Dune

Dune was originally a book published by Frank Herbert in 1965. It is a true unsung origin of modern sci-fi and world building in general. This book was the inspiration for many famous space and sci-fi stories, including Star Wars. However, this story wouldn’t get a proper film adaptation or recognition by the general public until 2021. Dune is about Paul Atreides and his family becoming the new governors of the planet of Arrakis. When they arrive, however, the locals believe that Paul is the chosen one who would help them reclaim their planet from those who want to exploit it for a fuel source called spice. He is thrown into this prophecy when the planet is attacked, and the only way to fight back is with Paul at the front lines. It’s a gorgeous story with themes of leadership and religion, a wonderful place to start for classic sci-fi.

Star Wars

Star Wars is a sci-fi genre staple. One of the biggest names in sci-fi next to Star Trek. This world has been expanding since 1977 and continues to this day. Star Wars is, in its most basic form, about a family of magic knights, called Jedi, who are both the galaxy’s saviors and destroyers. The original movies, episodes 4-6, focus on Luke Skywalker, the prequels, episodes 1-3, focus on his father, and the sequels, episodes 7-9, are about the Skywalker legacy in general. The other properties of Star Wars, the spin-off movies, the shows, and the video games, are about the consequences and ripple effect the Skywalkers had on the galaxy.

If starting Star Wars, it is important to know the order to watch everything. Different people will give you different recommendations, and while there is no wrong way to watch Star Wars, here is my recommended order. Episodes four through five, episodes one through three, Solo, Rogue One, Episode seven through nine, Clone Wars, Mandalorian, Book of Boba, Andor, and then the other shows and video games if you’re up for them. Star Wars can be complicated and has lots of time jumps, so don’t feel disheartened if you’re confused at first. Watch with a friend who knows the world and story. They will be able to explain, and watching with someone is always fun. If you are looking for a sci-fi staple that you can get lost in, Star Wars is a perfect place to start.

2001 a Space Odyssey

2001 a Space Odyssey is a one-off movie, but still a staple of sci-fi. Released in 1968 and created by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, this movie is a deep look at the past, present, and future. The movie is less about a central story and more about the positives and negatives that could be in the future. The moon landing wasn’t until 1969, so a majority of the film focuses on the fear of the unknown and the introspection of the vastness of space. The movie is severely trippy, but it’s meant to be less of a story and more of a conversation starter. If you are looking for something with incredible visuals and an ending that leaves you reeling, I couldn’t recommend this movie more.

I have no Mouth, and I must Scream

I have no mouth, and I must scream is a short story by Harlan Ellison published in 1967. The story may be 10-15 pages long, but do not let that fool you. This story is one of the most haunting stories of the genre as a whole. The story is about an AI that named itself AM, wiping out humanity and putting five humans on trial for their crimes. AM talks about the complexities of humanity and its perspective on the topic as an AI. The story ends with all of those on trial dead except for one. It is definitely the scariest sci-fi staple. It does not hold back with its debates over man vs machine. If you are someone who loves horror and wants to shift into sci-fi, then this story is perfect. However, if you are squeamish, I would stick to the other recommendations on this list.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a much lighter and funnier option than the others. Written by Douglas Adams in 1979, this book is a comedic take on the sci-fi genre as a whole. There are still themes and moments that are incredibly sci-fi. But most of the book is more about the silliness of sci-fi’s debates on philosophy and the future. The book is about a man named Arthur Dent who finds out that his friend, Ford, isn’t from earth and is a researcher for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. They then get forced into this grand adventure, succeeding through knowing zero to nothing about Aliens and other planets. The book is a hilarious and trippy ride through the genre as a whole. While it is not something for someone new to sci-fi, it is required reading for anyone who enjoys the genre.

There are so many to recommend and experience, including my current watch, Trigun: Stampede. However, the world of sci-fi is as vast as space itself. There are many more stories in sci-fi, but you can’t explore a whole galaxy without a good starting point. So take some of these recommendations and dive into the world of sci-fi; a galaxy awaits you.

The post Start to the Stars: A List of Sci-fi Recommendations appeared first on GirlSpring.

Hey there!

Welcome to the GirlSpring Book Club! This a fun monthly collab with the Springboarder Bookclub members,  where we share our monthly book reviews. Check out our book review below!

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Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

August Intoccia:

This book has a captivating plot that makes you want to read more. The layout of the book is intriguing and the language is warm and welcoming. There is strong female characters and an emphasis on female friendships. Overall this is a great book, and I would definitely recommend it. 

Jaina:

This heartfelt book on love explores how a young girl navigates her love life, crushes, boyfriends, lovers, exes and in between. I enjoyed this book as it talked about her life in the early 2000s and on through high school and college. One thing I enjoyed about this book is that her friend Farley, always stuck by her side. She shows in the book how she overcame negative obstacles and chose to love herself for who she is. It teaches valuable lessons in acceptance, love, crushes and self-image.

Sage Davis:

This book was so interesting to me. To be honest, at first I thought I wouldn’t like it because it was a memoir, but I found it to be enjoyable. I listened to the audio book which is a completely different experience because the author was reading it. I really got the feel of the people. I think this book is relatable on so many different levels and it’s worth the read. It makes you take a step back and look inside yourself and in your life. I love the emphasis on female friendships. I think in today’s society, there aren’t many honest and well-intentioned friendships. Friends that will stick by your side no matter what. That’s what I love most about this book.

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Book Info

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You can find this book in audio form, with Audible or Spotify!

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By: Victoria Spear

In the past two years, I’ve gone over a lot of hobbies that interested me as an artist as well as an author. Finding them wasn’t hard if you have TikTok on your phone. Bear with me, I know many people despise the app and think it’s over-hyped, but remember your fyp (for-you page depends on the content you absorb, and one of those was ‘Booktok’ for me! Booktok is a community that shares a range of books not broadcast as often, as well as giving recommendations to others after you’ve read said book. Although this community seems straightforward, it does have a number of problems, ranging from problematic authors, bullying, and even going so far as to have unrealistic expectations for toxic men. I know it sounds horrible, but we are not talking about that today. We’re talking about the small corner of ‘booktok’, which is known by the name ‘Bookbinding TikTok’. With this side of the community, were calling into question how fanfiction and copyright come into play with one another when binding said fic for one’s bookshelf and then trying to sell it for monetary gain. 

The Rules of Bookbinding

The bookbinding community is often a spectrum that takes weeks to understand. As we’ve gone over in class, bookbinding is an art that’s been seen over many years within cultures. In the community, they keep the traditions and even teach new people within the community how to bind their own books. An example of this would be if a paperback book is damaged but the text block remains perfectly intact Of course instead of throwing the whole book away, they will want to keep the book and rebind it with a hard cover instead. This is a part of the many reasons I’ve joined the community, learning many things: paper marbling, the history of binding, different forms of binding, learning how to make smaller books, how to emboss your pages, etc. The list can honestly go on.

So you’re probably wondering, how did bookbinding become a huge problem in the first place? Well, the answer lies within another section, primarily a section where fandoms come together to make their works based on their favorite media. You guessed it, fanfiction. Now we’re not strangers to the fanfiction community, but if you are, I’ll go ahead and give you a bit of a rundown. Fanfiction is a form of work written by a fan about a book, movie, or even show. Fandoms are a group of fans of books, movies, and shows as well.  The two of them go hand in hand with one another in this case. Fanfictions are known to be published in all kinds of places on the internet; Wattpad, Fanfiction.net, Tumblr, and my all-time favorite AO3. It’s important to remember that fanfiction is made by fans, not the actual original creators who made the series in the first place. From a monetary gain perspective, it’s hard to get upset with fans in this case with fan works because in a way they’re bringing in more money to the original creators due to fandom engagement. The more fans there are for the media, the more likely people will absorb it and bring in value. 

The article ‘What is fanfiction and what does it matter?’  by Lauren V highlights this, breaking down the works of fanfiction as well as the legality behind it. The section ‘Selling Fanfiction Through LuLu Bookstore’ says the following: “Publishing fanfiction online is considered legal in the United States because it is “noncommercial distribution.” In other words, when you post fanfiction on AO3 or another ad-supported, free-to-use site, nobody is making any money from the actual intellectual property itself.” This is the explanation of how authors can publish fandom works online without trouble because they do not have a monetary gain. However, in the next paragraph, it’s said as follows, “Once a piece of fanfiction has been published for sale on the Lulu bookstore (or any other online retailer, for that matter), it has crossed the line into ‘commercial distribution,” which is a copyright infringement and is illegal. In other words, if you are selling, for-profit, derivative work of copyright-protected material, you are breaking the law. ” So people can publish their works online for free if they’re writing fanfic; however, it becomes a problem once they try to sell it for money. The world and characters have already been published and claimed by the original creator of that media, and if found, it will be taken to court.

The Problem With Fanfiction and Bookbinding

The important thing to remember about fanfiction is that the authors and creators have to make sure to give credit to the original media and that they do not ‘own’ it in any way. This way they are protected and they won’t have any issues thrown their way later. That goes for any form of merch trying to be sold or even possibly fan art (again, a whole other section as well). So, how does Fanfiction affect BookBinding TikTok? Well, with lovers of books and having the need to feel pages run through their fingers of their favorite works, there has come a problem for fanfiction. In the community, there has been discussion of fanfiction being bound for personal use. The fandoms have desires to have the actual works by fanfic authors on their shelves instead of worrying about authors deleting their favorite works online and never finding them again. The fanfic authors started to make rules about this issue, asking fans to do as follows: 1. Make sure to give credit for the text block and story to the fanfic author, 2. DO NOT SELL OR DISTRIBUTE FOR MONETARY GAIN, 3. If the binding is not for yourself, then you are allowed to give it to friends or family. 

In late February of 2024, the Bookbinding community was in shambles due to a mass hoard of fanfics being removed from AO3, due to sellers of fanfiction being bookbind. The specific fandom causing the madness? Harry Potter. Now, as a girl who reads a lot of fanfiction, I don’t know if I should be glad I’ve never indulged in the Harry Potter fandom or utterly scared due to the reactions and outrage the fandom truly has at the moment. The fanfics that have sparked this outrage are Dramione fanfics, our enemies-to-lovers (Draco and Hermione). The most popular of these fanfics is the only Manacled made by Senlinyu. The story is basically a dark romance between Draco and Hermione with a heavy Handmaid’s Tale romance. So not only is it infringing upon the Harry Potter series but The Handmaid’s Tale as well, but of course, we can only focus on the crazy fandom that has lost their ever-loving minds by worshiping it as if it’s the best novel ever written.  Personally, I haven’t read the fanfic due to how crazy everyone has been reacting towards it, but from a close friend they did say it was really good. However, it’s not good enough to break the law and risk getting the author sued over it. 

On February 4th, 2024, SenLinYu revealed that they would be publishing her own professional dark fantasy romance of her own inspired by the fanfic she originally wrote called “Alchemised”. She addresses the fandom about staying silent with her publishing journey and not worrying them about her feelings in regards to her famous fanfic Manacled. She sympathized with them but got straight to the issue saying, “During the last several years, there has been a growing issue with illegal sales of Manacled, putting both me and the incredible community that shares fanfiction freely in legal jeopardy.” Here she’s addressing the fact that the bookbinders of her story and the mass out of control of the fandom has led her to take a step back and consider her options. Although the fandom ruined (in my opinion) her enjoyment of her best-written work, she decided to write an ‘original’ story that still holds the ‘spirit’ of Manacled. “Then I suddenly had this idea of alchemy, which was peculiarly appropriate; an academic world filled with unique transmutational abilities, and a necromantic war against people who had discovered the secrets of immortality, and I could see a path to reimagining the story while still holding on to as much of the original spirit of Manacled as possible.”

How to Enjoy Bookbinding While Remianing Respectful

So again, you might be wondering: What went wrong here? Everything seems pretty solid. she’s writing an original story with the same elements of her fanfic that everyone loved so much, but what’s the issue? The issue is her following lines, “Manacled is not going anywhere at present. It will remain online throughout 2024, at which point it will, if you’ll pardon the pun, Alchemise for 2025 and be removed from AO3.” This. This is what sparked outrage out of crazy Harry Potter fans who loved the original story. Because one, they couldn’t read it for free anymore, and two, she was going to publish a completely different work without their favorite characters Draco and Hermione.  For me, I love this author’s integrity and understanding what was going wrong with the fandom in the first place. People were binding and selling the work without her permission when she told them not to, and she got a lawyer because her work was ironically growing more popular than the actual Harry Potter series published by J.K. Rowling. K Rowling. It’s honestly really sad it has to get to the point where the author grew scared but still wanted the fandom to be happy and she wanted to do it by giving them something original. Unfortunately, you can’t keep everyone satisfied. 

Back to the bookbinding community, as of that post you can understand that there’s grown to be an influx in the community growing angry. One tiktoker that stood out to me the most was NeatFreakGreek stitching another Dramione fanfic writer by the name of Emerald_Slytherin author of Secrets and Masks. The fanfic writer talked about how many times she saw her fanfic being bought or sold online even after she told the fandom not to do so and was on the cusp of deleting the whole fanfiction off of  AO3.  NeatFreakGeek  is another well-known bookbinder) begs the Harry Potter community to stop buying fanfiction and that there is bookbinders on the app that are willing to teach them how to bookbind all the way down from the start of the text block to finishing off with the hardcover design. It is insane how bookbinders have tons of tutorials online for people to use for free but they would rather buy from an Etsy owner even though they know it’s illegal. The community knows once the authors are done with the disrespect the fanfic writer could be sued or even get in trouble but it’s a give or take process; as long as people are buying illegal fanfiction, there will be illegal binds being sold. 

Do you know who I blame for this process? Booktok. Oh my gosh! Crazy right we’ve reached full circle! The problem with Booktok is that when fanfiction came into the mix, they all started to invade the community asking for recommendations and even went so far afterward to illegally start purchasing fanfiction. Booktok is a consumer side of the book-loving community, and I hate to say it but they honestly are too busy trying to absorb the book that’s popular of the month, rather than to take their time and enjoy the books they currently have before moving to the next. Another thing would be the aesthetic book lovers have with bookshelves buying books, and trying to look the part. It’s so sad because I was made fun of for reading so much, including fanfiction, when I was younger, and now the community is just filled with just horny individuals obsessed with dark romance and smut scenes. If not done right I will hurl over my bed.  

Here we are two months later and the discussion is still going on. The one thing I’m scared of is losing the bookbinding community on the app due to the drama fanfiction as well as Booktok has brought upon them. In a way, bookbinding was teaching a part of history and something we needed to learn to maintain the books we know and love in tack with something happening to them and they ruin it over fanfiction that isn’t even canon. However, this may be a good thing. Perhaps with the largest fanfiction being gone in that community others will finally learn that doing this will get them nowhere but trouble, and to respect the art and love behind bookbinding one stitch at a time.

Citations 

 V, Lauren. “What Is Fanfiction and Why Does It Matter?” The Lulu Blog | Take Control of Your Creative Journey with Advice from the Team at Lulu., 12 Dec. 2023, blog.lulu.com/what-is-fanfiction-and-why-does-it-matter/.

SenLinYu. “Announcing Alchemised.” Announcing Alchemised, SenLinYu’s Substack, 5 Feb. 2024, senlinyu.substack.com/p/announcing-alchemised.

 NeatFreekGeek. “Make Your Day.” TikTok, 20 Feb. 2024, www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwMRh2K/.

 (I tried to site tiktok as best as possible here, when you click on the link you should be able to see the video. Let me know if you can’t and I’ll fix it!) 

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By: Victoria Spear

Sugar milk and flour are key components to any line of literature, from the pre-baked oven steeped in culture to the many vanilla extracts of trauma and tears. Food forms a connection between culture and emotions in day-to-day life; whether it’s soup, rice, or simply a secret recipe of cake.  The poetry in “Magic City Gospel” by Ashley Jones and “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Saltine” by Nickole Brown displays emotions and memory through food expanding on social class as well as culture as a whole.  Food is important in many cultures and is expressed in many ways through shows, books, and even poetry with how it leaves an impact. Jones and Brown both emphasize this in both a positive and negative manner with social class and race. They emphasize this by; exploring social class through taste, using culture and how food leaves an impact, and using the sense of smell to allude to memory.

Using culture and how food leaves an impact

While reading through `Magic City Gospel’ by Ashley Jones, she makes a lot of references to food when recalling a specific memory. Food as well as taste is a key component in memory and is used frequently through poetry and literature. Using one of the four senses it leaves a bigger impact for the audience and readers overall.  Culture also plays a deep part in food and memory from a young age to when one grows up. Thus many can relate when reading through these poems, for they have had these experiences and even feel a sense of comfort knowing they are not alone. 

 In ‘Sonnet for Sopping’ Jones draws attention to how her mother eats her food with her hands, she describes the texture and smell of colonization and culture being interrupted to fit into social dynamics. This transpires on page 12: “What special flavors hide inside thumb, index, middle, ring, what slides through that is lost on the cold teeth of a fork?”(5-7). The detail she goes into emphasizes the fingers and how they hold the foods and flavors of eating with their hands rather than with utensils. The following lines add to this tension: “When did we embrace the colonial cuffs of silverware so that even our food assimilates?” (12-14). Here she is drawing attention to how their culture is being interrupted by needing to fit in with society’s standards and abandoning their simple way of eating. This conditioning is seen very often and carries on to the next generation as seen here with Jones as she was watching her mother eat with her hands differently from how she was raised on utensils.

This displays how culturally significant it is for people of color to have to appropriate themselves to keep appearances. The fact that it was colonized for coloreds to use utensils rather than to use their hands to eat, unfortunately, is only one example of what happens in day-to-day life with socialization. Using food from her culture as well as providing a specific memory to her message leaves an impact for the reader. With Jones drawing attention to her culture, using this experience is inspiring, to slowly draw oneself from society’s expectations that affect everyone; including the way they eat and present themselves. 

Exploring Social Class Through Taste

Taste is explored through many forms of literature, due to it being one of the five senses humans possess. The sense of being able to taste certain things in a meal or even fluid is enough to recall a memory, even one of social standing. In “Thirteen Ways of Looking at A Salatine’ by Nicole Brown provides examples as well as memories of how the taste of a saltine left a huge impact on her memory about her social standing. Much like black culture Jones explores through food, Brown draws attention to the taste of a cracker that held her title in social class. 

Brown explored the topic of recalling social class through taste in her work. Much like Jones, Brown recalls her experience with saltines and remembers how it relates to her family. She does this in section eight lines (7:5-9): “Like the family I love best, the bite is rough at first but quickly goes soft nearly falls apart without even the need to chew,” (7:5-9). This allusion to taste talking about how ‘rough’ her family is and how they ‘fall apart without the need to chew’ really goes into how her family dynamic operates. The fact that the taste of the saltine instilled memories in her about her family dynamic spoke volumes. She follows up in a section about how her first experience of being called a ‘cracker’ to being innocent at first; she didn’t realize it was meant as an insult. “The first time I was called a cracker no one could have told me it was anything but a jive at what we ate,” (9:2-3). The ‘jive’ she’s speaking about is the lack of food they were able to eat because they were poor and saltines were very cheap and affordable to purchase for food. This gives the audience an insight as to how bitter she truly sees the food and how it resolves back around to her life each time she tastes the saltine. 

Although many can relate to social class and descrimination due to background, the way Brown explores this through the taste of a simple saltine is brilliant. Taste does have a strong impact in literature and day to day life especially when thinking culturally or one’s social class. Whether ist cornbread cake or a simple saltine, the crumbs that role of our taste buds can leave an impact on how we look at oneself as well as the world as a whole.

Using sense of smell to allude to memory

Whether or not it’s a personal experience among people, the sense of smell is used to decipher whether something is good or bad; the smell can be so familiar enough to even recall a specific memory in poetry. Smell is essential in many forms of literature to explain one’s surrounding familiarity of understanding. It’s very popular within fiction and poetry as well; many of the works using smell mostly refer back to memory of a certain subject or past event. With this writers and creators can have more effect within their work and even lead their readers with a sense of relativity and connection. 

Works that stood out the most with smells would have to be Jones in “Gospel of Grits”. In this work what stood out the most is how the writer emphasizes how people in the south wake up to breakfast with smell. “Wake up, bacon. Wipe eyes, biscuit dough. Sting of coffee silenced by sugar, kiss of milk.” (page 49 lines 4-5). These lines allude to how the narrator can recall memories in the morning through smell when waking up each morning for breakfast. Jones even highlights each step of waking up before smelling the familiar scent of said breakfast food, this adds more detail and allusion to the poem and work overall making it memorable. She even follows up in the following lines, “When I think of you, I think of heat.”(page: 49 line:7).  Jones is indirectly saying that through food and smells she’s recalling fond memories of waking up each morning to a fulfilling meal. This seals the case with how impactful the sense of smell is even with creators when trying to express meaningful moments through their work. 

Many would-be often surprised with how much personal experience can be placed on the sense of smell alone. Whether or not it draws back in memory of good or bad is up to experience, but we as humans use this sense to decipher just that. The way smell is explored through others’ works may be small but it is relatable to others especially the audience in many ways. Jones was successful with capturing this, and giving her readers one of her best works that most can relate to. 

Food, smell, and taste leave a heavy impact on literature as we know it and inspire authors to formulate writings that peers and strangers can relate to whether it’s socially or culture-wise. Ashley Jones and Nichole Brown highlighted this beautifully in their works, from their experiences with race to the struggles of being poor. Their works exploring their memories through their work left a huge impact on others, leaving behind a feeling of relativity and understanding. Maybe just maybe, the baker steeped and cooked up in literature makes a wonderful pound cake. 

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If you are looking for a new genre to start watching to switch up your normal replays, I would greatly suggest these period films/historical dramas. Fictional or not, these movies provide a way to look back on an unknown past in a relatable and compassionate way. The girls in all these films have such brave and likable spirits that make you fall in love with the movies. I would also suggest reading each of these books if that is more your style and would like a greater look at each of these powerful women’s stories.

• Little Women

Little Women is of course one of the most classic period films no matter what remake you watch. Whether you read the novel or watch the movie, you still get the beautiful story of the March sisters. Set in 1868, the four March sisters have an unbreakable bond due to certain events in their lives that draw them together despite some rising feuds. It follows their lives, and them finding and chasing their passions. Jo March played by Soarise Ronan in the 2019 remake is truly inspiring in her monologue expressing how much women have to offer society that may not be seen by all. Little Women is a tearjerker but also a must watch for everyone everywhere.

• Emma.

Emma. is a film released this year based off of Jane Austen’s novel. Emma is a young woman in 1815 trying to help her new friend find the perfect love. Little does she know, she will find some of her own despite her refusal on multiple accounts. This movie is lighthearted and joyous to watch, and the scenery makes it ten times better. Everything about Emma. is visually pleasing which adds so much to the spirit of the movie. It is the perfect mixture of historical fiction, romance, and comedy all in one.

• Pride and Prejudice

Another classic movie for time in need of a tear shed, Pride and Prejudice is always there for you. Another great adaptation of Jane Austen’s famous work, Elizabeth Bennett is becoming of age to where she is needed to marry quickly in order to save the family legacy. When the rich and handsome, Mr. Darcy comes into town, her parents seize the moment for an introduction only to be rudely pushed away by him. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth continue to form a strange love-hate relationship that oddly makes you want to travel back to 1812 and join the Bennett sisters in search of love and happiness despite your differences.

• The Duchess

The Duchess shows an inside look of the harsh realities inside the marriage of Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. It gives a sad perspective on what is going on behind the seemingly perfect scenes. Kiera Knightly gives an incredible performance that fills you with sorrow for Georgiana. Georgiana is unable to “play her part” in her marriage contract which deeply impacts her life, her new friend Bess’, and her new found lover. It gives a great look on an unknown part of history.

Want more on empowering women? Check out these articles: Influential Women from the Past Decade and Quiz: Important Women of History.

The post Classic Empowering Period Films Highlighting Strong Women appeared first on GirlSpring.

I know it’s past Valentine’s Day, but love lasts all year.

I’ve always knew that the swan boats in the Boston Public Garden were perfect for a romantic scene, but they also have connections to some of my favorite childhood love stories.

In the Trumpet of the Swan, trumpeter swan Louis is mute, meaning he can’t mate with other swans. He steals a trumpet and becomes a famous musician so he can find his voice and confess his love to his crush Serena. He plays on the swan boats to repay his trumpet. After travelling to Philadelphia and rescuing Serena from the zoo, he serenades her with the trumpet and wins her over. Now that’s W rizz!

You might not associate Make Way for Ducklings with love, but a story of familial love and sacrifice is just as beautiful. Finding the perfect home is an exciting and nerve-wracking experience for many couples. Mrs. Mallard takes her ducklings on a journey through dangerous Boston streets (I can confirm, the traffic is crazy!) to their forever home in the Public Garden. They lived happily ever after- if you visit today, there is a statue dedicated to the Mallard family and so many ducks in the pond! 

In real life, love is more complicated than our daydreams and cute lovebird stories. We fantasize about perfect moments and finally being accepted by the one! But it’s the struggle that makes love worth it. The uncertainty, the sacrifices, the heartbreak. And I think it is better to face rejection than not having tried at all. 

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To cultivate a child’s interest, you must find a book that is entertaining, imaginative, and educational. When I say educational, I do not mean that the book teaches a child about the history of math. A book needs to teach a child about how to deal with loss, how to make lasting friendships, and how to have courage in hard times. Children will have plenty of time to learn how to do taxes and how to boost their college application, but while they are kids they should be able to read about fun adventures filled with love and kindness. They should not just be surrounded by mind numbing and shallow videos. Since it is so important for children to create an interest in reading, here are five book recommendations for young readers series that can help children venture into the world of the written word. 

The Chronicles of Narnia By: C.S. Lewis 

Probably one of the most famous book series in the world, The Chronicles of Narnia has caused many children to love reading. Set in the magical and beautiful world of Narnia, the story focuses on the importance of family and hope. It has lovable characters that many people can see themselves in, a wonderful plot, and it is easy for young readers to understand. 

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library By: Chris Grabenstein

This book series is filled with quirky and creative plotlines that follow a group of friends as they try to decipher riddles set before them by a wacky billionaire. The book is filled with puzzles and riddles not just for the characters but for the audience as well. Not only is it entertaining to read and easy to understand, it teaches its reader about how to create long lasting friendships. Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is an exciting and fun read for any kid that loves a good challenge.

The Land of Stories By: Chris Colfer

This story follows a set of twins as they travel through a land filled with fairy tales. The book centralizes on the importance of family and finding out who you are. The books can be enjoyable for everyone and can add depth to fairy tales that all children will recognize. It is a comedic, loveable story that all children would love to read. 

Kingdom Keepers By: Ridley Pearson 

The Kingdom Keepers book series is an adventure-filled and suspenseful story that will have many children on the edge of their seats. Set in the Disney World Parks, the main characters have to protect magic from classic Disney villains. This series teaches children about how to balance your responsibilities and how to protect your friends. Filled with heart-warming and devastating scenes, Kingdom Keepers is a great series for children to fall in love with.

Harry Potter By: J.K. Rowling

Another famous book series, Harry Potter has had a massive impact on millions of individuals world wide for good reason. Harry Potter is not afraid to confront the hard topics in life but rather is able to deal with them in a delicate manner. Filled with adventure, grief, friendships, love, and of course magic, this book series can awaken a child to the beautiful world of reading. 

There are a million other book series that can cause a child to love literature. However the books I have mentioned have a special place in my heart. Many of these books have grown my love of reading and I hope that they can help another to fall in love as well. I hope you enjoyed these book recommendations for young readers.

Happy Reading!

If you enjoyed 5 Great Book Recommendations for Young Readers, check out these other book reviews!

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This artwork was made with a photo, and a digital pen to show how books can create stories and educate others about different fields. When you think about education you usually think about books. Books are how we retain stories that aren’t going to be remembered by memory years later. They allow us to educate ourselves and understand many different concepts or learn different morals from tales and stories. Overall, books are an important aspect of learning, thus being why I chose to illustrate it to present education. These stories, memories, and lessons are what a book holds.

If you liked “What a Book Holds”, check out more original artwork and photography here!

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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder- Holly Jackson

This book had me on my toes. The storyline was great and the twist at the end was unpredictable. Well, at least for me. This book is a little on the mature side- the rating is 14 and up. After I read the book I watched the show on Netflix and I thought it was very enjoyable.  There are some differences between the show and book but overall I rate it 4.5/5.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series- Rick Riordan

This is my favorite book series. Hands Down. All of the books are great. I read this series when I was in the 5th grade and I loved them, so I decided to give them a reread. There are 5 in total, and I encourage  you to read all of the books. All of the characters are so well written, which makes it so relatable to kids and teenagers. It is just a good story for ages 9 and up. I totally recommend checking out the show on Disney + as well. I rate this book 5/5.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – Rex Ogle

For all my graphic novel lovers, this is the book for  you. This book radiates girlhood. It is the modern retelling of Little Women and how they would be in the modern world. This story is very wholesome and is good for ages 9 and up. I rate this book 5/5.

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“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas

Fantasy books portray the best amount of female main energy. Feyre from the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series sums up a ‘strong woman’ to me. First, she provides for her family, protects them, and defeats a whole kingdom. That is pretty awesome.

Next to her is the famous Nesta who doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do or how to do it. This fearless woman has powers of fire, and I think that is a perfect aspect for her personality. Fire can create warmth but it is also very dangerous. Like a moth to flame as some would say, Nesta draws in more than moths and like her sister, Feyre, she wins a war and defeats a kingdom.

Mor and Amren are also no less than these two power-sisters. Amren scares people with her presence alone, and Mor who is nicknamed “The Morrigan.” You have to be some type of powerful to have a ‘the’ in your name.

The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros

Transferring Universes a little bit, if we head all the way to Basgiath College of Poromiel, we will not only find Violet Sorrengail, but also Rhiannon Mathias, and Imogen. All of these talented women have each been through the Basgiath war college. These women take no disrespect and they don’t give anyone the chance to even think about underestimating their abilities.

Violet, who defies all ‘laws’ that everyone says are true, still finds a way to beat every system she is put in. Imogen who is one of the strongest of her year not only helps violet become greater but is actually very caring underneath her protectiveness. Last but not least Rhiannon is a dark skin queen has been with Violet since day 1 at the college, and is Violet’s ride-or-die. She proves to everyone that she needs to be there and that she earned her spot. She ends up becoming a leader and earns great respect, while still being respectful to others. 

“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson

This book is a little on the modern side and it takes place on earth. Pip Fitz-Amobi, a high school student, dedicates her senior year to solving a murder, just to prove that the nicest person she knows innocent. Solving a murder is one thing, but she takes this case to heart, because the crime happened only a few years ago in her own town. She goes through various hardships while solving this fresh case such as death-threats and the loss of her dog. Still, she proceeds to persevere because she knows it’s the right thing to do. Even when her own life is in danger all she wants to do is help others.

Every day we all should strive to be like these extraordinary female characters. They’re fearless, strong, witty, sincere, and powerful. These women have all gone through their hardships, but they all made it out to the top, and so will you. 

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