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There are ninety-six reasons why thirteen-year-old Genesis dislikes herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list:
-Because her family is always being put out of their house.
-Because her dad has a gambling problem. And maybe a drinking problem too.
-Because Genesis knows this is all her fault.
-Because she wasn’t born looking like Mama.
-Because she is too black.

Genesis is determined to fix her family, and she’s willing to try anything to do so…even if it means harming herself in the process. But when Genesis starts to find a thing or two she actually likes about herself, she discovers that changing her own attitude is the first step in helping change others.  Simon & Schuster

Winner of the 2019 Newbery Medal, this coming-of-age tale by New York Times best-selling author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family. Penguin Random House

Front Desk is based on author Kelly Yang’s life. In the story, fifth grader Mia Tang lives and works with her Chinese immigrant parents at the Calivista Motel. This story details the families first year and the obstacles Mia faces but perseveres. Family, resilience, bias, bullying, community, diversity,

The importance of friends helping individuals deal with life's hardships is shown through the friendship between Crenshaw and Jackson.

For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family. Goodreads

Inside Out and Back Again is a #1 New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award!

Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. And even though Delphine must look after her sisters during a summer trip to California to visit Cecile. When they arrive on the West Coast, their mother decides that they will attend a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, the three sisters learn much about their family, their country, and themselves. Scholastic

 Newbery Honor novel
Coretta Scott King Award winner 
Scott O'Dell Award winner for Historical Fiction

Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms and struggles with Aspergers. She’s named her beloved dog Rain (name with two homonyms). No one understands her obsessions and rules, including her teachers and single father. When her dog goes missing during a bad storm, Rose goes off to find him. The story is told from Rose’s point of view.

New York Times-bestselling middle grade novel

Sequel to One Crazy Summer, The Gaither sisters continue to tell a story from their point of view. The historical novel, set in the 1960s, features vivid characters, insight into family relationships, and a strong sense of place.

Coretta Scott King Award

Raymie and her new friends, Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski, have all lost parents and seek ways to move on with their lives and to protect one another along the way. Tense, dramatic conclusion. 

Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood.