Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer

 

Ezra Cloud is a Native kid living in the city. He hates it there but his dad is a professor of Ojibwe language with a job in Minneapolis. Ezra would rather be in Canada with his grandparents learning their skills in nature. When Ezra has a run-in with Matt Shroeder, a notoriously troubled bully, Ezra becomes a suspect in a fire that destroys Matt's house and kills his family members. Ezra's family sends him north to work a trapline with his grandfather while the investigation plays out, knowing that an Indian teenager may not get fair treatment from the law. This book grabs your attention from the first page, makes you fall in love with Ezra and his grandparents, then catapults you into an outdoor survival story, then brings you back to the original murder mystery. It's a great story with so much to learn along the way. The audiobook read by the author is excellent, and it will help readers to hear the Ojibwe words spoken. It's a true coming of age story about a young teen finding his culture, learning about his mother, seeing his grandparents as full people, finding first love, facing mortal danger, and reconciling with his father. Beautifully written and insightful and a really great story. Highly recommended for 7th graders on up and also for adults.  

Westfallen by Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares

 

Imagine if your actions today could change absolutely everything about the society you live in. Henry, Frances, and Lukas are three modern kids who find an old radio that allows them to communicate with kids 80 years in the past. They realize they are in the same shed in the very same back yard, and that there are ways they can send items back and forth. The kids in the past want to save their local candy store, but they also want to know the outcome of World War II, which is still very much uncertain. Even the most careful conversation can lead to dramatic changes in the future, and when the outcome of the war changes, Henry, Frances, and Lukas have just a few days to reverse the changes and restore the United States of America. This book keeps you guessing up to the end, teaches lots of history lessons, and makes you want to immediately pick up the sequel. Highly recommended for 5th-7th grades. 

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

Kaylani is spending a few weeks on Martha's Vineyard with family friends when a local teenager goes missing. When it is determined that his death was not accidental, Kaylani realizes that she may have some knowledge of the events leading up to the murder. Kaylani is living with a snooty and not very welcoming family that is part of the Black community on Martha's Vineyard, and it becomes clear that they are hiding some secrets. Kaylani is most interested in communicating with her father who is in prison for financial crimes he may or may not have committed, and her father's status affects how people perceive her on the island. Readers will relate to Kaylani and her outsider status. Murder mysteries are in high demand in middle schools, and this is a fine selection for 6th and 7th graders (or even younger students). It does not have the edginess of a YA murder mystery but the ending will likely surprise readers and its shorter page count and beautiful cover will draw students in.