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Cover of Sunny

Jason Reynolds

Sunny

Ages 8–12

Sunny, the Defenders' best runner, only runs for his father, who blames Sunny for his mother's death, but with his coach's help Sunny finds a way to combine track and field with his true passion, dancing.

$7.99$9.99

Prices are indicative. Final price is set by the retailer at checkout.

Why this book

We keep this on the shelf for disability and belonging — a story kids can feel, not just a lesson adults want to teach.

Who it's for

Ages 8–12. Especially helpful for opening honest conversations about disability and inclusion.

Conversation starter

Ask: What helped someone in this book feel included — and what got in the way?

Try this

Classroom tip: pair a chapter with a short journal prompt — no grades, just honest noticing.

Pair with

Two titles that deepen the same conversation.

Cover of As Brave As You

Ages 8–12

As Brave As You

Genie's summer is full of surprises. The first is that he and his big brother, Ernie, are leaving Brooklyn for the very first time to spend the summer with their grandparents all the way in Virginia. The second surprise comes when Genie figures out that their grandfather is blind. Genie thinks Grandpop must be the bravest guy he's ever known, but he starts to notice that his grandfather never leaves the house. And when he finds the secret room that Grandpop is always disappearing into, he begins to wonder if his grandfather is really so brave after all.

$8.99$10.99
Cover of Black Brother, Black Brother

Ages 8–12

Black Brother, Black Brother

From NYT bestselling author Jewell Parker Rhodes, another poignant and gripping story about how children and families face the complexities of race and racism in today's world.

$8.99$10.99

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Cover of Lu

Ages 8–12

Lu

Lu must learn to leave his ego on the sidelines if he wants to finally connect with others in the climax to the New York Times bestselling and award-winning Track series from Jason Reynolds. Lu was born to be cocaptain of the Defenders.

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Ages 8–12

Patina

Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team - a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Patina, or Patty, runs like a flash. She runs for many reasons: to escape the taunts from the kids at the fancy-schmancy new school she's been sent to since she and her little sister had to stop living with their mom. She runs from the reason why she's not able to live with her 'real' mom anymore: her mom has The Sugar, and Patty is terrified that the disease that took her mom's legs will one day take her away forever. So Patty's also running for her mom, who can't. As the stress builds up, it's building up a pretty bad attitude as well.

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Ages 8–12

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