I’m a mixed-race author passionate about amplifying diversity and diverse authors and committed to growing the category of “Upper Middle Grade” for readers who are ready for tough topics but not yet ready for the more socially complex YA category. As an author, I get to spend a lot of time with 5-8th graders when I visit schools, plus, I’m a mother of two (tween and teen), a parent leader in my kids’ schools, and a public education equity activist. These connections give me a close-up view into just how ready and eager this age group is to engage thoughtfully in big discussions.
When eighth grader and aspiring journalist Indigo breaks an important story, exposing an unfair school policy, she's suddenly popular for the first time. The friends who've recently drifted away from her want to hang out again. Then Indigo notices that the school's disciplinary policies seem to be enforced especially harshly with students of color, like her. She wants to keep investigating, but her friends insist she's imagining things.
Meanwhile, Indigo stumbles upon a book by Black journalist and activist Ida B. Wells―with private letters written by Ida tucked inside. As she reads about Ida's lifelong battle against racism, Indigo realizes she must choose between keeping quiet and fighting for justice.
I love how Turtles blends magic, friendship, family, and ecology.
I got swept up immediately in this big topic ecomystery and loved feeling totally immersed in the world of leatherback sea turtles and the beautiful country of Honduras. This story had poignant, emotional moments that actually made me cry a few times, the good kind of crying.
Also—I love dual POV stories, and the two cousins at the heart of this story—Abby and Barana—are both such interesting and distinctly drawn characters. I wanted to be friends with them too!
When poachers threaten the island they love, two girls team up to save the turtles—and each other. An eco-mystery with an unforgettable friendship story at its heart from a fresh new voice in middle grade.
Twelve-year-old Barana lives in a coastal village in Honduras, where she spends every spare minute visiting the sea turtles that nest on the beach.
Abby is feeling adrift in sixth grade, trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs after her best friend moved away from New Jersey.
When Abby’s papi plans a work trip to Honduras, she is finally given the…
This book tackles a big, tough subject: human trafficking; and it’s compulsively readable, which is why it’s on my list.
I love that Dunlap makes this issue accessible to any age reader; it’s a serious book, but it’s also got some really nice less-heavy moments with Julia and her beloved horses and the barn where she volunteers. While I related immediately to Julia’s friendship and social image challenges, I was also deeply grateful for a book that I could give to my tween daughter to add to the ongoing conversation about online safety.
Thirteen-year-old Julia would much rather work with horses at the rescue barn than worry about things like dating and makeup. But when her BFF meets a boy at camp, Julia's determined not to get left behind. After a makeover from her older sister, she posts a picture of herself online and gets a comment from Tyler―a seemingly nice kid who lives across town. As they DM more and more, Julia's sure that Tyler understands her in a way her family never has. Even better, their relationship earns her tons of attention at school.
This stunning, absorbing novel-in-verse is about autistic Sela, who loves poetry and dragons. She’s learning to use her voice and set her own boundaries.
This big topic book really grabbed me and held on; I found myself flying through it, rooting for and connecting with how hard it was for Sela to be heard. Moreover, I appreciated the opportunity to learn about what it’s like to be neurodiverse, and how I can be a better, more understanding ally and friend—that part really mattered to me a lot.
A debut novel-in-verse about understanding and celebrating your own difference. Selah knows her rules for being normal.
This means keeping her feelings locked tightly inside, despite the way they build up inside her as each school day goes on, so that she has to run to the bathroom and hide in the stall until she can calm down. Selah feels like a dragon stuck in a world of humans, but she knows how to hide it.
Until the day she explodes and hits a fellow student.
As her comfortable, familiar world crumbles around her, Selah starts to figure out more…
This Afrofantasy paints a rich, textured world full of fascinating characters, a propulsive plot, and characters I root for.
Honestly, I could recommend this book just because I loved Adia so much—she’s super funny, wry, and sharply observant, which for me is a perfect character trifecta. I really connected to the big topic (and relevant in today’s climate) themes, including an especially poignant moment when Adia is told that being different is part of why she’s a gift to the world and she shouldn’t be ashamed of the things that set her apart from everyone else.
"An immersive, funny, clever fantasy with real emotional depth. I couldn't put it down!" A.F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
"This book is incredible! With a dazzling cast of characters wrapped up in a rich, imaginative afrofantasy world, Adia's thrilling journey will have you eager to turn the next page!" B.B. Alston, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Amari and the Night Brothers
"A spellbinding story of empowerment and liberation...readers of all ages will do well to pick up this first entry in a powerful new fantasy series." Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of…
I knew I was going to love this book the minute the main character, Sicily, learns she’s going to go to a new school at the beginning of middle school.
If you’ve ever been the “new kid,” you will immediately connect to Sicily’s worry about fitting in as well as losing touch with her old friends. This big topic book also layers in other tough subjects as Sicily defends her choice to proudly wear braids—even to her own grandmother, who thinks she shouldn’t be so different from the other kids.
A Black Panamanian, Sicily struggles to honor her race and ethnicity as she teaches her classmates about her culture and identity—a perspective I really appreciated.
From debut author Tamika Burgess comes the captivating and empowering story of Sicily Jordan-a Black Panamanian fashionista who rocks her braids with pride-who learns to use her voice and take pride in who she is while confronting prejudice in the most unexpected of places.
Sicily Jordan's worst nightmare has come true! She's been enrolled in a new school, with zero of her friends and stuck wearing a fashion catastrophe of a uniform. But however bad Sicily thought sixth grade was going to be, it only gets worse when she does her class presentation.
Before becoming an opera singer, I received my Masters in Healthcare Administration and worked in various healthcare settings, from a community health center to a large teaching hospital. I learned first-hand how the best-intentioned clinicians can make mistakes, and how those mistakes can lead to unintended consequences that can harm patients. Although it’s terrifying to think about, the best defense is to self-advocate as much as possible. It’s your body and your decision. Don’t give away your power.
Tyrone the mouse rehearses night and day to improve his singing voice, hoping he’ll earn the spotlight in the opera house where he lives surrounded by animal friends.
Ty secretly practices by hiding in the wings, singing along with the famous tenor, Roland L’Amour. When Roland becomes ill on opening night, Ty sees an opportunity to fulfill his dream. With the royal family in attendance, Ty nervously asks the opera house manager if he might play the lead role.
Although he’s nervous, with the support of his friends Stella, the precocious Persian cat, and Oscar, the mangy mutt, he finds the courage to take the stage and discovers that hard work and friendship can make any dream come true!
Tyrone the Tenor Mouse: The Singing Mouse of the Opera House
Tyrone the Tenor Mouse has a secret wish--to perform in the opera house where he lives with his animal friends, Stella the precocious Persian cat and Oscar the mangy mutt.
Ty learns the music by secretly singing along with a famous tenor named Roland L’Amour. When Roland becomes ill on opening night, Ty sees an opportunity to make his dream come true. With the royal family in attendance, Ty nervously asks if he can play the lead role.
With the support of his friends, he finds the courage to take the stage and discovers that hard work and friendship can…
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