#OwnVoices
Benjamin “Benji” Burns spends most of his time drawing, thinking of ways to find his absentee father, and reading comic books, especially his favorite “Spacebound.” Rosalind “Ro” Ling Geraghty lost her father over a year ago. When a folder mix-up and a Science class project pairing bring Benji and Ro together, they both promise to help each other with their respective quests…
A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi – BOOK REVIEW
Instead of spending summer break in Houston, Texas, Maryam, or Mimi, and her mother travel halfway around the world to visit family in Pakistan. At first, Mimi detests the prospect of staying in a foreign country with grandparents she’s never met in person.
Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez – BOOK REVIEW
Camila Hassan lives in two different worlds in Rosario, Argentina. At home, she endures the crushing and antiquated expectations of her family while living in the shadow of her soccer star (fútbol) brother and abusive father.
Lupe Wong Won’t Dance by Donna Barba Higuera – BOOK REVIEW
Lupe Wong wants nothing more than to meet her idol, Mariners pitcher Fu Li Hernandez. Like Fu Li, Lupe is Mexican and Chinese and aspires to be a MLB pitcher one day. Yet, in order to me Fu Li, she must get A’s in all her classes.
Come On In by Adi Alsaid (Editor) – BOOK REVIEW
Come On In is a powerful collection of immigration stories, emigration stories, and stories about finding home. Talented middle grade and young adult authors contribute narratives, both real and inspired by truth, and each shines a light on the effects of such a life-altering experience.
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam – BOOK REVIEW
Amal has a bright future. He is a talented artist and poet. Unfortunately, he must struggle against the biases his teachers and authority figures at his school hold toward Black students, like Amal. Amal looks past their prejudice and towards college. Yet, the discrimination he faces at his school pales in comparison to the systemic racism he encounters when he is embroiled in a fight amongst a group of white teenagers.
