We Don’t Eat our Classmates
By Ryan T. Higgins (ages 4-8)
The first day of school is always a stressful time with learning new rules and making new friends, but even more so for a tiny, pink-overalled Tyrannosaurus Rex named Penelope. Penelope desperately wants to fit in at school, but all her classmates are children, and children are just so......delicious. Only when she finally gets a taste of her own medicine can Penelope curb her appetite for her new classmates. A hilarious picture book about how, in Penelope’s father’s words, “Sometimes it’s hard to make friends. Especially if you eat them.”
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
By Erika L. Sanchez (grades 9 and up)
Julia’s older sister, Olga, was the perfect daughter. She lived at home, didn’t go out, took classes at the local community college and obeyed their parents in every way. Rebellious Julia, meanwhile, wants nothing more than to get away from her family and the neighborhood she grew up in. With Olga’s sudden death and her relationship with her parents rapidly deteriorating, Julia finds herself struggling to stay afloat. Immigration, familial relationships, mental illness, and poverty are all explored in this fantastic novel for mature teens.
A Story Like the Wind
By Gill Lewis (grades 4-8)
This short, beautifully illustrated novel takes place entirely on a raft floating in the middle of the ocean. The group of strangers on the raft are refugees fleeing some crisis, although you never find out exactly what or from where. While the group shares food, Rami shares the only thing he can-music, through the violin which is now his sole possession. The music becomes a story of its own, uplifting and healing the passengers and giving them hope in the direst of circumstances.
Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World
By Eric David Dawson (grades 5-8)
Written by the CEO of non-profit organization Peace First, this acts as a how-to guide for kids who want to make a difference in the world not someday, but right now. They can learn to be a peacemaker by following seven simple commitments, which include raising your hand when confronted with an injustice and opening your heart to those you might not understand. A great primer in how kids can change the world by first changing themselves.
Crush
By Svetlana Chmakova (grades 5-8)
In the vein of Smile and Sisters by Raina Telgemeier, Crush explores the changing dynamics of middle school friendships and romances. Main character Jorge has always had a solid friend group, but he is starting to realize that there is a difference between who his friends think he is and who he truly is. The third book in the Berrybrook Middle School trilogy, Crush is perfect for middle grade graphic novel fans looking for a fun, relatable, and light read.
