Kids Book Index
Ruth Behar
Set in 1960s New York, this story follows ten-year-old Ruthie, whose family came to the United States from Cuba. After an accident leaves her in a body cast, Ruthie turns to books, art, relatives, friends, and her multicultural neighborhood. Told in Ruthie’s voice, the book also addresses immigration, racism, art, and politics as her family’s life in the city unfolds.
This book appears on 3 reading lists across 1 edition from 3 organizations.
Armstrong and CharlieSteven B. FrankIn 1970s Los Angeles, a school desegregation pilot program sends ten African American sixth graders to a white school in the Hollywood Hills. Armstrong must rise early to take the bus there, while Charlie worries about beginning sixth grade after losing his older brother. Against this background of racial prejudice, school politics, and loss, Armstrong and Charlie form an unexpected friendship across different racial and economic circumstances.Twelve to FourteenOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
BangBarry LygaWhen Sebastian Cody was four, he accidentally fired his father’s gun and killed his infant sister. A decade later, he still carries guilt and horror over her death. During a summer when his closest friend is away, he spends time with a new friend, Aneesa, but remains consumed by thoughts about undoing his childhood act. The novel addresses gun violence, suicide, mental illness, religious prejudice, and cyberbullying.Twelve to FourteenOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Mary Anning’s CuriosityMonica KullingThis fictionalized account follows Mary Anning as a child in early nineteenth-century Lyme Regis, England. Mary's father, a carpenter who also hunts fossils, takes her searching on the cliffs and beach despite her mother's objections. Selling ammonites and other finds helps the family's finances. After her father dies, Mary's grief and determination feed her search for specimens. With her brother, she notices a giant eye in the rock, leading to the discovery of an ichthyosaurus fossil.Nine to TwelveLexile Text Measure 840LATOS Book Level 5.2On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details