All Kids Can Be Heroes

If you’ve been following me for a while, you will know I frequently share middle grade books which I refer to as #windowsandmirrorsbooks or #kidsneeddiversebooks. These are stories that allow the reader to either see themselves in a book or to see the story through the eyes of a child who is different from themselves. They are stories that not only show the struggles these children face, but also the joy in their day to day lives. And best of all, these stories offer hope. Today, I saw a post by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, which perfectly described my thoughts. These are her words. “We need diverse representation, not only so every kid can see themselves as the hero of the story, but that that every kid can understand the *other* kinds of kids are *also* the heroes of the story.” *Different kinds of kids* might be children of color, immigrants, LBGTQ children, children with physical or learning disabilities or neurodiverse children. Thankfully, today’s authors are writing some amazing books which do just that. Today I want to share some of my favorites.

Genesis Begins Again

By Alicia D. Williams

“This is the story of a thirteen-year-old girl who is filled with self-loathing and must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself.
There are ninety-six things Genesis hates about herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list. Like #95: Because her skin is so dark, people call her charcoal and eggplant—even her own family.”

This story will break your heart a bit, but you will also come away with so much admiration for Genesis and her mom. A must read!

Black families, racial prejudice, verbal abuse

we could be heroes

By Magaret Finnegan

Oh, WE COULD BE HEROES is one of those stories you’ll be thinking about for a very long time. This memorable tale, about two delightful neurodivergent children who find friendship for the first time, will grab your heart. It allows us to view the world through their eyes and to experience their feelings as they struggle to understand it. (more)

autism, eipilepsy and elder care

roll with it

By Jamie Sumner

I smiled, I cheered, I clinched my fists in frustration and I felt a warm cozy feeling as I read this sweet story about a spunky, determined girl. Not only did Ellie have to deal with the usual middle school angst (lunch table drama, living on the “wrong” side of the tracks, giving a how-to speech) she also had to deal with CP and spending her life in a wheelchair. (more)

Physical disability; dimentia

the boy at the back of the class

By Onjali Q. Raúf

Suddenly there’s a new boy, Ahmet, in their class and the rumors are swirling. Why doesn’t he speak? Why doesn’t he go to recess? Why doesn’t he go to lunch? Does he have a super contagious disease? Is he too dangerous to be with the other students? This doesn’t stop four best friends decide to be his friends. And they have no idea what that decision will mean in the weeks to come. ⚽️
This amazing book offers a child’s perspective of the refugee crisis. It’s about bravery, compassion, empathy and friendship, inspiration and most of all hope. (more)

Refugee crisis, immigration

clean Getaway

By Nic Stone

In CLEAN GETAWAY William Lamar (or Scooby Doo, as Grandma fondly calls him) shares the story of the road trip through the south with his grandma in her Winnebago. It’s a story about the history of the the fight for Civil Rights and it’s a story about racial discrimination in the ’60s and how it continues today. It’s a story about the importance of the GREEN BOOK. But it’s also a story about the love and support between a grandma and her grandson and how the black child and white grandma repeatedly face discrimination during their adventure. It’s a story with lots of heart and lots of laughs, too. (more)

racial discrimation, civil rights, multigeneration families

blended

By Sharon M. Draper

Eleven year old Isabella’s mom is white and her dad is black. And they’re divorced. She keeps a calendar in her room to help her keep track of which week it is. Is it the week she’s living with Dad in his big, fancy house along with his girlfriend and her 17 year old son, or will she be with Mom and her mom’s boyfriend in the small house she grew up in? The exchange happens every Sunday and many times is not a happy one. Besides trying to keep track of where she’s waking up each day, Isabella also has another big question. Is she black or white? These are huge questions for a sixth grader to face. (more)

racism, divorce

fish in a tree

By Lynda Mullaly Hunt

This story of a girl desperately trying to fit in as she hides her disability from the world will break your heart. But the friendship, the caring family and most of all the understanding and supportive teacher will have you cheering as you read each chapter.

Those of us who are teachers and teacher librarians feel so overwhelmed and helpless at times. The days are long as we face the demand that test scores rise, while at the same time dealing with our shrinking budgets. But it’s those small moments of success that inspire us. The moment when “the lightbulb goes on” on the face of your kids who has been struggling to understand a passage in a book and they suddenly understand. Or when a student runs into the library and exclaims they loved the book you suggested, and can’t wait to read another by that author. Or when an older student returns to say hello and thanks you for caring. (more)

learning disability

You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!

By Alex Gino

This story seamlessly encompasses so many issues of our world including LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter and the Deaf. Jilly’s favorite aunt and her wife have two biracial children, her baby sister, Emma, is unexpectedly born deaf and her friend, Derek, is a Black ASL (American Sign Language) user. ~
I admired how Jilly immediately jumped in to learn all she could about how to best help Emma once the family learned she was deaf. In the process we learn a lot about ASL and the different philosophies concerning the education of deaf children. Should Emma have a cochlear implant; should she learn to sign? I also admired Jilly’s courage when she bravely defended her aunts and explained how some family members careless words about Black Americans were hurtful. (more)

LGBTQ, racial discrimation and Deaf education

Nowhere Boy

By Katherine Marsh

This compelling book tells the terrifying saga of fourteen year old Ahmed and his father who flee war torn Syria. During their long, perilous journey across the sea and Europe, Ahmed’s father disappears and Ahmed is alone. He finally makes it to Brussels, but has nowhere to live and nothing to eat. That is, until he meets Max, a thirteen year old lonely American boy, who along with his family, is spending the school year in Brussels.
In this fast paced adventure story, we experience Ahmed’s year in Brussels. We understand his yearning to go to school, to play soccer and to find friends, but we also feel his crushing sadness and grief about missing his family and his homeland. And we have a window into the loneliness and terror he constantly feels about being discovered by the police. (more)

refugee crisis, immigration

other words for home

By Jasmine Warga

Jude lives in Syria with her Mama, Baba and her older brother. It’s the only home she’s ever known and it’s always been a happy one. But now the fighting is getting closer and closer, her brother has moved out to join the freedom fighters and her mama is pregnant. It’s decided that she and Mama will go to America to live with her uncle’s family. They move into her uncle’s 100 year old house on tree lined street in Cincinnati with her uncle who is a doctor, her aunt who loves to garden and create healthy meals and her less than friendly cousin. Her aunt and uncle offer them a warm welcome, but her cousin Sarah, would rather they not be there at all. 🌼
This story, which is beautifully told in verse, offers a true glimpse into the world of an immigrant. You see the world through Jude’s eyes as she navigates the halls of her new middle school, struggles to understand the American colloquialisms she constantly hears and feels an overwhelming loneliness. You begin to understand the haven of the ESL classroom where she finds other kids, who like her, are doing their best to learn not only English but also the customs of American preteens. (more)

Immigration, refugees

the truth as told by mason buttle

By Leslie Connor

Mason is in seventh grade, lives in a “tumbledown” with his grandma and his uncle (his mom died in a traffic accident years before), is very large for his age, has dyslexia and lost his best friend a little over a year ago. Mason and Benny were inseparable and stood together against the neighborhood bullies. Their refuge was always their treehouse in Mason’s family’s apple orchard. At least it used to be their happy place, until one day Mason found Benny in a heap at the bottom of the ladder, dead. And Mason’s life has never been the same. The police suspect it was his fault, as do most of the town’s people, and the lieutenant won’t let him be, even though Mason has truthfully told him his story many times. (more)

learning disability, bullying, grief

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