The Plot to Kill Hitler by Patricia McCormick

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young man in Germany in the years leading up to World War II. He chose to become a pastor, and believed strongly in peaceful resolution of conflict. However, Bonhoeffer began to witness great evil building up around him in the Nazi regime that was taking over his country. As the Nazis began to strip Jewish citizens of their rights, they also took away the right of free speech for all Germans. Bonhoeffer believed that the church should speak out against Hitler but could not find other religious leaders willing to speak up. In short, readable chapters, McCormick tells how Bonhoeffer tried in many ways to alert other governments to the horrors that Germany was inflicting on Jews and how Bonhoeffer eventually came to the conclusion that to do nothing in the face of evil was to be evil yourself. He became a spy and joined in a plot to kill Adolf Hitler and overthrow his government. His was an incredibly courageous life, and even though he was killed by the Nazis, there is much to learn from his example.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

I have read many stories of people who survived great hardship during World War II, but I had never heard about the forced removal of Lithuanian people perpetrated by the Russians. This is the story of a girl named Lina who is taken during the night with her mother and brother and put on a train bound for Siberia. Lina is an artist, and keeps hope alive by secretly drawing and making efforts to send messages to her father, whom she believes is in a Russian prison. Lina and her mother and brother survive the train ride, only to be left in a remote village where they must do hard labor while they nearly starve to death. From there they are sent to an even more remote Arctic location where they live for many years even after the war has ended. The author brings to life many peripheral characters that you as a reader come to know and care about. The writing is beautiful and the story is heartbreaking and gripping. A movie is coming out in mid-2017, so now is the perfect time to encourage students to read this book. Recommended for middle school-up.

Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick

Jordan Sonnenblick is one of my favorite authors, and this book does not disappoint. It's about a girl going about her ordinary 13-year-old life when everything is upended by her father having a stroke. While Claire navigates the new difficulties at home, she's still going about her ordinary life of dance class (where she's worse than her friends), braces, and a boy who may be more than a friend. You have to trust me on this one--just read it. It's great and it will make you laugh and cry at the same time.

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

Ever since the incident that put his father in jail, Castle prefers to be called Ghost. He's a middle school kid with some pent up anger, and a strong belief that he is a great basketball planer (even though he's never really planed much before). What Ghost is really good at is sprinting, and when he lands a spot on a competitive track team, he has to control his behavior or risk getting kicked off the team. Ghost has some strong adults in his life, including his mom, a neighborhood store owner, and his new track coach, but will they be enough to keep him out of trouble? I loved this story and I think it would be a great read-aloud or book for class discussion. Highly recommended for 5th-7th graders.