Lia Anshar's Honest Pages

  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ "She is incredibly lucky because her family always tells her the truth.... They tell her the absolute truest truths. The ones that no one else in the whole world knows." If you’re on the hunt for a book that turns ordinary days into magical adventures, let me introduce you to What’s That For? by Vanessa Bergeron. This delightful children’s story is all about curiosity, creativity, and the wonderful worlds they can build just by asking questions. Our little main character is Lulu, a curious girl who loves asking “what’s that for?” and listening to the creative answers the grown-ups in her life come up with. In Lulu’s world, a simple item can turn into something amazing in an alternate reality where kids are in charge. It’s a safe, fun story where imagination runs free, and children are encouraged to describe and shape their own worlds. I absolutely love how it invites young readers to dream up unlimited possibilities and turn everyday moments into something spec...

"She'd lived deep in the nuances of a world they saw as black and white. They were right about the war. She knew that."  If you’re looking for a historical novel that blends coming-of-age emotions with a rarely explored perspective on the Vietnam War, Sawadika American Girl by Daria Sommers might surprise you in the best way.  Set in 1968 Bangkok, the story follows seventeen-year-old Piper Lewis, the daughter of a USAID officer. As the U.S. military presence expands across Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, Piper finds her once-familiar world shifting in ways she doesn’t fully understand. Her father grows distant and secretive, her stepmother becomes increasingly controlling, and even the piano, once her refuge, feels disconnected from her emotions.  Everything changes when Piper meets Jack, a nineteen-year-old American soldier on leave. Their connection is immediate, intense, and forbidden. Determined to spend his remaining days of leave together, they step into a f...

"It starts with us our hearts, our voice—to tell the truth, to make that choice."  What if honesty were something we actually practiced every day?  That’s the simple yet powerful idea behind What If We Were All Honest! by C.M. Harris, and honestly, it’s such a refreshing take on teaching kids about telling the truth.  This book takes young readers on a gentle, heart-centered journey about honesty, trust, and taking responsibility for our actions. It’s written in rhyme, which makes it particularly enjoyable to read aloud, and the flow is smooth enough that kids can easily follow along. It never feels preachy, just thoughtful and relatable.  What I really loved is how the story focuses on genuine honesty in real-life. Not just “don’t lie,” but things like admitting when you make a mistake, asking for help when you need it, and being honest with people you trust. It also makes an important point: honesty isn’t about being harsh or saying everything bluntly. It’s about b...

  "Amira did not need to be told to smile. She was already smiling."  Amira's Picture Day by Reem Faruqi is a sweet and thoughtful story about balancing two important moments in a child’s life: celebrating Eid and attending picture day at school.  The story follows Amira, who is excited to stay home and celebrate Eid. Just thinking about the holiday makes her feel warm and tingly. She looks forward to wearing new clothes, visiting the mosque, and handing out goody bags. But then she notices a flyer on the fridge and her excitement quickly turns into worry. Eid happens to fall on the same day as school picture day.  Amira suddenly feels torn. If she skips school to celebrate Eid, she’ll miss the class photo. What if her classmates forget her? What will her teacher think?  Even though the Eid celebration at the mosque is everything she hoped for, the thought of missing picture day keeps lingering in her mind. Luckily, a last-minute idea on the car ride home offer...

  "It was fun to race, but all I wanted was to cool off and enjoy the day." Sometimes the most memorable stories are the ones that feel delightfully odd, and How Mr. Felix Entered a Bicycle Race by Peter Svetina is exactly that kind of book.  The story introduces readers to the wonderfully unusual Mr. Felix, a man who enjoys the simple quirks of life. He lives comfortably among boxes in his home and carefully braids his beard, giving him an air of quiet eccentricity. While he may seem a bit odd, Mr. Felix is far from unlikable, his warmth and friendliness quickly win over those around him.  One day, quite by accident, Mr. Felix finds himself at the starting line of a bicycle race. The only problem is he doesn’t have a bicycle. Fortunately, someone is happy to lend him a rusty one, and just like that, he decides to join the race. What follows is a race unlike any other.  Mr. Felix rides with astonishing speed, quickly catching up to the pack and even taking the lead....

  "'And did you know?' continue grandma, "There are other ways to celebrate Ramadan?'"   The Gift of Ramadan by Rabiah York Lumbard is a warm picture book about a young girl experiencing Ramadan in a very relatable way.  The story follows Sophia, who decides that she wants to fast during Ramadan just like her parents and grandmother. She wakes up early for suhoor and begins her first fasting day full of excitement and determination. But as the day goes on, Sophia quickly realizes that fasting is much harder than she expected.  When her little brother appears with a delicious cookie, her resolve finally breaks. Sophia worries that she has ruined everything and failed her first fast.  But her grandmother gently helps her understand something important: Ramadan is about more than just fasting.  One of the things I appreciated in this book is the message about kindness and helping others. When Sophia’s grandmother becomes too tired to prepare iftar, Sophia st...

"Livy Lou had no idea what she was supposed to say until she heard, 'Use your heart, be yourself, and make people's day.'"  Livy Lou Lovely Loves to Speak by Sally Lou Loveman is a heartwarming picture book about courage, confidence, and discovering your own voice.  The story follows Livy Lou Lovely, a young girl who struggles with the fear of speaking in front of others. Like many children, Livy Lou feels nervous and unsure when it comes to public speaking. Everything begins to change when she attends a television show with her mom. Faced with a new and exciting experience, Livy Lou makes a brave decision: she relies on her inner voice and chases her dreams. That simple choice becomes the moment she begins to discover her voice.  What makes this story meaningful is how relatable Livy Lou’s experience is. Many children feel shy or anxious about speaking up, whether in class, at home, or in front of a crowd. Livy Lou starts just like any other child, scared and he...

"'Yeah, but that doesn't make sense,' Samir says. 'How can you have NPCs in real life?,'"  If you enjoy middle-grade horror mixed with strange technology, Fatal Glitch by Erin Entrada Kelly and Eliot Schrefer is a wild and unsettling ride.  The story follows eleven-year-old Sofia Mendoza, a dedicated gamer who would much rather spend her time building landscapes and fighting monsters in Sandbox than dealing with real-world problems. After hurting her sister, Sofia’s father sends her to a mysterious camp called Forestjaw as a wake-up call.  But Forestjaw is not a normal camp.  Instead of campfires and crafts, Sofia finds herself surrounded by creepy mechanical vultures, cloaked NPC figures wandering through the forest, and a strange camp supervisor named Monarch who seems almost robotic. Even worse, the campers are forced to participate in an elimination game where survival is the only goal.  When I first saw the phrase “Black Mirror” in the book’s descrip...

"There was no such thing as a magic pencil to change the world: I would have to do something."  Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick is an engaging and easy-to-follow introduction to Malala’s remarkable and inspiring life story. This middle grade adaptation of her life makes an important real-world story easier for younger readers to understand without losing its emotional impact.  The book takes readers to Pakistan’s Swat Valley, where Malala grew up during a time when the Taliban began taking control and banning girls from going to school. While many people were too afraid to speak out, Malala refused to stay silent. She bravely defended her right and the right of other girls to get an education.  Her courage came at a terrible cost. On October 9, 2012, when she was only fifteen years old, Malala was shot in the head while riding the bus home from school. Many believed she would not survive. Miraculously, she did....

"Each person with Tourette syndrome is unique. We all have our own tics, struggles, hopes, and dreams."  Tic-errific Me by Alicia Meyers is a warm and thoughtful picture book that helps young readers understand what it’s like to live with Tourette Syndrome in a way that feels both informative and incredibly kind.  The story follows a young girl who explains her tics directly to the reader. Her verbal and motor tics sometimes appear unexpectedly during everyday activities, and she never quite knows which ones might show up. Through her own voice, she shares what living with tics feels like, how others might see them, and how she first learned about her Tourette’s.  What makes this book especially lovely is how gently the information is presented. The narrator explains that some things, like playing or relaxing, can help her tic less, while stress or excitement might make the tics appear more often. She also talks about the support she receives from her parents, doctors, a...

  "I don't ask if today is a kite day.. Mamuś's smile is hidden, a seed buried waiting to bloom again.."  Kite Day by Lisa Varchol Perron is a cozy yet powerful picture book that offers young readers an honest and hopeful look at living with a parent who struggles with mood disorder. It’s the kind of story that handles a complex topic with care, empathy, and a lot of heart.  The story follows a young boy as he navigates the emotional ups and downs of life with his mother. Some days are bright and joyful, while others feel heavy and confusing. Instead of explaining everything directly, Perron uses the simple act of flying a kite as a beautiful metaphor for these emotional highs and lows. Just like a kite rising in a good day and falling in the bad day, the family experiences moments of difficulty as well as moments of hope.  The lyrical writing makes the story feel sweet but also reflective, allowing young readers to understand big emotions without feeling overwhelme...

  "'Yasmin, your hair is beautiful, and you can be beautiful too, you just have to lose weight. I know you can do it.' There it is. She'll never love me the way I am. Not completely." I just finished listening to The Blue Dress by Rebecca Morrison, narrated by Samara Naeymi, and this is one of those middle-grade stories that quietly lingers in your mind long after it’s over.  Some stories are loud. This one is quiet but it speaks volumes.  The story follows Yasmin, a Persian immigrant who has recently moved from Iran to the United States. She’s at that fragile, in-between stage of early adolescence where everything feels like it’s shifting at once, friendships, family dynamics, body image, identity. And Morrison captures that season of life with such honesty that it almost feels too real at times.  What struck me first was how grounded the middle school experience feels. Not the dramatic, exaggerated version we often see in the media but the everyday tension of i...

  "Then I took out my phone and checked my Instagram. The likes were coming in super fast. Thousands of likes. Still, it wasn't enough."  If you’re looking for a short YA thriller that feels intense, eerie, and uncomfortably relevant, Never Leave Me Alone by Crissa-Jean Chappell might be exactly what you’re in the mood for.  This novel pulls you in from the opening chapters and rarely lets go, blending grief, internet fame, and reckless adrenaline into a cautionary tale about how far people will go just to be seen.  Seventeen-year-old Birdie thrives on danger. Through urban exploration, like climbing abandoned hotels, unstable buildings, and forbidden spaces, she chases the perfect shot for social media. The higher the risk, the better the photo. The better the photo, the bigger the attention.  But everything shatters when Micah dies during a dangerous climb. Birdie is left drowning in guilt. And then things get darker. Micah had been involved in a mysterious o...