Kids Book Index
Lisa Fipps
Joe Oak is an eleven-year-old boy whose life has long felt unstable. After his grandmother dies and his mother leaves, he tries to manage on his own. His friends and rescue dogs are important sources of help as he faces the hardships around him. Told in free verse, the novel centers on Joe’s efforts to endure the storms in his life while finding ways to carry on.
This book appears on 1 reading list across 1 edition.
The Door Is Open: Stories of Celebration and Community by 11 Desi Voices11 Desi VoicesEleven interconnected short stories follow young South Asian protagonists in fictional Maple Grove, New Jersey. The Maple Grove Community Center connects the stories, hosting a chess tournament, badminton and cooking classes, and a wedding. In one story, Chaya meets a rival who previously made racist comments about Indian people. Family relationships appear throughout the collection, while the center itself becomes a shared concern when its funding is threatened. The final story brings civic engagement and activism into focus as the community responds.Twelve to FourteenOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Murray Out of WaterTaylor TracyTwelve-year-old Murray faces the aftermath of a hurricane that destroys her beachfront home and breaks her magical connection to the ocean. Far from home, she tries to recover that connection while facing an emerging LGBTQ+ identity and conflict with her censorious, homophobic mother. The story is told in free verse.Twelve to FourteenLexile Text Measure 811LATOS Book Level 5.2On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel CarsonAnn E. BurgAnn E. Burg’s novel in verse follows Rachel Carson from her childhood in rural Pennsylvania. Nature offers Rachel delight, escape, and solace during difficult family times, while writing becomes another early passion. In college she begins in English before changing to biology despite warnings about women’s limited opportunities in science. After family deaths leave her responsible for her mother and nieces, she seeks paid work and combines writing with science and nature. The book also follows her work on books for children and on Silent Spring during cancer treatment.Twelve to FourteenLexile Text Measure NP0LATOS Book Level 5.9On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details