RUBY LOST AND FOUND by Christina Li

 

Ruby Lost and Found by Christina Li
Realistic Fiction, Asian American, Feelings & Emotions, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Family, Friendship
2023; 288 pages

Description
"Thanks to her Ye-Ye's epic scavenger hunts, thirteen-year-old Ruby Chu knows San Francisco like the back of her hand. But after his death, she feels lost. . . . After Ruby gets in major trouble at school, her parents decide she has to spend the summer at a local senior center, with her grandmother, Nai-Nai, and Nai-Nai's friends for company. When a new boy from Ruby's grade, Liam Yeung, starts showing up too, Ruby's humiliation is complete. But Nai-Nai, her friends, and Liam all surprise Ruby. She finds herself working with Liam . . . to help save a historic Chinatown bakery that's being priced out of the neighborhood. And alongside Nai-Nai, who is keeping a secret that threatens to change everything, Ruby retraces Ye-Ye's scavenger hunt maps in an attempt to find a way out of her grief--and maybe even find herself"--Provided by publisher.

My Comments Middle school students may relate to the difficulties of dealing with change in friendships. Ruby has lost one friend to moving and another who abandons her for a new group. She is in trouble for leaving school without permission, her parents are busy starting a new business, and she feels guilty about her grandfather's death whom she misses terribly. Ruby feels lost and lonely, but the summer brings new understanding, friendship, and growth.

This is a quiet book, but one with depth. The portrayal of relationships and characters are compelling and keep the book interesting. There is also a bit of adventure when Ruby and her grandmother 'run away' towards the end of the book. Although the book is not difficult, it is a bit long. Give this to thoughtful readers. I did like the book!

OTHER WORDS FOR HOME by Jasmine Warga

 

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Realistic Fiction, Novels in Verse, Syrian Immigration, Multicultural, Family

342 pages

Description

Publishers Weekly (February 25, 2019)

Written in first-person free verse, this timely book traces the internal journey of a young Syrian refugee adjusting to a new home and culture in the U.S. When violence erupts near their seaside city, Jude and her pregnant mother flee to Cincinnati to stay with Jude's uncle and his family while her shopkeeper father and activist brother ("He is always talking about change") stay behind. In the U.S., Jude is warmly welcomed by her aunt and uncle but treated with cool indifference by her cousin, who abandons her at school, leaving Jude to navigate seventh grade in a new environment on her own. Jude struggles to fit in among students who "don't look like me," but she remembers her brother's parting words-"Be brave"-and finds comfort with her new friend Layla, whose parents are from Lebanon. Rhythmic lines distill Jude's deepest emotions-homesickness, fear when her brother enters a war zone, shock over prejudice in the U.S., and a sense of victory when she receives a speaking role in the school play. Warga (My Heart and Other Black Holes) effectively shows, as she writes in an author's note, that "children who are fleeing from a war zone... want the same things all of us do-love, understanding, safety, a chance at happiness." Ages 8-12. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

My Comments

A book that will help people of all ages to understand how it feels to be new in a country, to be lonely, homesick and the target of prejudice. It is a book that inspires bravery and kindness.

An accessible read for middle school. Excellent! Highly recommended.

THE EPIC FAIL OF ARTURO ZAMORA by Pablo Cartaya

 

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

Realistic Fiction, Hispanic Latino, Adventure, Family, Community, Humor, Friendship, Romance

236 pages

Description
Booklist starred (April 1, 2017 (Vol. 113, No. 15))

Grades 4-7. Arturo is looking forward to a Miami summer filled with friends, ice cream, and working at his family’s popular restaurant, La Cocina de la Isla, but his plans get derailed from the start. Carmen, his mother’s goddaughter, comes to visit, and Arturo doesn’t understand why his stomach can’t settle down around her. His job at the restaurant is harder than he thought, and worst of all, his family’s plan to expand into an adjacent empty lot seems hopeless when flashy real-estate developer Wilfrido Pipo comes to town with plans of his own. Arturo hopes the community his abuela and abuelo loved for so long will support them, and with the help of his family, friends, and the work of Cuban poet and revolutionary hero José Martí, Arturo finds the strength to fight for what he believes in. Cartaya’s lively debut, filled with kind, dynamic characters and interspersed with letters, poems, and Twitter messages, offers a timely tale of a community steeped in tradition and multiculturalism, working together against encroaching gentrification, and Arturo’s inviting first-person narrative is the perfect entry point for middle-grade readers. Unitalicized Spanish phrases appear throughout, always with enough context clues that non-Spanish speakers will have no trouble following along. At turns funny, beautiful, and heartbreaking, this engrossing story will get kids cheering.

My Comments
A good choice for all middle school students. Family chaos with love, community values, and love. Funny and tender. A lovely read.

ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME (Pandava, Book 1) by Rashani Chokshi

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Rashani Chokshi

Fantasy, Indian Mythology

Description
Booklist (March 1, 2018 (Vol. 114, No. 13))
Grades 4-6. Aru Shah is a lover of tales, and was hoping to survive seventh grade through spinning slightly altered tales about her life to classmates. When a group of friends confronts her at the Museum of Ancient Art and Indian Cultures about her lies, Aru Shah would do anything to get them to believe her. Even if that means taking their dare to light a lamp that—wouldn’t you know it?—might bring about the end of the world. Readers will be delighted by this adventurous dive into Hindu mythology and the chance to cheer along a heroic young protagonist. Chokshi makes it easy to connect with Aru by showing her learn from her mistakes (with the help of a sarcastic sorcerer pigeon), and readers will experience wonder as they are met with such surprises as a forest of giant fireflies. This series starter also doesn’t skimp on important lessons about friendship, family, and love. Chokshi is a talented writer who breathes fresh air into her mythological world.

My Comments

Exciting, nail-biting, high action, funny. I like how the author skillfully weaves an education of Indian mythology into the story. Well written in that way.

 

WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGER by Tae Keller

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Fantasy, Korean Americans, Storytelling, Illness, Families

297 pages

Description
Booklist starred (November 1, 2019 (Vol. 116, No. 5))
Grades 3-6. If stories were written in the stars and guarded by tigers, this wondrous tale would be one of the brightest. Lily is happy when she, her mom, and sister, Sam, move, because it means they will spend more time with their grandmother, their halmoni, whose life is full of magic. Halmoni has always told beautiful stories about clever sisters and equally clever tigers—not to be trusted—but Lily soon finds that life is not how she expected it to be. Sam isn’t so happy about the move, and worse, Halmoni is very sick, so when a tiger appears to Lily, offering her a deal, she thinks it could be what saves her grandmother. Lily’s magical-realist world, rooted in Korean folklore, will envelop readers as she deals with growing up and—at times—apart from her sister, finding new friends, and coping with her grandmother's illness. Keller’s characters—from Halmoni, who dresses up to go grocery shopping, to Sam, who hides her own heartbreaks—will have readers wishing they were real. Every chapter is filled with a richness and magic that demands every word be treasured, a heartfelt reminder of the wonder and beauty in our everyday lives. Readers young and old will want to trap this story in a jar forever.

My Comments

Truly wonderous and mysterious. The magic intertwines with the family relationships. The tiger drew me in, but this is a deep story of love, grief and identity. This is not a light book. I believe it could be read by grades 6-8 so am a little mystified that it is targeted for grades 3-6 apart from the age of the main protagonist. A wonderfully magical and complex story.

 

THE BRIDGE HOME by Padma Venkatramen

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

India, Homelessness, Child Labor, Survival, Families

194 pages

Description

Booklist starred (February 1, 2019 (Vol. 115, No. 11)) Grades 5-7. In India, 11-year-old Viji and her 12-year-old sister, Rukku, run away to Chennai after their violent father strikes out at them. Unprepared for living on the streets, they befriend two homeless boys: Arul, who lost his family in a tsunami, and Muthu, who escaped from a so-called school where he was confined and forced to work. Together they pick through garbage dumps for glass and metal scraps to sell, sleep on an abandoned bridge, and form their own family. Rukku’s intellectual disability has made her dependent on Viji, who gradually learns that her sister is more capable than she had thought. When Rukku and Muthu fall ill, Viji makes tough decisions in hopes of saving their lives and later must cope with her grief before she can move on. The four children and their tight-knit relationship are portrayed with conviction and finesse. Written in the form of a letter from Viji to her sister, the affecting narrative transports readers to a faraway setting that becomes vivid and real. Although the young characters face unusually difficult challenges, they nevertheless find the courage they need to move forward. The author of A Time to Dance (2014), Venkatraman offers an absorbing novel of love, loss, and resilience.

My Comments This book is one of those rare finds that you can give to almost anyone. It brings alive the plight of children in heartbreaking circumstances, but also how the human spirit can often prevail. Absolutely love this one.

 

GOOD ENOUGH by Paula Yoo

 

Realistic Fiction, Middle & High School, Asian Americans, Achievement, Families, Humor, Romance, Violin

322 pages.

Description
Kirkus Reviews (January 1, 2008) Patti knows that the only thing harder than calculus, or maybe mastering the cadenza from the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor, is being a PKD, a Perfect Korean Daughter. The PKD achieves great grades, shines at extracurriculars and is devoted to her church but never complains or brags. Most important, the PKD never questions her parents' pushing her to get into Harvard, Yale and Princeton and become a doctor or a lawyer. Though witty, linguistically gifted Patti has a number of academic talents, her greatest joy is playing the violin. She knows she's not supposed to rock the Harvard/Yale/Princeton boat but, encouraged by her violin teacher, she applies to Juilliard. Now her dilemma is not her SAT scores or her grades, but how to hide her desire to attend music school from her academically oriented parents. The Clash, a jam session and a new boy at school encourage Patti to break from her PKD shell and see her social life and violin studies in new ways. Teens living through the pressure of college applications and questioning their futures will sympathize with Patti in this enjoyable, funny but not superficial read, which bears many similarities to Alex Flinn's Diva (2006). (Fiction. YA)

My Comments A little romance, music, and a lot of effort put into studying. I like the way this story shows the perspective of a high school student who studies hard, is intelligent, has goals, but who also begins to question what path she truly wants to follow regardless of family pressure. She also shows sensitivy and maturity as she begins to understand why her parents push her so hard. A good choice for both middle and high school students.

SAL & GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE by Carlos Alberto Hernandez

Science Fiction, Cuban American, Diabetes,  Grief, Humor, Multi-Universe

Book Description

Winner of the 2020 Pura Belpre Award

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents a brilliant sci-fi romp with Cuban influence

that poses this question: What would you do if you had the power to reach through 

time and space and retrieve anything you want, including your mother, who is no 

longer living (in this universe, anyway)?

How did a raw chicken get inside Yasmany's locker?

When Sal Vidon meets Gabi Real for the first time, it isn't under the best of 

circumstances. Sal is in the principal's office for the third time in three days, and it's 

still the first week of school. Gabi, student council president and editor of the school 

paper, is there to support her friend Yasmany, who just picked a fight with Sal. 

She is determined to prove that somehow, Sal planted a raw chicken in Yasmany's locker, 

even though nobody saw him do it and the bloody poultry has since mysteriously 

disappeared.

Sal prides himself on being an excellent magician, but for this sleight of hand, he 

relied on a talent no one would guess . . . except maybe Gabi, whose sharp eyes 

never miss a trick. When Gabi learns that he's capable of conjuring things much 

bigger than a chicken--including his dead mother--and she takes it all in stride, Sal 

knows that she is someone he can work with. There's only one slight problem: 

their manipulation of time and space could put the entire universe at risk.

A sassy entropy sweeper, a documentary about wedgies, a principal who wears a 

Venetian bauta mask, and heaping platefuls of Cuban food are just some of the delights 

that await in his mind-blowing novel gift-wrapped in love and laughter. (Publisher)

My Comments

Aimed right at a wide middle school audience. Fast paced, page turner. 

YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING, JELLY PI by Alex Gino

Realistic Fiction, Middle School, Deaf Culture, Multiculturalism

Description
Realizing she has a lot to learn when her baby sister is born with a hearing impairment, Jilly tries to connect with fellow reader Derek, a hearing-impaired African-American ASL communicator who helps her understand how to see life in different ways. By the award-winning author of George.

WHAT ELEPHANTS KNOW by Eric Dinerstein

Fiction, Adventure, Elephants, India, Nepal, Orphans

273 pages

Publisher's Description
Abandoned in the jungle of the Nepalese Borderlands, two-year-old Nandu is found living under the protective watch of a pack of wild dogs. From his mysterious beginnings, fate delivers him to the King's elephant stable, where he is raised by unlikely parents-the wise head of the stable, Subba-sahib, and Devi Kali, a fierce and affectionate female elephant.

When the king's government threatens to close the stable, Nandu, now twelve, searches for a way to save his family and community. A risky plan could be the answer. But to succeed, they'll need a great tusker. The future is in Nandu's hands as he sets out to find a bull elephant and bring him back to the Borderlands.

In simple poetic prose, author Eric Dinerstein brings to life Nepal's breathtaking jungle wildlife and rural culture, as seen through the eyes of a young outcast, struggling to find his place in the world.

My Comments
Magical. This gentle book conveys the power of connections and love. Give to Jane Goodall fans and kids who love animals. Uplifting!

THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR

Romance, Immigration, Emigration, Poetry, Middle-High School



My Comments
A favorite! 5 Stars! This is more than romance and heartbreak; it portrays people who fight for their dreams in the face of obstacles completely out of their control, the importance of enduring self belief and love. This is high school, but appropriate for mature middle schoolers. The message is positive, the characters human and inspiring.

"Natasha is a girl who believes in science and facts. Daniel has always been a good son and good student. But when he sees Natasha he forgets all that and believes there is something extraordinary in store for both of them"--OCLC.

From the Publisher

Natasha: I'm a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I'm definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won't be my story.

Daniel:I've always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents' high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store--for both of us.

The Universe:Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

***

A 2016 National Book AwardFinalist
A New York Times Notable Book
A BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year
A POPSUGAR Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Editor's Choice
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
An Amazon Best Book of the Year

"Beautifully crafted."--People Magazine

"A book that is very much about the many factors that affect falling in love, as much as it is about the very act itself . . . fans of Yoon's first novel, Everything Everything, will find much to love--if not, more--in what is easily an even stronger follow up." --Entertainment Weekly
"Transcends the limits of YA as a human story about falling in love and seeking out our futures."--POPSUGAR.com

★"An exhilarating, hopeful novel exploring identity, family, the love of science and the science of love, dark matter and interconnectedness--is about seeing and being seen and the possibility of love... and it shines."--Shelf Awareness, starred review 

★"Moving and suspenseful." --Publishers Weekly, starred review 

★ "Fans of Eleanor & Park and The Fault in Our Stars are destined to fall for Daniel and Natasha." --The Horn Book, starred review

★ "Lyrical and sweeping, full of hope, heartbreak, fate. . . and the universal beating of the human heart." --Booklist, starred review

★"Profound . . . both deeply moving and satisfying."--Kirkus, starred review

AMAL UNBOUND by Aisha Saeed

Realistic Fiction, Multicultural, Courage, Resistance, Family

226 pages

From the Publisher

"Saeed's timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude.

Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal's Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she's busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when--as the eldest daughter--she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn't lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens--after an accidental run-in with the son of her village's corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family's servant to pay off her own family's debt.

Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal--especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal's growing awareness of the Khans' nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams.

My Comments 

Love, love, absolutely love this one. Accessible for a wide reading level, great discussion points, and educational. Winner all the way! 

CHILD SOLDIER: When Boys and Girls are Used in War by Jessica Dee Humphreys and Michel Chikwanine

Graphic Novel, Refugees, War, Africa, Memoir

47 pages.

From the Publisher

"Michel Chikwanine was five years old when he was abducted from his school-yard soccer game in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a soldier for a brutal rebel militia. Against the odds, Michel managed to escape and find his way back to his family, but he was never the same again. After immigrating to Canada, Michel was encouraged by a teacher to share what happened to him in order to raise awareness about child soldiers around the world, and this book is part of that effort. Told in the first person and presented in a graphic novel format, the gripping story of Michel's experience is moving and unsettling. But the humanity he exhibits in the telling, along with Claudia Davila's illustrations, which evoke rather than depict the violent elements of the story, makes the book accessible for this age group and, ultimately, reassuring and hopeful. The back matter contains further information, as well as suggestions for ways children can help. This is a perfect resource for engaging youngsters in social studies lessons on global awareness and social justice issues, and would easily spark classroom discussions about conflict, children's rights and even bullying. Michel's actions took enormous courage, but he makes clear that he was and still is an ordinary person, no different from his readers. He believes everyone can do something to make the world a better place, and so he shares what his father told him: ?If you ever think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.'"

My Comments

Powerful storytelling. Extremely successful in portraying the tragedy and injustice of using children as soldiers - the cruelty, the evilness of this practice. Teachers and parents should read first to be aware of the contents, but the authors manage to be truthful in an age appropriate delivery. They offer valuable resources for more information and ideas for young people to take action. A valuable addition to the library collection.

There are not many middle school age appropriate books written on this extremely disturbing topic, but portions of A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beal may be useful. Another memoir,  Facing the Lion: Growing Up Masaii in the African Savannah by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton tells the inspiring story of how a village in Kenya supported a young boy in his quest for education.  

SAVE ME A SEAT by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan

Realistic fiction, multicultural, friendship, bullies, school stories.

"Ravi has just moved to the United States from India and has always been at the top of his class; Joe has lived in the same town his whole life and has learning problems--but when their lives intersect in the first week of fifth grade they are brought together by a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and the need to take control of their lives." (publisher)

Engaging light read with a lot to think about. Highly recommend as realistic fiction through 6th grade.