Outsider Kids by Betty C. Tang

 

I wasn't expecting to love this book even more than Parachute Kids, but the continuing story of the Lin siblings is even more compelling in Outsider Kids. A snooty cousin moves in with the siblings and upends their lives in ways they couldn't anticipate. Big sister is trying to get into college, older brother is grappling with his identity, and Feng-Li discovers that one impulsive act could upend their whole lives. I was totally engaged in the story and shocked at more than one plot twist. I cannot help but put myself in these kids' shoes, and I know that my middle schoolers do the same. We relate to these characters and we sympathize with the precarious situation they are in as parachute kids in the United States. Recommended for all middle school collections.