Kwame Alexander
Ages 8–12
"A bolt of lightning on my kicks, the court is sizzling, my sweat is drizzling. Stop all that quivering, cuz tonight I'm delivering," raps basketball phenom Josh Bell. Thanks to his dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court, with crossovers that make even the toughest ballers cry. But Josh has more than hoops in his blood. He's got a river of rhymes flowing through him -- a sick flow that helps him find his rhythm when everything's on the line. As their winning season unfolds, things begin to change. When Jordan meets the new girl in school, the twins' tight-knit bond unravels. In this heartfelt novel, basketball and brotherhood intertwine to show Josh and Jordan that life doesn't come with a playbook, and, sometimes, it's not about winning. - Jacket flap.
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We keep this on the shelf for race, identity, and seeing yourself on the page — a story kids can feel, not just a lesson adults want to teach.
Ages 8–12. Especially helpful for celebrating the family you have — chosen or given.
Ask: What made someone in this story feel proud of who they are?
Classroom tip: pair a chapter with a short journal prompt — no grades, just honest noticing.
Two titles that deepen the same conversation.
Ages 8–12
LuLu 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.
Ages 8–12
PatinaGhost. 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.
Ages 8–12
As Brave As YouGenie'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.
Ages 8–12
Black Brother, Black BrotherFrom 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.
Ages 8–12
Brown Girl DreamingA New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Red at the Bone, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.
Ages 3–8
Can't sit stillSkipping, hopping, biking, and dancing her way through the seasons of the year, a young girl explores her big-city neighborhood. Exuberant text and art celebrate a child's relationship to her world. Full color.
Ages 8–12
Clean GetawayFasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either. Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home.
Ages 13+
Concrete RoseForced to flee Kurdistan by the Iraqi government, young refugee Mevan travels from country to country seeking safety and feels more and more alone until a stranger's gift changes everything, in this true story and moving reminder of how ...
