Valora Luck works as a servant for the crotchety Mrs. Sloane. Mrs. Sloane purchases tickets for them both on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but dies before it can leave port. When Valora attempts to take their first class room alone, she is turned away for being Chinese. But Valora needs to get on that ship. Her last living relative, her twin brother, is a passenger in third class on his way to a job in Cuba. Valora knows that if she can get on board and find him, they can convince the circus magnate on board to hire them as acrobats and they can start a new life in America together. But fate has other plans, and there's more danger aboard the Titanic than she could have ever dreamed.

I should perhaps confess that I never saw the famous movie, but even if I had I'm sure this would still be my favorite fictionalized account of the Titanic. With a large cast of characters, constant schemes, layers of deception, and stunning fashions this is a story I can get behind. Inspired by the eight Chinese passengers of the Titanic who really existed and about whom so little is known due to the racism of the era. A not-to-be-missed historical drama.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee 

Erica's Picks 
6th - 8th
​tags: 

20% of Americans have a least one disability. Many innovations aimed at adapting the environment to their needs have had wide-reaching benefits from closed captioning to curb cuts. How can we further understand the disability experience past, present, and future? What stereotypes exist that hurt all of us? How can we better understand each other and celebrate the diversity that exists in the world? To find the answers to these questions and more, check out The Disability Experience!

This is a great overview of the many varied experiences of people with disabilities presented in a fun, accessible way for teens. Because it covers such a wide range of topics from sensory to physical to intellectual disabilities the book doesn't go too far in depth to any one. This would be a great, eye-opening introduction that will hopefully inspire more reading and dialogue.

The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging by Hannalora Leavitt

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
​tags: disability, nonfiction, SEL, social justice

Ziva creates weapons imbued with magical properties that are coveted across the kingdoms. But she's not a fighter, and even talking to people other than her sister can send her into an anxiety spiral. So when she makes a blade that uncovers a deadly secret, she has no choice but to flee. Soon Ziva, her sister, a scholar, and a mercenary are running for their lives with an entire army hunting them down. How will Ziva ever find safety again, and what other secrets will the blade reveal?

This is a creative premise for a novel that makes me wonder what stories are happening behind the scenes when legendary weapons are created. The way Levenseller portrays Ziva's anxiety really resonated with me and I loved the way the relationships between the characters grew and changed over the course of the novel. A great read for fans of fantasy adventure.

Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller

Erica's Picks
8th +
​tags: adventure, family life, fantasy, fast-paced, mental illness, romance

Meera longs to learn how to read and write, but when her father sees her spying on the boys' lessons, she is punished. Meera's life has been focused on learning how to be a good wife. Her thirteenth birthday is approaching, and when it arrives she will move out of her parents' house and into her husband's. She dreads the day, but when it finally comes something even worse happens, and she is forced to flee for her life. She finds work in the house of a British officer. She is safe, but his contempt for her people is clear. When she gets a chance to join the revolution will she risk that safety to fight for her people, or will her husband's family find her before she even gets the chance?

Meera is a strong and resourceful heroine fighting her way out of impossible situations. A lot of fascinating historical detail is included but it's revealed naturally. The plot is both fast-paced and thought-provoking as Meera is faced with difficult decisions. Highly recommended. 

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar 

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
​tags: ​fast-paced, global perspectives, historical fiction, issues fiction, People of Color, social justice

Bree's life comes crashing down when her mother dies in a car accident. Her sense of reality is shattered when she goes to a party and witnesses a demon feeding off human energy fought off by a boy who calls himself a Merlin. When she realizes the two might be connected, she decides to infiltrate the secret society dedicated to keeping magic and demons secret from the outside world. Not only do they have magic practitioners called Merlins, they claim to have descendants of King Arthur and all the knights of the roundtable. Bree discovers a magic of her own, but will it be enough to keep her safe in this elite and hostile new world?

I absolutely love the way this novel takes the Arthurian legend and infuses it with modern themes. This critique of our legends as well as our history examines the stories we tell ourselves and who is left out of the narrative. Powerful, engrossing, flawless. 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
8th +
​tags: adventure, fantasy, fast-paced, issues fiction, LGBTQ, People of Color, social justice, supernatural

The Queendom of Myre was created in blood when Queen Raina massacred the natives of the land and her own sister. Ever since, the indigenous people have been forced to live in prison camps and every queen must prove her strength by winning a battle to the death with her own sister. As Eva's 17th birthday approaches, so does the day she must face her older sister for the crown. If she has any hope of winning, she must find someone to teach her the form of magic she was born with. A rare and feared magic of blood and marrow that hasn't been seen since Queen Raina herself. Eva finds unlikely allies in a powerful fey godling and an enemy prince. But with an assassin hot on her tail, she may die even before the long-awaited battle on her birthday.

This novel, set in a North African inspired fantasy world, completely swept me away and left me engrossed in its characters and history. The world building and plotting are superb as Eva is faced with impossible choices and continues on in spite of it, finding her own path. If you like fantasy adventure stories, you will love this one.

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

Erica's Picks
8th +
​Tags: adventure, fantasy, People of Color, romance

In 1982 a charismatic and popular young man went out to celebrate his bachelor's party. What happened next would be the subject of several court cases and intense debate. What's undeniable is that a bar fight turned fatal ending with a white father and son beating a Chinese-American man to death. Vincent Chin would never see his wedding day, leaving the friends and family gathering for his wedding to observe his funeral rites instead. When the two white men received only a $3,000 fine and 3 years probation for this heinous crime, it was hard to believe that race hadn't played a role. Soon Vincent Chin's friends and family would rally together to protest the verdict and get the crime retried as the first federal civil rights trial involving a crime against an Asian American. Uncover the story behind this crime through case files, trial transcripts, and interviews with the people who were there. This is a hard but important story, and one that sheds light on what's happening today.

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo 

Erica's Picks
7th & up
​tags: history, nonfiction, People of Color, social justice

At first, President Lincoln would not allow African Americans or American Indians to enlist with the union army. But as the war drew on and the casualties mounted, it became harder and harder to find men willing to fight. In 1863 he changed that policy and allowed the creation of segregated units. By the end of the Civil War about 20,000 American Indians fought on both sides. One of the largest companies of American Indians were the Anishinaabe sharpshooters of Company K. Drawing on their hunting skills and their rich warrior tradition they were a formidable force who served with courage and honor. Learn about their stories, their service, and the history of their people.

The primary sources Sally Walker was able to find from photographs to letters home really bring members of Company K to life and depict the life of a Civil War soldier in detail. A fascinating history and a story that should be widely told and remembered. 

Deadly Aim: The Civil War Story of Michigan's Anishinaabe Sharpshooters by Sally M. Walker​

Erica's Picks
6th - 8th
​tags: history, nonfiction, People of Color

Ning never knew her father, but anyone who sees her can tell that he was a foreigner. Her strange looks combined with her unbound feet make her an outcast and guarantee that she will never find a husband. Her mother hides her away so she's barely experienced life outside her small home and her only friend is her mother's servant. One day she makes a rare trip to a temple and makes a wish for her father to return. Little does she know that wish would change her life forever. Soon she's all alone in a foreign land filled with people who distrust her. How can she build a new life for herself and still be true to her roots? Where can she run when home is thousands of miles and an ocean away?

This story, based on the life of the author's great-great-grandmother, is an engaging and unique immigration tale. From Ning's life in Shanghai to her trip across the ocean and her life in America her bold spirit shines through as she's thrown into daunting situations and has to handle them all on her own. I love how she borrows courage from tales of her favorite pirate queen. An author's note in the back details more about the life of the author's family.

View from Pagoda Hill by Michaela MacColl 

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
​tags: character driven, family life, global perspectives, historical fiction, People of Color

Eli is new to the foster care system, but his foster sister Morgan has been in it almost her whole life and barely remembers her biological family and indigenous roots. At first all Morgan wants is to be left alone to read in her secret spot in the attic, but when she brings Eli there something magical happens: a drawing from his sketchbook opens a portal into another land. Misewa is trapped in a perpetual winter and populated by animals that walk on two legs and speak Cree and English. Eli feels at home, as a native Cree speaker and someone who grew up with folk tales about similar creatures. Morgan just wants to take Eli and get back to their foster home before they mess it all up and she gets kicked out again. But the more they learn about the land and how its inhabitants are suffering, the more they are drawn to help. Even if it means facing bitter cold, hunger, and the dangers that hide in the snow.

This is an outstanding series opener. It has echoes of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe but stands on its own with fully realized world-building and layered characters. I read this in the summer, but I could feel the chill as I read Robertson's descriptions of the harsh environment. I appreciated the bits of Cree language and culture woven throughout and can't wait to read the next installment. 

The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga #1) by David Alexander Robertson 

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
​tags: adventure, fantasy, global perspectives, People of Color