After the death of Jack’s mother, he is suddenly uprooted from his home and placed in a military boarding school. There, he befriends Early, a boy who reads pi as a story and collects newspaper clippings of a great black bear in the mountains nearby. When they unexpectedly find themselves alone at school, they embark on a journey on the Appalachian Trail in search of the bear. Along the way, they meet people who figure into the pi story Early tells. They both discover things about themselves and others in their lives on this great adventure.
Told from the point-of-view of 10-year-old Kenny, it's really his big brother Byron who's the hero of this funny, emotional sucker-punch of a novel. Byron, thirteen, is a juvenile delinquent--a black sheep--according to Kenny, and pretty much everyone else in the so-called "Weird Watsons" family. But in the end it's Kenny who helps Byron overcome his depression over witnessing tragic events during a trip to visit their grandmother in Birmingham, Alabama during the height of the struggle for Civil Rights.
When Tegan decides to donate her body to science, she never expected to wake up 100 years later locked in a top-secret facility with no idea how she got there, or what happened on the day that was supposed to be the best of her life. The future isn’t at all what she had hoped, and when she learns the terrible secrets of the government that saved her, she must decide whether to keep her head down and try to survive, or fight for what she knows is right.
Auggy was born with a facial deformity that has always prevented him from attending public school. But now, after many surgeries, he is able to be in the 5th grade. He is just an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face. How can he convince his classmates that he is just like them despite what he looks like?
I'd recommend it without hesitation to most middle grade readers, girls or boys, even those who may not normally pick up realistic fiction.
I don’t normally recommend books about elementary school kids to teens, but this is an exception. Especially a book about a hot topic in the news: transgender rights. See Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s recent speech here. From the speech, here's a quote that gets me in the feels:
Lacy believes that magic and science can work side by side. She is a skilled botanist that can harness the power of plants. When her father dies, she tries to stay with her step-mother that believes in good and healing magic. But she always feel the pull of her persuasive and powerful mother who brings out the darkness in her, stripping everything light and kind. Her mother forces Lacy to accompany her to Sacramento, and it is not long before the old darkness resurfaces.
When Jessica loses her leg in a car accident, she thinks her life is over, she is told she will never be able to run again. As she struggles to cope with crutches and a new prosthetic, she befriends a girl with cerebral palsy named Rosa. With the support of her friends and family, she may be able to find a way to run again. But now, not only does she want to cross finish lines herself, she wants to take Rosa with her.
Seraphina is half-dragon, and in a kingdom of deep mistrust between humans and dragons despite the peace treaty, she is in constant danger as a musician of the royal court. But when a member of the royal family is murdered and all clues points to the dragons, she discovers, along with the prince and a guard, hints of a plot to destroy the already fragile peace.
This is one of the most unique dragon books you'll ever read. This book was so lovely and charming. I loved the characters and the world building, the story was touching and the main character relatable and believable.
Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood. There are the Red Bloods and the Silver Bloods. Red Bloods have a hard life, they live in villages with very little money. Silver Bloods, on the other hand, are royal and live up in the palace; ruling the Reds. Mare is Red, with little money and no job. When her friend, Kilorn gets assigned a place in the war, Mare does everything she can to help, even finding herself in the Silver world. She finds out she is an unusual Red, because she can do things only Silvers can do. Find out more by reading this exciting book!
Bitterblue is the queen of Monsea. Her kingdom has finally escaped the terrible reign of her father, a violent psychopath able to control minds. But his influence has had lasting effects on the hearts and minds of the people. Her advisors plan to pardon everyone who worked for the former king, and forget every bad thing that happened. Monsea's past has become shrouded in mystery, and only once Bitterblue begins sneaking out of the castle at night does she begin to learn the truth.
