After decades of backbreaking, thankless sharecropping work in Texas, Will’s father, who was enslaved as a child, is “grim and dull,” and Will longs for a closer relationship with him. When they hear of the Oklahoma Land Rush, they recognize it as the chance of a lifetime. With a wagon of supplies pulled by their mule, Belle, Will and his dad join thousands of others racing to stake out their own land.
Middle Grade Fiction
Rabbit Rabbit
Cousins Bee and Alice (white, age 12) reunite after many years for their grandparents’ 50th anniversary in late 2019.
At Home in a Faraway Place
Lissie (white) hopes to learn Spanish on the trip she’s taking with her dad and grandma to visit her dad’s friend Raúl, who lives “where most people speak Spanish.” Word by word, phrase by phrase, Lissie’s Spanish skills expand in that faraway place where she has both new and familiar experiences and meets many kind people.
The Zuzu Secret
Siblings Josie, 12, and Abe, 15 (both white), have just moved to a Silver Spring, Maryland, when a car accident leaves their mom with a concussion and Josie in secret possession of a bearded dragon.
It’s All or Nothing, Vale
Puerto Rican American middle schooler Vale’s identity is largely tied to being an ultra-competitive, nationally ranked junior fencer. But an accident has left her with the lasting effects of a serious leg injury. Vale has not only lost valuable time away from fencing, but she may be facing a lifetime of chronic pain.
Amil and the After
The storytelling shines in this stand-alone sequel to The Night Diary set in India following Partition. Amil, 12; his twin Nisha; and their father, grandmother Dadi, and longtime employee and friend Kazi, who is Muslim, live in a small apartment in Bombay.
My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More
This dynamic account of author G. Neri’s 7-week venture to Antarctica blends a lively first-person narrative with abundant photographs and other visuals … Neri made the trip as part of the National Science Foundation’s Artists & Writers program. His sense of curiosity and wonder is palpable …
The Maid and the Crocodile
A sparkling novel set in the same world as the author’s West African-inspired Raybearer series succeeds as a lively stand-alone. Small Sade (Black) is an orphan who’s aged out of the care system.
Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson
A lyrical novel-in-verse about Rachel Carson begins with her childhood in rural Pennsylvania. Young Rachel delighted in nature; it also provided escape and solace as family members navigated difficult times.
Gracie Under the Waves
Sixth grader Gracie’s dream is to snorkel in the Maldives, but for now she’s thrilled that her parents agree on a family spring break trip to Roatán in Honduras, where there is a marine park. Even her little brother Ben, who can be exhausting, can’t dim her enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Gracie (Korean American) cuts her leg on coral on her first dive after Ben accidentally bumps into her.