The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine

Dit lives in Alabama in the early 1900s with his 9 siblings. He has high hopes for a new boy moving in nearby, but when the new postmaster arrives Dit is surprised to find that the family is African American, and instead of a son they have a smart, proper, opinionated daughter named Emma. As you might expect, Dit and Emma forge an unlikely friendship and Dit learns a great deal about the racism of the society he lives in. When a black barber shoots a cruel white man in self-defense, he is sentenced to death. Dit and Emma make a plan to save the innocent black man's life. Emma and Dit's friendship is authentic and, of course, troubling to those around them. Readers will get a taste of race relations in the last century, albeit with an improbable dose of optimism. It's a good story and will probably appeal to kids who might not normally be interested in historical fiction.

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

This graphic novel is a must-read for middle schoolers who are into theater. Raina Telgemeier already has many fans of her first book, Smile, and this is another look at the joys and heartaches of being in middle school. Callie, a 7th grader, loves working on the stage crew for her school's drama department. She's a bit unlucky in love but a real go-getter with lots of talent. The plot centers around the school musical and the middle schoolers who make up the cast and crew. Callie is designing sets and creating a functional cannon for the stage while juggling friendships and crushes and learning to accept people as they are. Two things I really appreciated about this book were that Callie's interests and talents were what mattered in the end—not what boy she ended up with. I also appreciated the honest and accepting attitude toward the gay characters in the story. While Smile was aimed at a slightly younger audience, I would recommend Drama to 6th-8th graders.