Everything Awesome about Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts! by Mike Lowery

You may think dinosaur books are for little kids, but I would argue that this book contains everything that most humans of all ages would want to know about the history of earth and the prehistoric creatures that lived here long ago. Mike Lowery, a prolific illustrator, is the author and illustrator of this fun- and fact-filled full-color book that is full of jokes and irreverent humor. He expertly packs a well-curated array of information into 122 heavily illustrated pages. In Part One he explains three criteria that define dinosaurs (this was news to me!). In Part Two he gives a "Brief History of Earth" that succinctly (and humorously) puts the timeline of prehistoric life into perspective. He goes on to describe various dinosaurs and other "awesome extinct cenozoic beasts, and even includes how to draw a four kinds of dinosaurs. The book includes jokes and bonus facts that make the book fun for kids as well as adults. It's a little-known secret that a quality middle-school level nonfiction book can provide all that adults need to know about a topic, and this book perfectly supports that theory.

Grenade by Alan Gratz

Alan Gratz visited my school and told the students the inspiration for this book. Gratz learned that in 1945, middle school students in Okinawa were conscripted into the Japanese army and given two granades. One was to kill the American "monsters" that were coming, and the other was to kill themselves. This grabbed my attention as well as the students, and this book did not disappoint. The story follows two soldiers--Ray, an American who is unused to killing, and Hideki, a 13-year-old from Okinawa who has his two grenades. In alternating chapters we learn about their families, their fears, and what they face in the brutal battle for the island of Okinawa. It is heartbreaking for the reader, as well as Hideki, to realize that the Japanese never intended to stop the Americans. Rather, they used Okinawan children to slow their advance. Alan Gratz books are wildly popular, and this one fits right in with his other action-packed books with war as a backdrop. Read a great story and learn about history with this well-written historical fiction story.

Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

The year is 1890 and the setting is Atlanta. Jo Kuan and her guardian, Old Gin, live in an underground railroad era secret chamber under the house of a prominent newspaper publishing family. They are Chinese-American immigrants and must work as servants to make a living. Teenage Jo works full-time as a maid, and begins writing a newspaper column under the name "Dear Sweetie," which helps increase newspaper circulation and gives her a platform to speak about women's rights as well as racial equality. No one would read the column if they knew it was written by a Chinese American girl, so she keeps her identity secret, even from the handsome young newspaper publisher. Jo gets involved with a criminal, enters a horse race, discovers some family secrets, and finds romance in this eye-opening historical fiction novel.

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

In the 1960s, a family from India moves to New York City to make a better life for their children. The two daughters, Sonia and Tara, are very different and they make their own choices about pursuing their dreams and falling in love. They each have a daughter, and the book picks up with the stories of the two cousins, one who lives in the United States and the other who lives in India. In the end we have learned about three generations of Indian-American women and how they have dealt with love, marriage, cultural differences, and caring for their daughters. If you like to read about families and cultures and how things connect together, or if you are interested in India, you will want to read this book.

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

Nisha is the daughter of a Hindu father and a Muslim father. This was never a problem for her until 1947, when India obtained independence from Great Britain and was partitioned into two countries based on religion. Suddenly Muslim and Hindu people who were once friends become enemies, and her formerly peaceful city is torn apart. Nisha has a twin brother, Amil, and their mother died giving birth to them. Nisha has trouble expressing herself out loud, but receives a diary for her twelfth birthday where she writes to her mother about the hardships that occur when her family flees to safety. It's a compelling story of survival and family as well as a window into a piece of history that many Americans know nothing about.

Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis

I was so intrigued by this historical fiction graphic novel. It is based loosely on the early years of Queen Elizabeth I, but it is set in an imaginary kingdom of Albion. The heroine is an orphan girl named Margaret. Margaret lives on an island that holds a convent of nuns called the Elysian sisters. Strangers rarely come to the island, but in this story Margaret meets William, who becomes a dear friend, and Eleanor, the exiled queen who longs to take back her throne. The book is complex and the truth about the island (and Margaret) is revealed little by little. When all the threads come together it makes for an action-packed finish. The artwork is varied and lovely, unlike any other graphic novel I have read. Highly recommended for middle school and up.