Kids Book Index
Beth Fantaskey
Twelve-year-old Mia feels caught between old friends and new ones, childhood and growing up. Her longtime best friend Addy is drawn toward the popular crowd and school dances. Mia is excited when Tariq, a friend from science camp, moves to town and starts at her school. That excitement becomes disappointment until a science Olympics is announced. The graphic novel uses brightly colored artwork.
This book appears on 1 reading list across 1 edition.
Call Me AlWali Shah, Eric WaltersAli is in eighth grade and feels pulled between several demands: his immigrant parents expect academic success, he has feelings for Melissa, and he wants acceptance from his friends. His family lives in a worn apartment complex, unlike Melissa’s wealthier neighborhood. Ali also recognizes racism around him when friends treat remarks about Pakistani food and his skin color as jokes. After anti-Muslim behavior, writing helps him work through his emotions.Twelve to FourteenOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Island of WhispersFrances HardingeMilo’s father carries dead people’s ghosts to the Island of the Broken Tower, a place of rest that requires their shoes to accompany them. He refuses when a local Lord wants his dead daughter Gabrielle returned for magicians to revive. The Lord’s men kill the Ferryman and imprison Milo’s older brother. Inexperienced Milo must bring Gabrielle and four other ghosts to the island while the Lord’s men and magic-wielding pursuers chase his boat.Twelve to FourteenLexile Text Measure 888LATOS Book Level 5.7On the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red ScareAndrea Balis, Elizabeth LevyThis overview examines McCarthyism and the Red Scare in post-World War II America. It opens with a 1953 newspaper report about efforts to remove Robin Hood from school textbooks because redistributing wealth was treated as communist. Through vignettes, the book portrays the fear and political witch-hunts surrounding communism during the Cold War. Its historical account emphasizes that events can be remembered in more than one way and uses a “fly on the wall” approach to present key people, headlines, and interviews. Black-and-white line illustrations add historical context.Twelve to FourteenOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details