted wasn’t what you thought it would be. Hayley learns many valuable lessons about her own self worth and relationships with others that will be remembered by anyone who reads her story.