Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead (realistic fiction, grades 6-8)
Boys, cat-ear headbands, and human rights?? How do these three very different things come together? Bridge, Emily, and Tab are best friends and long ago they made a pact: no fighting. Now they are in seventh grade and they are finding themselves growing apart but are not sure what to do about it. Em has suddenly grown curves and has the attention of lots of boys, but especially one boy in particular. Tab joined the Human Rights Club and is especially concerned with how girls are treated. Bridge, with her cat ears, is just trying to make sense of it all, including her new friend Sherm. When Em does something she regrets with Patrick, will Tab and Bridge be there to help her through the mess? Goodbye Stranger has some mature themes and may not be for everyone but the alternating point of views and quality writing make this an excellent choice for many middle school students. Goodbye Stranger is on the 2018 Rebecca Caudill Award list.
Maya's Blanket by Monica Brown and David Diaz (picture book, grades PK-2)
Maya loves her blanket that her abuelita made! It seems almost magical! However, when her blanket gets frayed, Maya and her grandmother make it into a special dress for Maya to wear. After spilling red punch on her dress, Maya and her grandmother make it into a beautiful skirt. The blanket gets made into smaller and smaller items until there is no blanket left. What will Maya do then? This book is inspired by a Yiddish folk song about an overcoat that is made into smaller and smaller items. The story is told in both English and Spanish. The English version contains the Spanish words for each item that the blanket is made in to (with a pronunciation glossary at the back). Maya's Blanket would make a great multi-cultural read aloud. Also, it would be a great read aloud to inspire young students to write their own stories (Maya ends up writing the adventures of her blanket into a book) and to just be creative! Maya's Blanket is on the 2018 Monarch Award list.
Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West by Candace Fleming (biography, grades 5 & up)
What do you really know about Buffalo Bill and the Wild West? William F. Cody really did grow up in the West where he faced many adventures and hardships. He was an army scout, an excellent hunter, and he lead many tours into the "Wild West". Buffalo Bill, has he came to be known, was also an expert storyteller and performer. In fact, he was such a good storyteller that it is often difficult to determine which parts of his life actually happened versus which parts he embellished. Candace Fleming calls out the facts and possible embellishments while telling the exciting life of Buffalo Bill. The book contains many actual photographs and an extensive list of source notes. Presenting Buffalo Bill would be a great read for anyone interested in finding out more about this legendary person!
