Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  Haley spends a year with five other fifth and sixth graders who have been struggling to keep up with their peers.  One Friday afternoon, their teacher leads them to the old art room and tells them they’ll spend the last hour every Friday there alone, getting to know each other.  They call it the ARTT room–A Room To Talk. Esteban opens up first, expressing his anguish that his father has been taken away and is being threatened with deportation back to the Dominican Republic.  Amari’s recently been told by his father that it’s too dangerous for him to play with guns–even water guns and Nerf guns–because he’s African American. Ashton struggles with bullying as one of the only white kids at school.  Tiago’s from Puerto Rico, and sometimes doesn’t feel like he’s truly an American. Holly feels guilty for coming from a family with more money than the others. Finally, Haley opens up and tells her story: her father is in jail for drunk driving, after an accident that killed her mother.  As the year goes on, the kids form an unlikely bond, listening sympathetically to one another’s stories and offering a safe harbor to each other. The end of the year brings changes, and continuing their friendships seems unlikely, but the connections and safety from ARTT will travel with each one of them into the future.  176 pages; grades 5-7.

Pros:  This beautifully written, poetic narrative touches on racism, bullying, immigration, friendship, and forgiveness all in fewer than 200 pages.  

Cons:  I wanted to love this book, but the kids were so serious and wise-beyond-their years; I know the heavy topics are important, but a little humor can go a long way.  Also, it seemed unrealistic that a teacher would let her class be unsupervised every week for an hour at a time.

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Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Summary:  When Julie’s father starts feeling ill on board his boat, it’s up to 12-year-old Julie to take their obnoxious clients, Hank Jordan and his son Shane, for their dive.  As soon as they descend, Julie senses problems. When the time is up, Hank and Shane refuse to resurface, and Julie discovers the anchor has come loose. Reaching the surface, she is horrified to find the boat gone.  She eventually reunites with the Jordans, but their oxygen tanks have malfunctioned, and Hank has the bends. The suspense builds as the three drift deeper and deeper out to sea. Flashback scenes reveal family problems Julie has been dealing with for the last few years as well as how she and her father came to be out on the boat that day.  An author’s note tells about his own nearly catastrophic diving experience that gave him the idea for this book. 272 pages; grade 4-8.

Pros:  After a slightly slow start, the pace really picks up, and readers will be chewing on their nails as the castaways struggle to survive.  Perfect for fans of Hatchet or the I Survived series.

Cons:  Julie seemed almost unrealistically resourceful and level-headed for a 12 year old.  Also, there’s a somewhat disturbing scene involving sharks and Hank Jordan; fortunately, you will dislike him so much by that point in the story that you may rejoice in his misfortune.

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Published by Wendy Lamb Books

Summary:  12-year-old Lou loves to build, and dreams of creating a tiny house on the land left to her by her father, who died before she was born.  She lives with her Filipino grandmother and mother, sharing a room with her mom, who is finishing up her nursing degree. When her mother gets a job offer out of state, Lou fears moving away from her close-knit family, her land, and her dream of building her own tiny house.  She decides if she can secretly build the house, it will convince her mom to stay. Enlisting the help of cousins and friends–including a boy she’s beginning to have a crush on–Lou tries to get her project going, but keeps getting thwarted. Time is running out as moving day approaches, and Lou has to face the fact that her life may be changing in ways that she can’t control.  240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Lou has an interesting cultural heritage and an unusual passion that readers will find intriguing.  Although her dream of a tiny house is a unique one, her issues with friends and family are familiar and will ring true to kids.

Cons:  I was disappointed that in the end, Lou’s friends and family did more of the building than she did.

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary:  Amal loves going to school in her Pakistani village, but when her mother suffers postpartum depression, she must stay home to help run the household.  While doing marketing for the family, she has an accidental run-in with a member of the wealthy Khan family that gets her into serious trouble. Her father owes money to the Khans, and Amal is forced to work as an indentured servant in the family’s mansion to pay off his debt.  Her father assures her he will get the money quickly, but as time goes on, Amal sees that she may suffer the fate of the other servants and be forced to stay for years. Amal’s perseverance and determination pay off, and when she sees her opportunity to help herself and others around her, she finds the courage to take it and move forward. Includes an author’s note that ties together the fictional Amal’s life and the real-life Malala Yousafzai. 240 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  A powerful story about a courageous girl in a part of the world that may be unfamiliar to many U.S. readers.  Kids who know Malala’s story will have a connection that will draw them into this book.

Cons:  Amal’s happy ending seemed a little unrealistic, and the author mentions in her note that for many more kids trapped in indentured servitude, there is not usually such a way out.

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