Author: Ben Philippe
Published: 2019 Norris has just moved to Austin, Texas from Canada. He is not happy to be there at all and he plans to keep to himself at school and just get through the year. He is snarky and sarcastic, which makes him some enemies including almost the entire cheerleading squad. He keeps track of all of his thoughts in his notebook, including his sometimes not-all-that-nice thoughts about people at school. Then he meets Aarti. Aarti is different from all the other girls at school. She is unique and doesn't care what others think. Norris has a crush. When a boy named Liam convinces Norris to help him start a hockey team, Norris finally feels a little more at home. Then he gets a job at a restaurant owned by Maddie's (a cheerleader's) father. In return for helping cover her shifts so she can continue with her busy schedule, Maddie will help Norris get Aarti to like him and date him. But things become complicated, and soon Norris finds himself stuck and by himself, what he originally wanted at the beginning of the year but somehow isn't actually what he really wants. The Field Guide to the North American Teenager has a really imperfect main character, which I loved. It was so interesting reading this book about a boy who are rooting for but also who you want to yell at sometimes.
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Author: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Published: 2020 Donte and his brother don't look much alike. Their mom is Black, and their dad is White. Trey has very light skin, so most people don't even know that he is Black. Donte, on the other hand, inherited his mom's darker skin. When Donte gets sent to the office for something he didn't even do, the adults at school won't even listen to what he has to say. When Donte gets frustrated, the school calls the police and Donte is arrested. Donte doesn't get why he is treated differently from other people all the time, why they won't believe him when he tells them he didn't do something, why the police were called on him for something so minor. Alan, a boy who bullies Donte and also was the reason he got in trouble in the first place, is the best fencer at their school. Donte decides that he will get back at him by learning how to fence and then beating him. He discovers that he actually is really good at it. While Donte starts focusing on fencing, he still is dealing with the aftermath of his arrest. Black Brother, Black Brother is a fantastic book that talks about racism and the school-to-prison pipeline. I think this book could be very eye-opening to kids who don't realize that this kind of thing happens all the time. I would absolutely recommend to anyone! Author: Renee Watson
Published: 2019 Amara lives in Oregon. For her birthday, the only thing she wants is to go with her dad on a work trip to New York City. She wants to meet her dad's family and get to know them. Her mom thinks it is way too dangerous for a little girl to go to New York City. When Amara's teacher assigns a project that requires them to learn more about their families, she uses that to help her convince her parents that she needs to go to Harlem to meet her dad's family. Amara soon learns that her dad and her grandpa Earl haven't spoken in over ten years. Amara's mom gives her one job to do while she is gone--to get her dad and her grandpa Earl to spend some time alone together. When she gets to New York, Amara meets her cousins and explores Harlem and the city. She learns more about her family, but it soon becomes clear that getting her dad and her grandpa together is going to be harder than she thought. Some Places More Than Others is a great middle grade book about family. I very much enjoyed taking this journey with Amara. |
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