First impressions can be deceiving. When Zuri first met the wealthy family that moved into the new mini-mansion across the street in her gentrifying neighborhood, she instantly hated the stuck-up Darius. Her sisters and mother fell all over themselves swooning over the handsome boys, but she knew they were nothing but trouble that her family and her neighborhood did not need. But when fate throws them together Zuri starts to question if she judged Darius fairly.

Even if you've never heard of Pride and Prejudice, you can enjoy this modern romance that tackles issues of identity, authenticity, and gentrification. But if you are an Austen fan, there's even more to delight in. The parallels Zoboi creates makes me appreciate both even more and she adds such rich details to this new setting while deftly weaving in more modern issues alongside the timeless themes. Strongly recommended.

Pride  by Ibi Zoboi
Erica's Picks
7th & 8th grade
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When a plane crashes on its way from New York to the Dominican Republic, the lives of two girls are changed forever. They live in the same time zone but worlds apart. Yahaira is a chess champion who lives in an urban apartment with her mother and is dating the girl next door. Camino lives in a rural house with her aunt who is a healer and dreams of going to America to study medicine one day. When tragedy strikes, they are forced to question everything they thought they knew as they cope with loss and unexpected gains.

This novel in verse is a quick, impactful read. The alternating chapters explore each girl's point of view and paint two very different but equally compelling pictures.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Erica's Picks
8th grade
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, global perspectives, issues fiction, LGBTQ, novels in verse, People of Color, SEL, summer vacation, tear-jerker

Muiriel was left at the John Muir Medical Center as a baby. She has taken her namesake as a role model and has spent her life bouncing from one foster home to another, only feeling truly at home when she can go for a walk outside. She is prepared to age out of the foster system without any attachments, until she moves to a small island in Washington for her Senior year. There she meets people who seem to truly understand her and she starts to break her rules and open her heart to them. But her eighteenth birthday is fast approaching and she knows that soon she'll be on her own. What will happen when she has to leave the island, and everyone on it, behind?

This book was inspired by the author's daughter who lived in three different foster homes before being adopted. It works hard to portray a balanced picture even as it points out the inequities inherit in the system. Seeing how foster care as affected Muir is heartbreaking but watching her slowly come out of her shell and bloom warms your heart back up and puts it together again.

What I Carry by Jennifer Longo
7th & 8th grades
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, friendship, issues fiction, romance, school stories, SEL, social justice, tear jerker

Ware is the type of kid who would much rather spend time on his own creating a model medieval village and learning about the knight's code of chivalry than playing a game in a loud group of kids. Which is why he hates it when his parents decide to sign him up to spend his whole summer at the community rec center. But one day he escapes from the noisy, crowded building and jumps the fence to the partially demolished church next door. There he meets Jolene who is planting her own secret garden. Ware decides to join her, and transform the church into a castle. The abandoned lot becomes their secret oasis until the real world comes crashing in.

This is such a tender, moving novel. Introverted and imaginative kids will see themselves in this book and extroverts will perhaps gain some empathy for their quieter peers. The ingenuity of the kids and their maker's ethic is admirable. This magical summer story of growing up and coming into yourself is meant to be shared and treasured.

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, makers, summer vacation

Things just haven't been the same since Iris's grandfather died. After spending all day at a school where she's the only deaf student, Iris loved visiting her grandparents and talking with them in sign language. Now Iris feels more alone than ever. Then she learns about Blue 55. Blue 55 is a whale that sings at a different frequency than the others. Instead of traveling in a pod, he wanders the ocean by himself, unable to communicate with anyone else. Iris's heart goes out to him, and thanks to her skills at radio repair, she thinks she can come up with the perfect plan to help. With a little help from her grandmother and a lot of luck, Iris sets off to meet Blue 55 and play him a new song.

This is such a moving novel. Of course I loved reading about the sign language poems Iris writes and the aspects of Deaf culture the book explores. Her grandmother is a spitfire and the scene where she takes the stage during karaoke is one of my favorites. Learning about whale biology was fascinating as well, especially knowing that Blue 55 is based on a real whale. Strongly recommended!

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
​Tags: animals, character driven, contemporary fiction, disability, family life, school stories, SEL

A coder trying to save her city from a devastating attack. An actor who accidentally summons the spirit of a villain. A girl cursed to fulfill others' wishes. 13 teens living with disabilities and with their own unique stories to tell. With a range of genres and diverse cast of characters, this story collection has something for everyone.

What I loved most about this collection was the variety. Not only in disabilities represented from mental to physical, but in every aspect: genre, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation. This was a buffet with every kind of dish you could want. My favorite story was "Found Objects" by William Alexander but it is a close call and there are many runners-up. Highly recommended.

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp 
Erica's Picks
8th grade
Tags: contemporary fiction, disability, short stories

Mona is not excited about facing the new school year after her best friend moves away to Hawaii. With him gone, her depression gets worse and it's harder to make new friends. In the midst of this, she develops a mysterious back pain that won't go away. When everything threatens to overwhelm her, she discovers that she's stronger than she thinks. With the help of her art, her friends, her family, and her therapist she might be able to pull an amazing year out of the jaws of disaster.

This book gets mental illness. I love Gulledge's art and the way she can depict intangibles in a way that makes them instantly recognizable, providing a satisfying mirror for readers with mental illness and an insightful window for those without. At the back she shares her self-care plan and provides a space for readers to create their own. 

The Dark Matter of Mona Starr by Laura Lee Gulledge
Erica's Pick
6th - 8th
tags: art, character driven, comics, contemporary fiction, friendship, mental illness

Kat is a jiu-jitsu champion, so when one of her classmates tries to assault her, she's able to fight him off. But because her attacker is injured as well, no one believes her story.
Robin was adopted from an Indian orphanage by two wealthy, white parents. He loves them, but he yearns to learn more about his heritage and where he came from.
When their church organizes a service trip to help victims of human trafficking, both are eager to sign up. Kat sees an opportunity to teach other girls how to fight back and Robin sees a chance to go back to the orphanage and find out more about his past. The trip does not go as planned for either of them, but both their lives are changed forever.

This is such a moving novel that touches on so many important issues. The topics of sexual assault and human trafficking are both by nature disturbing, but neither are discussed with graphic detail. The story is more about the after-effects and healing process that follows. Their story switches between Kat and Robin/Ravi's perspectives but there is a large cast of characters beyond them and all are well-drawn and have their own engrossing stories and unique perspective. Highly recommended.

Forward Me Back to You by Mitali Perkins
8th grade
Erica's Picks
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