A Few Recent Favorite MG Books

Finished reading February 24, 2019

I loved New Kid by Jerry Craft SO much! Jordan Banks is a gifted artist (and we are blessed to see his art throughout the book). He REALLY wants to go to art school, but his parents REALLY want him to go to a private school known for academics. You can probably guess who wins! J  My middle school students enjoy this book because it’s a gorgeous graphic novel about what it is like to be in middle school. For me, it was all of that plus a “Where’s Waldo?” of the microaggressions that happen in schools (and in life) on a daily basis. Some of the scenes stood out to me specifically...like the teacher wishing “Coach” luck this season, and the Secret Santa project. This book is super important to all of the "Ms. Rawles" in the world. I have added this title to my “Must Read for All of Humanity” list. Please read it!

Finished reading March 29, 2019

In the beautiful book, The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman, Viji and her sister Rukku run away from home because their father is abusive. A short time after taking a bus into the city, they meet Muthu and Arul, two homeless boys living under a bridge. The boys help them find work and get things that they need to survive. Learning these characters’ stories helped me understand how quickly some children are forced to grow up. Also, this story made me wonder how often we really see other people around us. At one point, Viji explained, "We were in plain sight. But we were invisible" (41). On a personal note, I don’t think I’ve ever had a favorite CHAPTER in a book before, but I have a very special place in my heart for Chapter 19. I’ve begun to look at the books I read through the lens of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s work. This is a spectacular "window" book to look into another country and see how other children experience the world. I’m so excited that this will be a Global Read Aloud choice in the fall! 🌎📖

Finished reading April 8, 2019

First line: “I first realized I was crazy on a Tuesday.”

In OCDaniel by Wesley King, Daniel refers to himself as a 13-year-old “social oddity”. After a couple of mysterious emails, a girl named Sara (who the kids at school refer to as “Psycho Sara”) asks Daniel to help her investigate a mystery. Daniel helps her solve the mystery, and Sara helps Daniel to understand that he has a condition called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Daniel explains, “It’s funny to be a prisoner of yourself. Like you’re being bullied by your own mind and you’re afraid of it, but it’s also you and it’s extremely confusing” (228). This fantastic book shows what people dealing with mental illness experience, and how other people react to them. I highly recommend this title!