Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir

Margarita Engle, Edel Rodriguez (illustrator)

In this Pura Belpré Author Award-winning memoir, Margarita Engle reflects on her childhood caught between two cultures during the Cold War. Lonely in Los Angeles, Margarita finds comfort in words and images while dreaming of summers in Cuba, her mother's homeland. However, when tensions rise between the US and Cuba during the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Margarita's two worlds clash. She is left grappling with the fear for her family in Cuba and the painful reality of the political conflict that threatens to keep her away from the island she loves.

Freewater

Amina Luqman-Dawson

A Newbery Medal winner, this historical middle-grade novel tells a story of courage in slavery-era America. When young Homer and his sister Ada escape from Southerland Plantation, they must leave their beloved mother behind. Soon they find Freewater, a hidden community of escaped slaves and freeborn children. Here, Homer almost forgets his painful past. But when an outside threat looms over Freewater, Homer faces a choice: return to Southerland to free his mother or risk the newfound freedom he’s only just begun to embrace.

Peak

Roland Smith

After he’s caught scaling a New York City skyscraper, fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello is sent to live overseas with his estranged father, who runs a climbing expedition company. However, Peak learns his father has big plans for him: He wants Peak to be the youngest person to conquer Mount Everest. Written from Peak’s perspective, this gripping novel will hook even the most reluctant readers as they follow Peak’s attempt to climb Earth’s highest mountain.

Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed

Dashka Slater

Based on true events, Accountable explores the lasting impact of online behavior and the importance of owning the consequences of digital choices. When a high school student in California creates an Instagram account filled with racist and sexist memes, he thinks it’s just “edgy” humor. But as the posts spread, they cast a shadow over everyone involved—the girls targeted by the messages, the account’s followers, and the adults who struggle to respond. Due to the subject matter, we recommend this book for older readers.

Binti

Nnedi Okorafor

Winner of the Hugo Award, Binti is a great novella for introducing older students to Africanfuturist science fiction. Binti is the first of the Himba people ever invited to attend Oomza University, the galaxy’s most renowned institution. But on the way there, Binti’s ship is attacked by the Meduse, an alien race known for their terrifying reputation and deep resentment toward the university. Drawn into this feud, Binti must call upon the wisdom of her people and the resilience that defines her to survive.

The Wanderings of Odysseus

Rosemary Sutcliff

A companion novel to Black Ships Before Troy, this accessible retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey is perfect for middle-grade readers with a passion for mythology. After victory in the Trojan War, King Odysseus is ready to sail for home, but the journey back is even more perilous than the war itself. Odysseus must rely on every ounce of his strength and resilience as he faces impossible odds to reunite with his family and reclaim his kingdom.

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After

Clemantine Wamariya & Elizabeth Weil

In 1994, Clemantine and her older sister, Claire, fled Rwanda to escape the genocide, eventually gaining refugee status in the United States years later. In Chicago, their lives took vastly different paths, with Claire struggling to survive as a single mother and Clemantine seemingly living the American dream. But as revealed in this memoir, the scars of the past aren’t easily erased. The Girl Who Smiled Beads encourages readers to see the strength of the imagination to endure, transform, and heal.

A Step from Heaven

An Na

In this Michael L. Printz Award-winning novel, readers follow Young Ju, a Korean girl trying to find her identity. When her family moves from Korea to California, Young Ju thinks her new life will be full of opportunity. Instead, she encounters language barriers, cultural clashes, and strained family relationships. Though disillusioned by the American Dream, Young Ju must embrace her inner strength and fight for the future she deserves. Scenes of domestic violence may make this book challenging for some readers.

The Hired Girl

Laura Amy Schlitz

A Scott O’Dell Award and National Jewish Book Award winner, this historical novel is perfect for middle-grade readers and above. In the summer of 1911, fourteen-year-old Joan Skraggs runs away from her family’s farm in search of a better future. Soon, Joan finds herself in the bustling world of Baltimore, working as a hired girl for a prominent Jewish family. Written in the spirited form of Joan’s diary, this heartfelt story captures the hopes of a young girl determined to rise above her circumstances.

Punching the Air

Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam

Amal Shahid is a poet and artist. But at sixteen, everything changes when a confrontation in a gentrified neighborhood ends in tragedy. Wrongfully convicted, Amal is swept into a system that calls him a criminal just because of his race. In the face of despair, Amal turns to his art to reclaim his sense of self. Written in verse by author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam, this novel offers powerful lessons on resilience and justice.

Demon Copperhead

Barbara Kingsolver

Inspired by Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells an unforgettable coming-of-age story in the heart of Appalachia, highlighting a new generation caught in the cycle of poverty and social neglect. Damon “Demon Copperhead” Fields faces foster care, broken schools, addiction, and heartbreak—realities of life for many in rural America. But Demon’s quick wit and resilient spirit give him the strength required to survive—and thrive—against all odds.

The Collectors

Various

Featuring tales from nine celebrated YA authors, including Jason Reynolds, Jenny Torres Sanchez, Randy Ribay, and David Levithan, this Michael L. Printz Award-winning anthology explores the unexpected world of collections. From a non-binary teen gathering pieces of others’ collections to a girl obsessed with types of fire, each story sheds light on how collections can be strange, meaningful, and transformative.

Beowulf: A New Translation

Maria Dahvana Headley

“Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings!” So begins Maria Dahvana Headley’s all-new verse translation of Beowulf. This retelling brings a modern perspective to the ancient epic, plunging readers into a deep exploration of power, entitlement, vengeance, and humanity. Due to strong profanity and violence throughout, we recommend this book for older students.

Citizen: An American Lyric

Claudia Rankine

Through essays, images, and poetry, Citizen delivers a powerful exploration of the individual and collective toll of racism in contemporary society. Award-winning poet and playwright Claudia Rankine reveals the barrage of racial slights, subtle and overt, that impact everyday spaces like the classroom, the workplace, the home, and in the media.

America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History

Ariel Aberg-Riger

Through twenty-one visual stories, America Redux digs into the surprising, sometimes darker realities of American history and culture. From the impact of progress on housing and the environment to the power of celebrity in immigration policy, this book shines a light on the hidden forces that have influenced American identity. Richly illustrated with archival photos, maps, documents, and handwritten notes, America Redux will challenge and inspire students to see America anew.