posthumously outed

If We're Being Honest by Cat Shook

Genre: fiction

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Review: Cat Shook gives us a different take on "coming out" as a beloved grandfather is outed at his funeral by his best friend and long-term lover.  Here, we don't learn about the grandfather's struggle or how his relationships with his family change after the revelation, but how his wife, children, and grandchildren process the news, and how it makes them reflect on their own lives.  A well-done picture of grief and the celebration of a life, even one that wasn't what everyone thought.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

age discrepancy

The Ever-After Bird by Ann Rinaldi
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: historical fiction
Challenge: A-Z (title)
Review: One of Rinaldi's better recent efforts. A somewhat transparent look at the evils of slavery, but a convincing one. My biggest problem about this book was that the main character, CeCe, was said to be 13-going-on-14, but was treated throughout the book at much younger. Especially when dealing with a time period when childhood was much shorter than we're accustomed to, it seemed odd that a girl of that age would be treated as needing so much protection. Other than that, the book seemed realistic and would definitely be good for middle school-age children to learn about slavery. And, of course, I loved all the references to Oberlin!