Durham Book Club: DBCwrites

  Fuzzy Mud is a book about a girl named Tamaya and her best friend, Marshall. One day, they are walking home when they are attacked by a local bully. Tamaya takes a handful of this fuzzy mud and throws it at the bully's face. Later on, Tamaya gets a horrible rash on her hand where the mud touched it, and the next day, the bully is reported missing. Tamaya figures that the bully must have the rash on his face and sets off to find him.  U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world. I loved Fuzzy Mud because it taught you all about working together and standing up for each other.  reviewed by Finn

  Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli, the heartfelt sequel to the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda , is a YA novel focused on Leah Burke, who is a senior in high school. In the book, Leah is preparing for college while also enjoying the remainder of her high school experience, whether that means drumming with her girl band or hanging out with her close-knit group of friends at Waffle House. Despite Leah’s deep connections to her friends, only her mom knows that she’s bisexual. Not even her friend Simon, who is openly gay and very accepting of Leah about many things, knows about her sexuality. Leah starts dating Garrett, an adorable soccer player at her school, but during a college tour road trip with an old friend, she begins to acknowledge that her heart is elsewhere…. Join Leah on a journey of self discovery in a book that will make you laugh and cry, and that will stick with you long after the last page. reviewed by Sydney

  One of my favorite books is Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, about a girl named Melody with cerebral palsy. Melody can’t walk or talk, but she is incredibly smart. Everyday she has to stay in the same classroom, for the “retarded” children, and learn the same things. All Melody wants is to learn and be able tell people what’s going on in her head. This book, narrated by Melody, navigates her struggle in a heartfelt tone that portrays all of her emotions. reviewed by Anya