The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

Valentina's father works at a nuclear power plant called Chernobyl, and when the infamous 1986 disaster happens, she must evacuate her city and start a new life with her grandmother and a classmate who was never nice to her back home in Pripyat. The nuclear disaster and its aftermath makes for a fascinating start to the story, but this is also a story of reuniting with family, finding friendship, oppressive governments, anti-semitism, and overcoming great obstacles. I recommend this book to readers from middle school on up--as an adult who was a child in 1986 I thought there was a lot to learn about this incident and about what life was like in the Soviet Union at the time. 

The Golden Girl by Reem Faruqui

 

This novel in verse features Aafiyah, a Pakistani American girl, who plays tennis, loves "weird but true" facts, and has a best friend named Zaina. Aafiyah has a secret, though, and it's one that threatens to end her friendship and get her into some serious trouble. When Aafiyah's father is detained in Dubai and accused of a crime, her formerly easy life becomes more difficult and she gives into the urge to take something that doesn't belong to her. The writing is vivid and the verse style makes for quick reading. However, the ending wraps up a little too neatly and the deeper issue of Aafiyah's need to steal is not explored in a meaningful way. Recommended for elementary readers, but middle school readers could use more depth in its portrayal of a serious mental health issue.