Dropping Beats by Nathanael Lessore

 

Dropping Beats is the rare book for teens that had me laughing out loud multiple times. Growls, a highly confident 13-year-old rapper from South London, is unintentionally hilarious even as things crumble around him. The story opens with a humiliating social media post that leaves him a laughingstock and causes his best friend to disappear from school. Growls feels very much alone until he develops a great friendship with a mysterious neighbor named Siobhan. The story may sound trite (yes, it culminates in a rap battle that has the potential to save the family home), but it's so sweet and clever and funny that I was hanging on every word. Trust me, this is a real gem and I can't wait to get some student feedback on it. Recommended for all middle school libraries. 

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.