Miles Morales is done being Spider-Man. His spidey sense has gone haywire and got him in trouble at school. He has enough to worry about with a confederacy-obsessed history teacher who has it out for him and the nightmares about his uncle that have been plaguing Miles ever since his death. His best friend thinks he should just use his powers to pull stunts and make money. But when people from his neighborhood start disappearing, he discovers a supernatural conspiracy designed to keep Miles and his family down. Miles knows he has to don the suit once more and fight for what's right.

I love how this story has a solid grounding in real-life issues that teens can relate to. As an educator, I hated every moment reading about Miles's awful history teacher obsessed with teaching the lost-cause propaganda of the civil war. Unfortunately, teachers like that do exist and I love how Miles and his fellow students stand up to him. I love all the supporting characters from Miles's mom to his best friend Ganke. A great mix of real-world social justice and super hero justice.

Miles Morales Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds
Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
​Tags: adventure, family life, friendship, issues fiction, people of color, school stories, social justice, supernatural

Daniel's grandmother is always warning about spirits that take children away, especially if they go out in the snow. Nevertheless, Daniel and Iris sneak out on the night of the first snowfall. When they see a ghost and discover they've been accidentally playing in an abandoned graveyard, they run back home. But even in her warm room, the cold doesn't leave Iris entirely. Ever since that night, strange things have been happening. She has the overwhelming urge to go back, into the dark and the cold and find the ghost again.

This is a spooky story about forgotten histories. Daniel and Iris start to research the graveyard and discover that it was an African-American cemetery from when the town was segregated. They try to discover more about the ghost of the girl that's haunting them, but the forgotten spirit has plans of its own. Strongly recommended.

The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown
Erica's Picks
3rd - 6th
​Tags: family life, friendship, horror, people of color, school stories, supernatural

Years ago, shayateen djinn attacked the city of Noor and killed all the humans except three: Fatima, her adopted sister, and their elderly neighbor. Fatima discovered on that day that her blood can repel the creatures, but she has no idea why. Her past is a complete mystery to her. After the attack, Fatima and her sister forget the mystery in the daily struggle to get by. Until Noor once again becomes the victim of supernatural attacks, and Fatima is caught up in palace intrigue and the world of supernatural creatures. Could a girl from the slums be the city's only hope for survival? Or will the secrets from her past consume her?

I loved this fantasy novel set in a world based on Middle Eastern history and mythology. I was completely immersed in the world and enjoyed each twist and turn of the plot. 

The Candle and the Flame  by Nafiza Azad
Erica's Picks
​7th & 8th
Tags: character driven, family life, fantasy, global perspectives, people of color, romance, supernatural

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
​Tags: 

Rex is looking forward to his first day of 6th grade. He prepares with a checklist to make sure he's ready for anything. But he isn't counting on getting a black eye the night before. Now all his new teachers think he's trouble. At lunch he's even more mortified when he has to yell that he's in the free lunch program to get the lunch lady to hear him. Now the whole school knows his mom can't afford to pay for his lunch. It's hard to imagine that his life could get any worse, until it does.

This memoir depicts the author's childhood experiences with poverty and abuse. There are some bright spots like friendships, a loving grandmother, and a love of comics. Rex Ogle actually grew up to work in the comic book industry. A moving, and powerful story.

Free Lunch  by Rex Ogle
5th - 8th
​Tags: biography, family life, mental illness, nonfiction, SEL

Kira's earliest memories are of survival in the woods where she was found as a child with no memory of her past. Now she trains dogs to help find people in the wilderness. Her adopted family trains elite search-and-rescue dogs. The dogs are part of Kira's family as much as the humans in her life, and sometimes she feels like the dogs understand her better. When a child goes missing in the Sierra Glades National Park after a series of disappearances, Kira's family reports for duty. But this is not a regular mission. The similarities to Kira's own past cause flashbacks and a reunion with estranged family members brings dangerous secrets to the surface. On top of it all is the mystery of what or who might be behind the string of missing persons in the Park.

Barnes is a master of characterization and everyone we meet in the book is layered and nuanced. She manages to do this while maintaining a fast-paced plot. Of course I love the focus on dog characters and was fascinated to read about the particulars of search and rescue. 

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
Tags:

Regina has lived all her life on a reservation in Oregon with her friends and family. Everything changes one day when the federal government terminates her tribe. Her family moves to Los Angeles to start over. Life in LA is very different from life back home with the Umpqua tribe. She meets people with different traditions and cultures, and it's hard to adapt, but she soon makes friends. Just when it looks like her luck is changing, something happens that shakes her family to its core.

This book is based on the author's own life and the the effects of the US government's tribal termination policy. Regina struggles with her identity as her friends tell her that she doesn't act like a "real Indian" based on the stereotypes they've learned from cowboy shows and movies. Even though the book is set in the late 50's the issues Regina faces are ones that continue to this day. A great book for discussion and gaining empathy.

 Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell 
Erica's picks
4th - 7th grade
Tags: character driven, family life, historical fiction, issues fiction, people of color, social justice

Moving stinks for everyone, but it's especially awful for Maya. Maya is deaf and she's used to going to a school with other deaf kids where everyone can sign and understands what Deaf culture is about. But in Colorado she has to go to a regular, hearing high school, which means she has to have an interpreter in all her classes. Outside of class, she has to rely on lip reading, which is never 100% effective, and deal with the ignorance of her hearing classmates. But one boy is different. Beau starts learning sign language and seems interested in getting to know Maya a lot better. Will they be able to bridge their differences and get together? Or is their relationship doomed before it even starts?

I love reading books that explore Deaf culture, and Maya is a wonderful character. She's fiercely loyal to her younger brother, who has cystic fibrosis and is not acclimating to the higher elevation well. With her friends at school she can be flawed and moody, which is perfectly understandable considering all she has to put up with and makes her well-rounded and relatable. I'd whole-heartedly recommend this to students looking for a realistic school story or a romance. 

The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais
Erica's Picks
Grades 6-8
Tags:character driven, contemporary fiction, disability, family life, romance, school stories