Author: Torrey Maldonado
Published: 2023 When Trev's stepdad puts his hands on Trev's mom and ends up in jail, Trev swears that he is going to learn how to fight so that he can protect his mom and his sisters when his stepdad gets out of prison. The adults in Trev's life don't want him fighting. He is a talented artist, and they think that fighting isn't the way for him to lead a happy life. But is he really supposed to stand back when people threaten him or threaten his family? Trev must decide how he is going to use his hands in this world. Torrey Maldonado does it again with another great middle grade novel!
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Author: Chrystal D. Giles
Published: 2023 Lawrence keeps getting in trouble for getting into fights at school, but he doesn't start them. Unfortunately, this fight was the last straw and Lawrence gets expelled from school. Because his grandma refuses to let him just sit at home watching tv everyday, Lawrence finds himself working with his neighbor at the neighborhood rec center. While there, he discovers that they have a chess club, and Lawrence is determined to learn how to play. He feels like he has found his place, but not everybody is happy that he is there. When he gets a chance to play in a chess tournament, Lawrence needs to work hard to make his spot without getting into anymore trouble along the way. Not an Easy Win is a good book about finding your place. Author: Schuyler Bailar
Published: 2021 Obie is an excellent swimmer, and his life is really great. But then he announces that he is transgender and wants to swim on the boys team instead of the girls, and his swim team coach kicks him off the team. Clyde, one of his best friends, becomes Obie's biggest tormentor, bullying him any chance he gets. Obie joins a new swim team and finds acceptance from the coach and the other swimmers. They treat him like any other teammate. But then his friend from his old team, Lucky, starts hanging around with the wrong crowd and suddenly she isn't defending him anymore when others bully him. Obie has a crush on a cute girl named Charlie. But what happens if he tells her that he is trans? Will it ruin everything? Obie is Man Enough is a great book about identity and being who you are. Obie is such a wonderful character. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his story. Author: Donna Barba Higuera
Published: 2020 Lupe is determined to get all As in school. If she does, her uncle promised her she will get to meet her hero, Fu Li Hernandez, a Chinese and Mexican pitcher. Lupe is also Chinese and Mexican and wants more than anything to be a pitcher in the major leagues when she gets older. Her biggest obstacle is gym class. Normally she is one of the best, but their next unit is square dancing and Lupe is adamantly against it. Who wants to square dance anyway? She will do absolutely anything to get out of it. After all, her dad used to tell her that she should fight for what she believes in. But her plans have consequences and suddenly she finds herself abandoned with no friends and no partner. How will she get an A now? Lupe Wong Won't Dance is a great middle grade novel about friendship and doing the right thing. Author: Nic Stone
Published: 2021 Shenice is captain of her softball team, the Fulton Firebirds. They are the only team that has all Black players in their league, and they are determined to do their best and make history. Being a ball player runs in Shenice's family. When Shenice's great uncle Jack, who has dementia, starts to tell her a story about his brother (her great grandfather), she realizes that Jack has been keeping a secret. He knows that her great grandfather was innocent, and that Jack knows who really did it. Shenice has no idea what he's talking about, but she begins to dig into her family history to learn more. Unfortunately, with so much on her plate Shenice is struggling on the field. How can she be the leader her team needs her to be while also trying to figure out more about her family? Fast Pitch is a fantastic story for those who loved Clean Getaway. Lovers of sports will enjoy! Author: Sarah Kapit
Published: 2020 Vivy is excellent at throwing the knuckleball, a really tough pitch to figure out. When the coach of a local baseball team sees her pitching, he invites her to be on his team. But her mom is worried. One, she's a girl, and she'd be the only girl on the team. And two, she has autism and her mom worries that she may not be able to handle the stress. Vivy has to go to a social skills class, which she really doesn't enjoy, and in the class her teacher has them write a letter to someone. Vivy chooses her favorite baseball pitcher, VJ Capello. She writes about what is going on in her life and she asks him for advice. To her surprise, he writes her back. Soon Vivy and VJ become pen pals. She tells him about how her mom finally agrees to let her join the baseball team but that the coach's son bullies her so much. She writes about how she's really nervous to pitch but also very excited. When Vivy gets hurt one day during a game, her future as a baseball pitcher is in danger. Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! is a fantastic book about a girl who loves baseball but faces some challenges along the way. I loved getting to know Vivy. This book is told entirely in letters between Vivy and VJ, and it was a fantastic way to tell this story! Author: James Patterson & Kwame Alexander Published: 2019 Have you ever wondered about what Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer, was like when he was a child, when his name was still Cassius Clay? Becoming Muhammad Ali is told from two different perspectives. We hear from Lucius, known as Lucky, one of Cassius' friends. The other perspective is Cassius Clay, and his part of the story is told in verse. Cassius grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, which was still segregated during the 40s and 50s when this story takes place. As a Black boy, he faced many challenges during his childhood. We learn about his drive and how he trained to be the best. We learn about his family and the dreams they had for Cassius, dreams that may not have always included boxing. Becoming Muhammad Ali tells the story of how one of the greatest boxers of all time got started. This is a great book for fans of sports and who enjoy Kwame Alexander's other books. Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Published: 2020 ZJ has always loved having a father who plays pro football. All of his friends think it is the coolest thing in the world. Recently his dad has been ordered by doctors to take a little bit of a break from football. He has been suffering from terrible headaches and other strange things. Sometimes he just stares at nothing. Other times he has a hard time remembering who people are. And sometimes he even forgets who ZJ is. ZJ is terrified that his dad will never get better. They go to doctor after doctor but don't really get a good answer on why this is happening and how to fix it. Sometimes ZJ feels like the only way he can get through to him is through music. Before the Ever After is a beautiful novel in verse about the relationship between father and son and what happens when something out of your control comes between you. Author: Hena Khan
Published: 2018 All Zayd wants it to get off the D team in basketball, which stands for developmental. He wants to be on the gold team with his friends. And the thing is he has been working really hard, so he thinks he actually has a shot this time. Zayd's parents want him to continue with orchestra. The problem is Zayd doesn't like playing the violin. He decides he's going to skip extra orchestra practices to practice basketball with his teammates instead, just until tryouts for the gold team. But not everything goes to plan. Power Forward is a story about a boy who has a dream but faces several obstacles. A great quick read for sports fans. Author: Cathy G. Johnson
Published: 2019 Faith is a fifth grader, and when a popular older student asks her to join the soccer team, Faith agrees. When she shows up she discovers that she is on the C team, the worst of the teams. The rest of the girls on the C team are all terrible at soccer and don't get along very well. As time goes on, they realize they may need each other more than they thought. The Breakaways is a fantastic story about friendship and courage. |
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