Contemporary Archives - Plugged In https://www.pluggedin.com/blog/book-genre/contemporary/ Shining a Light on the World of Popular Entertainment Tue, 11 Jun 2024 18:49:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://www.pluggedin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/plugged-in-menu-icon-updated-96x96.png Contemporary Archives - Plugged In https://www.pluggedin.com/blog/book-genre/contemporary/ 32 32 Ferris https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/ferris/ Tue, 11 Jun 2024 18:49:20 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=31877 When her grandma sees a ghost and her uncle moves into the basement, Ferris knows she’s in for an unusual summer.

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Ferris is gearing up for one of the strangest summers of her life. Her grandma wants help with a ghost. Her Uncle Ted moves into the basement to paint a history of the world. Her sister Pinky tries to rob a bank. And let’s not even talk about the raccoons taking over the attic. Yet for all her family’s quirks, Ferris finds that she loves them. And she might just have an amazing summer after all.

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Because of Winn-Dixie https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/because-of-winn-dixie/ Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:04:01 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=31009 When Opal moves to a new town, a new dog might be just what she needs to settle in.

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India Opal Buloni went to the grocery store to get macaroni-and-cheese, rice, and two tomatoes; she came back with a dog instead. She convinces her dad to let her keep the pooch, and now she has one bright spot in a summer that hasn’t had many.

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A First Time for Everything https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/first-time-for-everything/ Wed, 27 Dec 2023 17:11:41 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=30726 Dan learns to be himself on a trip to Europe in Dan Santat's A First Time for Everything.

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Dan Santat would rather stay home for the summer. But his parents insist that he travel to Europe with some of his classmates. He does so, and as the days go by, Dan makes new friends and experiences a whole new world. When the end of the trip comes, Dan finds it harder to say goodbye than he ever thought possible.

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The Labors of Hercules Beal https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/labors-of-hercules-beal/ Mon, 11 Dec 2023 17:22:39 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=30567 Hercules must reenact the labors of his namesake and consider their meaning along the way.

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After Hercules Beal’s life comes crashing down, he finds himself living under the watchful eye of his brother and adjusting to a new school. To make matters worse, his teacher gives him a yearlong project: reenact the 12 labors of Hercules from Greek mythology. As the year goes on, Hercules makes new friends, accomplishes impossible feats and discovers that his life might not be over after all.

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Finally Seen https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/finally-seen/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 15:46:46 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=30132 Life in America isn't as easy as Lina Gao thought it would be. But even as she navigates racism and censorship, Lina finds her voice.

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After spending years in China while her parents and sister build a life in America, Lina Gao finally gets to join them. She soon discovers that life there isn’t easy. But she also realizes America offers the chance to find her voice and be heard.

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Leeva at Last https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/leeva-at-last/ Mon, 21 Aug 2023 20:51:59 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=29792 Leeva sets out to discover the world around her and answer an important question: What are people for?

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Leeva’s mom thinks people are only good for making someone famous. Her father thinks they’re there to make him rich. Leeva isn’t satisfied with their answers, so she leaves her house for one of the only times in her life and embarks on a quest to discover the truth.

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Maizy Chen’s Last Chance https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/maizy-chens-last-chance/ Mon, 13 Mar 2023 16:36:58 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=28539 Maizy Chen spends the summer learning about her family history and grappling with racism, both past and present.

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Maizy Chen is spending the summer in Last Chance, Minnesota, trying to help her sick grandpa. While she’ there, Maizy investigates her family history and wrestles with the prejudice that her ancestors faced and that her family still encounters.

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Surely Surely Marisol Rainey https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/surely-surely-marisol-rainey/ Mon, 17 Oct 2022 14:51:49 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=27092 Marisol Rainey isn’t an athlete. But in gym class, she learns the power of perseverance.

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Marisol Rainey is good at many things, but sports isn’t one of them. In gym class, she just wants to play well enough to earn a cheer from her coach and a few high fives from her teammates. But even with her best friend’s encouragement and her brother’s training, it will take all of Marisol’s courage to leave her struggles in the past and step up to the plate.

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Those Kids from Fawn Creek https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/those-kids-from-fawn-creek/ Mon, 23 May 2022 17:15:26 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=26027 A new seventh-grade girl in town shakes up the predictable world of Fawn Creek.

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Life in Fawn Creek, Louisiana, can be summed up in one word: predictable. Then one day, a new student walks through the door. Orchid Mason brings her imagination to the seventh-grade class, challenging them with kindness and shaking them out of the ruts they’ve fallen into.

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Lore https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/lore/ Fri, 04 Jun 2021 16:27:27 +0000 https://www.pluggedin.com/?post_type=book-reviews&p=23297 A young woman named Lore is offered a chance to avenge her murdered family. But to seize that chance, she must participate in a modern-day conflict between Greek gods.

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As punishment for a past rebellion, every seven years the nine Greek gods must become mortal and be hunted by the human descendants of ancient bloodlines in something called the Agon. Seventeen-year-old Melora “Lore” Perseous—the last living descendant of the Greek hero Perseus—walked away from all that after her parents were murdered. But during this Agon, Lore is offered something she can’t resist: revenge!

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