Other Boys by Damian Alexander

 

This heartbreaking yet hopeful graphic novel tells the true story of a boy who is bullied for his sexual orientation. Damian is now in seventh grade and is refusing to speak--not to teachers or students or anyone at school. We find out that in addition to a lifetime of taunts and slurs, Damian's mother was killed by his father when he was a baby, and he has lived with that trauma as well as the trauma inflicted on him by other students. The artwork is colorful and bright and the story flashes between the present (seventh grade) and past years and we see how Damian has always been his unique self. Most kids can relate to bullying and how hurtful it can be, and hopefully this honest memoir will build empathy and understanding among young readers. 

The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali

 Amos Abernathy and his best friend, Chloe, volunteer at a living history park. Amos, who is white, and Chloe, who is Black, are joined by a new volunteer, Ben. Amos develops a crush on Ben, but it is not well-received by Ben's conservative family. Along the way the kids realize that many voices are missing from their living history park--including LGBTQ+ and African American voices. They research a new exhibit that will bring in new stories, including the story of Albert D.J. Cashier, a Civil War soldier who may have identified as a trans man if he were living today. The story flips between past and present as the kids plan a project and implement it, and as the tenuous relationship between Amos and Ben is tested. This book about crusading kids would go well with Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino.  

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

 

I Must Betray You takes readers back to 1989 in Communist Romania near the end of the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Christian is a Romanian teenager who is brought into the vast citizen spy network against his will and discovers that no one can be trusted. This is both a gripping thriller of a story and an eye-opening lesson in recent history. Ruta Sepetys is a master of historical fiction for young adults and her books cross over into adult reading as well. There's a lot to learn here and it's easy to see how pervasive and oppressive the regime was in keeping people silent and isolated and helpless. Highly recommend for readers in 7th grade-up. 

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar

The year is 1857 and a 13-year-old girl in India escapes from death on her husband's funeral pyre. Meera runs from her village and all she has ever known, and finds herself a servant in the home of a wealthy British family that is part of the East India Company. Meera's eyes are opened to the oppression and injustice that her country suffers under British colonization and she learns that there are young people resisting the violent rule of the colonizers. I love a book that puts me in another place and time and teaches me about history while I read a compelling story. I can't wait to recommend this book to middle schoolers. 

How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps by Pamela S. Turner

A good middle-school level nonfiction book gives me (a curious adult) a great overview of a subject and leaves me wanting to know more. This gem of a book covers the history of hominins (everyone on the human family tree but not including apes). I found myself wanting to tell people all kinds of facts and new information. Did you know that every living person with ancestors from Europe, Asia, the Americas, or Oceania is 1-2 percent Neanderthal? Did you know that it is only recently that there has only been one species of hominin existing on earth? Denisovans were the last hominin to share the planet with us and we don't know a lot about them. This book takes us back millions of years to Australopith hominins (many of us have heard of "Lucy"), Homo Habilis ("Handy People"), Homo Erectus, on up to Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo Sapiens (us!). Along the way we examine tool making, skull size, fire making, talking, and storytelling. This is the best explanation of evolution that I have ever encountered, and it gave me a mind-boggling view of the long long history of our beautiful and complex earth. Honestly, this is a great read for anyone and it includes lovely artwork, photos, and snarky footnotes. And do not miss the author's note on race among the backmatter. Highly recommended and not just for kids.