Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Six eighth graders and their teacher take on the topic of racist mascots when they are assigned to a debate about their town’s Braves mascot, which often inspires face paint and tomahawk chopping at sports events.  At first, only the girls are opposed: Callie, a member of the Cherokee nation and Black; Priya, the Indian American editor of the school paper; and Tessa, a White girl who has been homeschooled through seventh grade.  The boys mostly just want to enjoy the local teams, but eventually Franklin, who is Black, joins the girls in their campaign and loses Luis’s friendship in the process.  Sean’s family is struggling with poverty but has long supported the Braves and opposes changing tradition.  As the school year draws to a close, tensions mount as the anti-mascot campaign kicks into gear and the kids learn more about what is most important to them and to their families.  Includes lists of Cherokee and Salvadoran Spanish words used in the text and additional information about mascots and taking action.  256 pages; grades 4-8.  

Pros:  A timely issue is explored through the voices of a diverse group of middle school kids, all of whom are presented sympathetically with realistic reasons for their various points of view.  A quick read that could easily inspire students to look around them to see what might need to change in their own communities.

Cons:  The story was extremely agenda-driven; the novel-in-verse format didn’t allow for much character or plot development outside of the mascot issue.

Published by Dial Books

Summary:  Aniana loves to swim, but her swim team is a secret between her and her Papi, since Mami has extreme anxiety about water, dating back to her brother’s drowning death in a hurricane during her childhood in the Dominican Republic.  When Aniana develops symptoms of what is later diagnosed as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, she’s forced to tell the doctor about her swimming, and Mami is sure that God is punishing her for lying.  Slowly, Aniana comes to terms with her illness and begins to see herself as a new person–someone who has to deal with a chronic disease, but also someone who is no longer afraid to speak up for herself.  A crisis brings the need for some resolution, bringing Mami the help she needs and allowing Aniana to find her way back to swimming.  Includes an author’s note about her own life experiences, including a chronic illness, that inspired her to write this book.  384 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  I jumped into this beautiful novel in verse and found it hard to put down.  Aniana is an inspiring protagonist who is forced to learn to live with a pretty debilitating disease and manages to re-make herself into someone stronger.

Cons:  I got very frustrated by Mami.

Published by Feiwel and Friends

Summary:  Odder is a sea otter who loves to play in the ocean, frolicking with her friend Kairi off the coast of California.  She’s a lot more daring than Kairi, and one day her adventurousness leads them right into the path of a hungry shark.  Both are attacked, but Odder sustains the worst injuries, landing herself at an aquarium under the care of humans. It turns out she’s been there before, and the second part of the book goes back to her early days when she was separated from her mother, rehabilitated by the aquarium staff, and released back into the wild.  Her second time there ends differently, and both she and Kairi end up as permanent residents, becoming surrogate mothers to rescued pups.  Includes an author’s note about the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the real-life otters who were the inspiration for Odder and Kairi; also a bibliography and a list of additional resources.  288 pages; grades 3-7.  

Pros:  Katherine Applegate’s legion of fans will be pleased to see a new heartwarming animal book on the shelves.  The verse format makes for a quick read, with interesting additional information for budding marine biologists and cute illustrations.

Cons:  I wish there had been even more cute illustrations.

Published by Chronicle Books

Summary:  In this sequel to Ben Bee and the Teacher Griefer, Ben Y takes center stage as they deal with a brother’s death, uncertainty about gender, and a nasty vice principal who insists on enforcing a draconian dress code.  Ben’s refuge is the library where the group that became friends in book 1 gets together for the official purpose of creating a student newspaper but really to play Sandbox, a Minecraft-style game invented by Ben’s brother.  Ben frequently looks back on archived chats between them and their brother, and one day, their brother responds.  Is it a ghost, or has someone hacked into the account?  The answer proves difficult and brings up a lot of emotions, but Ben is fortunate to be surrounded by friends and family members who can offer much-needed support.  432 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  I feel like K. A. Holt should be better-known, as I have had a fair amount of success book-talking her books to middle school kids.  Her novel-in-verse format, combined here with chats and the occasional drawing makes for a quick read, and many readers will sympathize with the struggles of the middle school characters.

Cons:  As some interesting revelations were made about Mr. Mann, the evil assistant principal, I was hoping to see him have more of a change of heart.

Published by Kokila

Summary:  Samira and her family are Rohingya refugees from Burma, living outside a camp in Bangladesh because they are not allowed to officially register as refugees.  She spends her days selling hard-boiled eggs on the beach, and the friendships she forms with other girls selling there enrich her life.  Some of the girls surf, as does Samira’s brother Khalad, and Samira starts to get interested in trying it herself.  When a surfing contest is announced with a substantial cash prize, she daydreams about what a win could mean for her family.  She has to learn to surf in secret, though; her parents disapprove of swimming for girls, and fear the water after her mother’s parents drowned during their escape from Burma.  On the eve of the contest, it seems as though Samira’s surfing dreams have come to a crashing end, but her courage and the connections she has formed with friends and family ultimately save the day.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about the Rohingya, and a list of websites for learning more and getting involved.  416 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This novel in verse brings to light a group of people that most of us probably know very little about.  Samira’s narration doesn’t shy away from her fears and worries, but also shows her courage and determination to create a new life for herself and her family.

Cons:  Looking at recent news, it appears that the Rohingya situation in both Burma Bangladesh hasn’t changed much since 2012, when this book takes place.