Fresh Reads, Honest reviews, Educator-approved
A ripped-from-the-headlines novel of desperation, escape, and survival across the U.S.-Mexico border. A breathtaking, vital window into human survival. Following three Guatemalan teenagers forced to flee home, the novel tracks their perilous flight across Mexico aboard the infamous freight trains of La Bestia.
Borders may stop people, but they can’t stop stories. Sixty diverse poets—including Elizabeth Acevedo and Bao Phi—share the raw, humorous, and heartbreaking realities of the immigrant and refugee experience. A vital resource for empathy in the modern classroom.
In his haunting debut fiction novel, Rex Ogle explores the gut-wrenching price of loyalty. Written in propulsive verse, When We Ride follows two best friends trapped between the hope of a future and the pull of the streets. While its graphic content and “edgy” themes require careful guidance, the story of Diego and Lawson is an essential, relevant read for high schoolers navigating complex choices and the cycle of poverty.