Author: Kelly Yang
Published: 2022 New From Here takes place at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Knox lives with his parents and his brother and sister in Hong Kong. When they hear news that the virus is spreading in China and some cases have come over in Hong Kong, his parents make the decision that the kids and their mom are going to go to their other house in California, while their dad is going to stay in Hong Kong because of his job. Knox and his siblings are devastated to leave behind their dad but they don't really have a choice. When they get to California they immediately start to experience racism due to Covid-19. People don't want to stand next to them and they get dirty looks. Meanwhile, their mom loses her job because working remotely isn't working out, and for the first time Knox is worried about if they will have enough money to live. Living without their dad there is hard, and it's even harder because Knox's older brother isn't being as nice to him as he should. At least the virus isn't spreading here like it is back home... New From Here is a good middle grade novel that deals with racism due to the Covid-19 pandemic that many people have experienced.
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Author: Rex Ogle
Published: 2019 There are a lot of hard things going on in Rex's life. He lives his mom, his younger brother, and his mom's boyfriend Sam. His mom and her boyfriend get into fights all the time, physical fights that leave his mom injured. They also take their anger out on Rex, and he gets hurt too. While Rex has always had friends, this year his friends aren't really acting like his friends so he sometimes finds himself sitting alone at lunch. Lunch is awful anyways because this year is that his mom has put him in the free lunch program. This means that everyone else gets to walk through the line and pay for their meals, but he has to stop by the lunch lady and has to tell her his name and she has to get out this big red binder and put a checkmark down. It is definitely very noticeable, and people look at him differently when they see him do this. Free Lunch is the true story of Ogle's childhood in an abusive home and all the things he had to worry about that many other people wouldn't even think of. I was heartbroken for this child and what he had to go through. Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Published: 2017 Just about everyone knows that Mary Addison killed a baby when she was nine-years-old. Her mom was watching the baby for a friend, and the baby ended up dying under their care. Mary was put in baby jail for six years. Now she is in a group home with other girls who have committed crimes. Mary met Ted through working at a nursing home. The two find out that Mary is pregnant, and Mary is absolutely terrified that the state is going to take her baby because of her past. But they don't know what really happened that night. It is time to tell the truth--she will do anything to protect her baby. Allegedly is a heartbreaking and dark story that I just could not put down. Fans of Jackson's other books will devour this one. Recommended for high school and up. Author: Ruta Sepetys
Published: 2021 Cristian Florescu lives in Romania in the year 1989. The leader of the country is Nicolae Ceausescu, a dictator who has made life horrible for the people who live there. There is never enough food, and everyone is on edge because at any minute if they do anything that they are not supposed to, someone will turn them in. There are always eyes watching. Cristian is blackmailed by a member of the secret police to become an informer. He has to spy on a family that his mom works for and report back. If he does, his grandfather who is suffering from cancer will be given medicine that could really help him. Cristian feels awful being an informer, but he doesn't really feel like he has a choice. It is illegal to say anything bad about Ceausescu or the country of Romania, but Cristian keeps a little notebook with all his thoughts in it. He is honest about how he feels, and if anyone were to find it, he would get severely punished. When there is talk of rising up and going against Ceausescu with the hope of a better future for Romania, Cristian needs to decide if he is going to be a part of it or not. I Must Betray You is a fantastic historical fiction novel about a piece of history I knew very little about. I could not put this one down! |
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