Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
High stakes on the fencing strip! Following sixth-grader Lucy and her eighth-grade sister GiGi, a bitter cafeteria clash triggers an official fencing showdown. Underneath the dramatic school factions and athletic competition lies a deeply touching, realistic study on sibling dynamics, shared family grief, and the long road to mutual forgiveness.
Folklore hits the streets! Following first-generation Filipino siblings JJ and Althea, the story shifts gears from food truck duties to saving the world when real creatures from Philippine mythology come alive.
Check into the Underlook! Spirit Week serves up a brilliant, middle-school-friendly tribute to The Shining. When aspiring filmmaker Elijah and young tutor Suzy visit a reclusive horror author in a deserted Colorado hotel, they stumble into a suspenseful mystery tied to family secrets and dementia.
Be careful what you wish for. Sky of Paper Stars introduces Yuna, a middle-schooler caught between her Korean heritage and her American life. After making a desperate wish upon 1,000 paper stars, a family tragedy strikes—and Yuna’s guilt begins to literally turn her body into paper.
Balancing Filipino customs, Egyptian traditions, and American high school is no easy feat. Follow a funny, endearing journey of self-discovery. Perfect for middle schoolers, this interactive book which is complete with zines and games and it is a brilliant tool for discussing identity, code-switching, and microaggressions.