by Ernesto Cisneros Efren is an American-born child of illegal Mexican immigrants living in Southern California. When his mother is caught by immigration officers and deported, Efren must balance caring for his younger twin siblings with his own school work and friendships, while also helping his father find a way to bring his mother back. […]
by Nicola Yoon Evie’s faith in love has been shaken by her parents’ divorce (and the secret knowledge of her father’s prior affair). A strange encounter at a Little Free Library leads to a startling discovery: when Evie sees a couple kiss, she can see their whole romance, start to finish. As she seeks answers, […]
by Meg Medina Merci Suarez starts 6th grade with big hopes of joining the soccer team and having a great year. But things don’t go as planned, and she must navigate unsettling family health issues and friends who are suddenly more interested in boys than in sports. This story felt so real to me, even […]
by Tomi Adeyemi When a strange girl grabs Zelie in the capital city’s market and begs her help to escape, Zelie is pulled against her will into a war to save magic and empower her people, who have been oppressed almost to the point of genocide. Can she learn to harness her own magic in […]
by Kwame Alexander Told entirely in short poems/rap, this is the story of Josh Bell and his family—including his twin brother and their basketball star father. I’m not big on basketball or poetry, but this was an incredibly cool way to tell a story, and a lot of the poems were really poignant. I loved […]
by Dhonielle Clayton The Belles were created to bring beauty to Orleans. But the people of Orleans have become too obsessed with beauty, and so has their power-mad princess. It’s up to one Belle to make a change… This book was beautifully written with vivid characters and loads of action and intrigue. (It reminded me […]
by Kazu Kibuishi After Emily’s father dies, her family moves to mysteriously missing great-grandfather’s house. When her mother is abducted by a monster in the basement, Emily and her brother must rescue her or risk losing another parent. I had mixed feelings about this book. I really like the premise, characters, and art. But there […]
by Louise Erdrich Follow Omakayas, a young Ojibwa girl, through one year, spring to spring, and see how it will change her life forever. This is a well-told, beautiful story with rich characters. The cultural details immerse the reader in Omakayas’ world. The chapters on smallpox are a bit intense, so use caution with younger […]
by Nicola Yoon Neither Natasha nor Daniel is looking for their true love today. A string of random chances bring them together. But Natasha is being deported back to Jamaica tonight—will the random events continue, keeping them together, or will more chances tear them apart? This book was beautifully written. I loved the points of […]
by Jerry Craft Jordan is starting seventh grade at a new school—an expensive private school in a high-end neighborhood—when he’d rather go to art school. He must survive middle school, make new friends, and reconnect with old ones, all while navigating his primarily white school as a person of color. This Newbery-Award-winning graphic novel was […]