Kwame Mbalia
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
Ages 8–12
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia's epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods.
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Why this book
A kid who looks like this should not have to hunt the shelf.
Who it's for
Ages 8-12. Home, or the classroom rug.
Conversation starter
What made someone in this story proud of who they are?
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Chapter break. One true sentence about what just happened. Not a summary.
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Pair with
Two titles that deepen the same conversation.

Ages 8–12
A Good Kind of TroubleLisa Moore Ramée
From debut author Lisa Moore Ramée comes this funny and big-hearted debut middle grade novel about friendship, family, and standing up for what’s right, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give and the novels of Renée Watson ...

Ages 8–12
As Brave As YouJason Reynolds
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.