Pearl by Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norrie

 

This captivating graphic novel follows a 13-year-old girl from Hawaii to Hiroshima and back again. The year is 1941 and Amy's parents, who are Japanese American, send Amy on a ship to Japan to meet her dying grandmother. Amy's grandma, whom she calls Sosobo, was a pearl diver in her younger years and Amy grows close to her in the months she lives in Japan on her family's farm. But it is 1941, and when Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, the world is at war and Amy can't go back home to Hawaii. Amy soon discovers that America is imprisoning Japanese Americans, including Amy's family. And when the Japanese army finds an American in their midst, they take teenage Amy to spy on American radio broadcasts. So much happens to this young girl, and middle schoolers will be engrossed in Amy's story and they will learn quite a bit about world history, including the atomic bomb that is destined to fall on Hiroshima. This is a quick read with a lot to think about, and one that should be in all middle school libraries. 

Faker by Gordon Norman

 

Gordon Korman's 104th book is another winning middle school story. This time it's about a kid whose dad runs an elaborate scheme in every town they live in. People invest in his sham businesses, and then Trey, his dad, and his little sister leave town in the middle of the night. They always befriend rich people who can afford to be cheated out of their money, so that's how Trey rationalizes the family business, which he is being groomed to take part in on a larger scale. Now they are in a new town and his dad has created a prototype electric vehicle that has everyone wanting to invest in the secretive new company. But Trey is making connections and realizing he doesn't want to run this time. I was unsure how Gordon Korman was going to get them out of this difficult bind--after all, Trey's dad is probably a felon at this point and it wouldn't be a fun ending for him to end up in prison. But as always, Korman manages to keep his endearing characters out of serious trouble while making sure they learn a little lesson along the way. Another Gordon Korman book that will be enjoyed by middle school students.