Confessions of a Mango, by Kate Lumsden and Nate Pieplow. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2026. $23.99 ages 8 and up

 

"One hundred and seventy people have liked 
my post. That's almost half the school. Nearly 
forty have commented, and a few sent me 
private messages. The profiles are all vague, 
with obviously fake names and pictures. The 
only person I know for sure is Thea. I recognize
the cartoon teddy bear with the crooked smile."

Twins Ruby and Bryce are in sixth grade, and attending a new school. Benton Academy is touted as being for 'the smartest kids in the district'. Ruby would rather be in her old school, with her old friends, and without her brother. Bryce is an over-achiever when it concerns robots, and has difficulty making new friends. Ruby is quick to meet people, and afraid to tell anyone that she has dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia for fear they will think her unsuitable for the prestigious school. She does not like the pressure put on her to prove herself.  The school provides accommodations for her learning differences. Still, she worries about the consequences of any noticeably poor performance. The twins are in the same school, to meet the needs of their parents' jobs and schedules. Ruby knows Bryce should be there. 

As she becomes more desperate about her academic work, she learns about a social media space where contributors are anonymous. She creates an account called 'confessions of a mango' to share her feelings about the school and the fact that she is afraid she cannot meet expectations held for her. To her surprise, others admit to feeling the same way. Some share their feelings about the challenges they are facing. The school begins to change. Ruby is not the only mango! Though some challenges are brought by overanxious parents and the school administration, Ruby hangs in and perseveres, believing that she has done nothing wrong and is, in fact, helping students have a voice. 

Ruby is a very likable character who is perceptive and thoughtful. She is a good friend, sister and student. Her learning difficulties are shared with empathy and show who she is. Her intelligence and bravery help to make needed changes. Valuing differences is so very important in middle years, and Ruby is a sincere role model for those wanting things to be different. 

Burst Your Bubble! Outsmart the Algorithms and See What You're Missing. Written by Joyce Grant and illustrated by Jan Dolby. Owlkids, 2025. ages 9 and up

 

"BLUE SPACE HELMETS

 Find a buddy or a family member you're 
connected to on social media. Have them 
think of a product that's really unusual 
and specific, like "blue space helmets". 
Ask them to watch a few videos about 
space helmets and search for "blue 
space helmets" in their search engine. 
  Wait ten minutes and then type the 
word "blue" into your search engine.
Did space helmets come up? Are they 
coming up on your friend's phone now? 
And maybe other things about space, 
or perhaps bicycle helmets?
  Your phone wasn't listening to you -
but an algorithm did take note of what
your friend was interested in."

I think that this is a book kids should read with their parents. There is much to learn in its pages about how information bubbles work. I am certainly happy to have learned what I did while reading it. It immediately engages its target audience with the way algorithms frame what we see online. The author also does her best, in accessible and real-world text, to help understand how better choices can be made. The interactive opportunities for moving from one place to another make the learning both enjoyable and informative. It works a bit like a choose-your-adventure-book that many will have experienced. 

The challenges are useful for parents and teachers to help young readers navigate just what happens when search topics are chosen. These lead to much of what the user will be guided toward in future searches. The illustrations are brightly colored and cartoon-like. Their design is crucial to adding meaning to the text in a playful and understated way. 

For those adults who haven't thought much about their own online presence, it provides the proof that whatever you might click on, or search out, will determine much of what you see in future searches. Too soon what is seen has a much narrower focus and you see less and less of other topics and interests. That's the bubble children find themselves in. It keeps them from having access to other different points of view, other people, and even limits their experiences on the internet. 

We don't want our kids or ourselves to see only one side of any story. It's important to learn ways to break out of those bubbles and find other ways to inform ourselves. There are ways to be smart about getting beyond our own small bubbles and expanding thought, knowledge, and the importance of being well-informed. As a beginning, this book will definitely help with that. 

 A table of contents, glossary, index, and bibliography are included.