“You’re so exotic!”
“You look so unusual.”
“But what are you really?”
These are comments Isabella is used to hearing. Her father is back and her mother is white and now that they divorced, it seems like she is split in two. Not only does she have to switch houses, nicknames, and backpacks; it seems like she has to switch identities too.  Both parents have moved on to wonderful new partners in their lives but even a supportive “new” older brother can’t make her feel whole.
Racism is a very real part of Izzy’s life and how people are treated differently based on their ethnicity and appearance plays out in her life. After a disturbing incident involving a noose placed in her best friend’s locker after a history class on lynching, Izzy questions her identity:
 “‘I’ve got friends who are white. And friends who are Black. We’ve got kids at our school from all races--and most of the time we kinda blend without thinking about it, like cookie dough. But this noose thing with Imani has really changed the recipe, at least for me.’ 
Mom waits for a tick, then asks, ‘How do you mean?’
‘Because I am that dough, Mom! Am I the chocolate chip or the vanilla bean? I’m really not sure.’”
Changing houses each week brings her parents together in an awkward and sometimes unpleasant meeting.  But both are supportive of Isabella’s musical talent as a gifted pianist. The high point of her career is the upcoming recital. The shocking climax of the book comes on the way to the recital when an ugly and dangerous racially based incident occurs.  The whole extended family comes together in solidarity and love to support her.
This is a window and mirrors book that will evoke empathy in many a young person.

​Tessa's Picks, 4-6th grade, Character driven, Family life, Issues fiction, People of Color.

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The Cake family:
Benjamin Lord Baltimore Cake, 12
Emma Alabama Lane Cake, 11
Jody Traditional Angel Food Cake, 10
Van Chocolate Lover Cake, 8
Roger Black Forest Cake, 7
Gordon Ridiculously Easy No-Knead Sticky Buns Cake, 4
Their Parents:
Leo Meyer Lemon Cake
Arlouin Humming-bird Spice Cake
And four dogs
 
Yes, those are their names and of you have not lost your appetite yet you may find this a sweet treat.
The Cakes are itinerant bakers…which means they move from town to town setting up bakeries for communities that “need them.”  Emma has said goodbye too many times and has a friendship map to track the ones left behind.  Her heart can’t take the ache again so she is determined to remain solitary in their new home in Aurora County, Mississippi.
Then she meets Ruby Lavender who is “not sweet” but becomes her new BFF (well maybe not forever). Delightful characters abound in this small town and all the children and dogs make them selves right at home.
The father Leo, whose memory is a little sketchy, has a funny feeling about the town and it only a matter of time before he will want to wander on. Can Emma and Ruby find a way to make this place Emma’s forever home.
Silly and sweet, these folks will capture your heart.
“Each day we begin again our quest to be safe, to be loved, to belong, and to find home.
And if we are lucky, there is cake.”

​Tessa's Picks, 3-4th grade, Family Life, Friendship, Humor

​This wise book starts off reassuring readers that when you go out into the world, you may have questions about what you see, and that is okay. People live in many different ways. It goes on to give an example of a kid walking to school and seeing a man sleeping on the street. The child asks "Why would he sleep outside?" The book answers with matter of fact, developmentally-appropriate language and continues to other questions from what is poverty to what is a fundamental human right to how can I help. This book is an excellent resource for parents or educators looking for language and advice on how to broach this topic with children. You could even just sit down with a child and read the whole book together. I love that the book comes from a place of curiosity and compassion. It doesn't talk down to the reader or make them feel bad for asking perfectly natural questions. Illustrated with a mixture of watercolor and photographs, this approachable book is a must-read.

Erica's Picks
Grades 1-4
​Tags: Nonfiction

Fly With Me is a masterpiece of transdisciplinary study. The book examines birds from every possible angle: biological, historical, conservation, art, and stories. Poetry is peppered throughout complementing the other information. It's a National Geographic book, so you can trust that the photography throughout is stunning. Perfect for bird enthusiasts and curious minds. 

Erica's Picks
Grades 1 - 4
Tags: Animals, Nonfiction, Poetry, Science​

 Kate DiCamillo’s characters have a warmth and richness of language that I associate with the South. You will fall in love with Louisiana Eleffante, child of the tragically dead Flying Eleffantes circus performers. Her story begins:
”I am going to write it all down, so that what happened to me will be known, so that if someone were to stand at their window at night and look up at stars and think, My goodness, whatever happened to Louisiana Elefante? Where did she go? they will have an answer. They will know. 
“This is what happened.
“I will begin at the beginning.”
Granny, who is raising Louisiana, wakes her in the middle of the night raving about the curse which has hung over their heads for generations. They take off on a road trip leaving friends and home behind. Winding up in a small town in Georgia, Louisiana wakes to find Granny gone!   There she meets a Reverend, a grouchy motel-owner, and a boy with a pet crow.
I love Louisiana’s voice which manages to be funny and profound at the same time. She must find her own way and her path brings up big questions about her past and her identity.  Warm and generous hearts will help her along the way until she can find a place to call home. As the walrus-faced Reverend Obertask says,”‘I do think that, more often than not, love has a way of finding us,”
Indeed.

​Tessa's Picks, 3rd-5th grade, Character driven, Contemporary fiction, Friendship.

Marin has been in foster homes since she was abandoned by her mother when she was four years old. At eleven, she has never given up home that her mother will return and there will be a happy ever after ending. Everywhere she goes she carries three pennies and the I Ching which she uses to guide her choices.  But now it is not giving her the answers she wants.
Dr. Lucy Chang wants to adopt her. She tells Marin that she has four chambers to her heart and even though one is full, she still has lots of room left. Marin does not have to think of her as her new mother if she is not ready…but rather as a new kidney ready to do its new job.  Marin tries hard not to be drawn in by Lucy’s kindness and understanding.
When Marin hears that her mother is relinquishing her rights to her, she amps up her efforts to track down her mom. She is quite a good detective but one has a feeling of dread as she gets closer to her goal.
Watched over by Gilda, a solid character who is her social worker and an unexpected owl who lives in a building near Dr. Lucy, Marin evades their attempts to guide her.
As Marin gets closer to finding answers, all I wanted was for her to give Dr. Lucy a chance.  Heart wrenching and ultimately satisfying Marin’s story will touch you.

Tessa's Picks
​4-5th grade, Contemporary fiction, Character driven, Family life, Issues fiction, Tear jerker

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Applegate, (author of The One and Only Ivan) creates a world with humans and a few other creatures we know and goes on to populate it with beings like Byx who is doglike, walks on two legs, and can talk. Her kind, dairnes,  has been hunted to near extinction because of their unique ability to detect lies. This power in the hands of those who want ultimate control of the kingdoms would convey supremacy.
Believing that she may be an Endling, the last of her species, Byx sets off to find a sentient island that may be a haven for other dairnes.  Along the way, she is joined by Tobble, a small bunny-like wobbyk, Khara, a human of mysterious origins, Renzo, an honorable thief and Gambler, a fierce tiger-like felivet.
This is a fellowship-like adventure in a Tolkien-like world. Each of our heroes brings their own brand of courage, heart and wisdom.  Honor, friendship, power, evil and above all truth play into the story.
"Why don't they believe you?" "The same reason they don't want to believe you exist, dairne. There are many scholars, but few seekers after truth. Humans believe the things that make them feel safe. They care little for difficult facts."
A top tier fantasy!

Tessa's picks

4th-7th grade, Adventure, Fast paced. Friendship, Fantasy, 

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When Frederick Frederickson (really that’s his name) finds himself racing down the creek in a boat without a paddle, he never imagined that he would run ashore at a camp for troubled boys and get mistaken for a boy with a Big Bad reputation.
 Frederick has a food-chain theory of life. There are lions like the school bully and there are Gazelles, the target of the lions.Then there are meerkats and the fleas that live on the butts of meerkats. Frederick is a flea.  But maybe that can change.
 His fellow troop mates—Nosebleed, Specs, The Professor, and little-yet-lethal Ant Bite are as scary and definitely not fleas!  Activities and pranks lead to a tenuous friendship when Frederick's cover is blown.  Enter a hurricane! The camp is evacuated but Frederick and Ant-bite are trapped alone in its midst.

Courage and friendship shine through this hilarious adventure.

Tessa's Picks
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4th-5th grade, Character driven,Adventure, Friendship, Humor

A historical novel and a sports story!  Set in 1945, World War II is raging and racism and prejudice are felt on the home front.  Highlighting a little know situation in California that affected immigrants, we learn that an influx of men from India who came to Yuba City where not allowed to marry women of different races. Single Indian women did not immigrate, so these men frequently married Mexican women as they were seen as belonging to the same race---“brown.”
Nine-year-old Maria Singh has an Indian father and a Mexican mother and home life is an interesting mix of both cultures.  Maria longs to play softball and is desperate to convince her conservative Sikh father to let her join the first ever girls’ softball league.  The family has bigger problems when the owner of the farm they work suddenly decides to sell. Papi is not allowed to become a US citizen and therefore can’t buy land.  Prejudice and discrimination confront them while Maria is determined to follow her dream. She takes a risk and asks the school board for a playing field for all kids, boys and girls. 
Feisty Maria is an ace ball player and this book is a homerun!

Tessa's Picks

4th-5th grade, Character driven, Family life, Historical fiction, Global perspectives, Issues fiction, People of color
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 iNelle has lived in Monroeville, Alabama her whole life, so she knows how people there expect her to behave. But she's never felt comfortable in the frills and dresses other girls wear and would much rather climb trees or play with her slingshot than stay clean indoors. Tru is staying with relatives when he comes to town. With his fancy, big city fashions and high voice he is instantly marked as an outsider. The impeccably dressed boy and tom-boy find something in common in their love of Sherlock Holmes. Before long their pretend game of Sherlock and Watson turns into a real investigation when someone is falsely accused of a crime.


This book, based on the real-life friendship of Truman Capote and Harper Lee, contains so many gems that it's hard for a brief description to do it justice. Tru and Nelle (as they were called as children) instantly bond over their outsider status. They investigate cases while pretending to be Sherlock and Watson, hang out at the court house, write stories, and put on a memorable Halloween party. The book doesn't gloss over anything and racial prejudices, the Klan, depression, and abuse are all mentioned. These details help create an authentic sense of place. The book takes its structure from Capote and consists of a novel with a set of related short stories afterwards. Even those unfamiliar with Capote and Lee will be drawn into this story and find them easy to relate to as outsiders.

Tue & Nelle by G. Neri

Erica's Picks
4th & up
​Tags: biography, character driven, family life, friendship, historical fiction, issues fiction, LGBTQ, mystery, social justice, summer vacation