Tag Archives: Prejudice

YA – The Story of My Anger

Posted on by

Mendez. Jasminne. The Story of My Anger. Dial Books, 2025. 978-0-593-53187-7. 328 p. $19.99. Grades 7-12.

Yulieta “Yuli” Lopez, is a Black Latinx high school student whose love of theater and poetry keeps her going as she navigates microaggressions and racism in her small Texas town. Yuli avoids the spotlight, preferring not to add to the attention her brother’s activism already brings to their family. Her mother, a widow coping with lupus, encourages Yuli to use her voice and make a difference in the world. At home, she is loved, respected, and admired. At school, Yuli faces systemic bias, especially from her drama teacher who consistently favors white students for lead roles and pressures students of color to alter or hide their natural hair on stage. Yuli can hardly contain her disappointment when the lead role for Our Town goes to Lana, a White girl, even though Yuli nailed her audition. The only place where she can be herself at school is in Mr. Gonzalez’s class. It was Mr. Gonzalez who introduced her to the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf, the first piece of literature that made her feel seen as a Black girl. Yuli is devastated when she discovers Mr. Gonzalez packing up his classroom’s diverse library. The school board has called for a review of his collection to determine if the titles are ‘appropriate’ for students. Suddenly, the anger that has long lived under the surface finds its voice, and Yuli decides to take a stand.

THOUGHTS: Written in verse, Mendez’s book captures Yuli’s emotions and strength and explores how Black girls handle unfair treatment while trying to avoid being reduced to negative stereotypes. This is a must-have for Young Adult collections.

Realistic Fiction
Verse Novel

MG – War Games

Posted on by

Gratz, Alan. War Games. Scholastic Press, 978-1-338-73610-6. $18.99. 368 p. Grades 5-8.

Evie Harris has arrived in Berlin just in time for the 1936 Olympic Games. As an American gymnast, she has the opportunity to see Germany for the first time—complete with its shiny buildings, clean streets, and ominous leader, Adolf Hitler. Little does Evie know: she is competing in Nazi Germany on the brink of World War II. Evie begins to uncover the dark truth about what is happening to Jews, the LGBTQ+ community, and any other people who the Nazis deem undesirable to exist in their society. Evie links up with two other Olympians and a reporter to steal from the Nazis in a dangerous robbery plot. When she begins to stray from this goal to pursue the gold in her Olympic event, she is brought back to the plan with a dire threat. Her choices here will have serious consequences for herself and her new friends. 

THOUGHTS: Alan Gratz offers a fresh sports-fiction take on World War II. Real-life figures like Olympian Jesse Owens and Nazi filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, among others, also become compelling characters in War Games. Gratz’s signature fast pace is present to keep the pages turning, and while the chapters’ perspective is limited to one character, it doesn’t interfere at all with the intense action plot sequences driving the story forward. There are lots of sports scenes to keep readers engaged in Olympic moments, but the book is also rife with real historical events and occurrences during pre-WWII Nazi Germany. Evie witnesses prejudice and injustice against many different groups of people. Young readers still learning about WWII may also be surprised to learn that Hitler was democratically elected by the German people, even after he led the unsuccessful 1923 Beer Hall Putsch plot to overthrow the government. Using the Olympics as a setting was a brilliant choice by Gratz to introduce students to a new historical lens for Germany and WWII. Libraries will not be able to keep War Games on the shelves in the years to come—this is a must-add for any middle-level historical fiction collection, and one of Alan Gratz’s strongest works to date.

Historical Fiction

Evie isn’t like the other girls on the 1936 Team USA gymnastics team. Her family is poor and fled Oklahoma after the devastating the Dust Bowl. She didn’t have the same privileged training as her teammates, and she isn’t part of their in-crowd. But she made it to the Olympics among other top athletes like Jesse Owens, and this is her chance to make an impression and help her family rise out of poverty. With the goal of winning gold so she can become a star in Hollywood, Evie has high hopes. But her situation has caught the attention of others who want to help her strike gold too, only not in the way Evie plans. Amidst the backdrop of Nazi Germany during the Berlin Olympics, Evie is recruited to help rob the Nazis during one of the world’s biggest events. Her slight build, dexterity, and family situation are exactly why the criminals tapped her for what could be the heist of the century. But Evie wants to earn her gold. When things don’t quite go her way and Evie can’t shake her Youth Services Host Heinz, her options are running out to get the gold and help her family. 

THOUGHTS: Gratz’s newest middle grade title will draw in fans of his other historical fiction as well as readers of sports fiction or compelling character driven titles. Though Gratz takes some creative liberties in developing the conflict, young readers will be engaged from the start and root for Evie to make it through every twist and turn. Knowing Gratz’s popularity, this one won’t stay on the shelf long. 

Historical Fiction

Evie is in Berlin, Germany, competing on the US gymnastic team in the 1936 Olympics. Her family lives in California after escaping the Dust Bowl. She hopes that if she wins a gold medal, she can help her grieving family who is living in poverty. A mysterious journalist, aware that Evie has nothing to lose, approaches her about plans to rob a bank with a German weightlifter and French diver. Evie wonders if it is wrong to steal gold from the Nazi bank considering their oppressive actions. In addition to the dangers of the heist, how will she have the time to plan and rob the bank with her busy Olympic schedule and the scrutiny of her Services Host, who she believes is part of Hitler Youth. As she spends time in Germany, she realizes both the city and its people aren’t really what they seem. 

THOUGHTS: The book isn’t just about a bank heist, it tells stories about the oppression of the Nazis. I was fascinated by the details Gratz added about the 1936 Olympics. The section at the back of the book clarifies who and what was real and the elements that Gratz created for the story. The end notes explain that while the Germans pretended to allow Jewish athletes to compete to appease the other countries, only one Jewish competitor was allowed. The book was interesting without the bank robbery plot, but I think my students will enjoy the adventure of the caper.  

Historical Fiction

MG – Radiant

Posted on by

Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux. Radiant. Dutton Books For Young Readers, 2025, 978-0-593-85578-2. $18.99. 320 p. Grades 5-9.

At the beginning of the 1963 school year, Cooper Dale is really struggling with being a Black girl in a vastly White community in Pittsburgh, PA. With references to historical events like the Birmingham church bombing, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the rising fame of The Beatles, readers get to see some of the realities of being a Black family in a predominantly White community in the 1960s. While Cooper tries to navigate fifth grade, being bullied by a well-off student in her class, and having a very strict teacher, she also starts to see the world differently than she had before.  

THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this middle grade novel in verse. I think seeing the empathy that Cooper has for her classmate Wade was really refreshing. This would make a solid addition to any middle level library!

Historical Fiction

YA – Rising From the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire

Posted on by

Yoo, Paula. Rising From the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire. Norton Young Readers, 2024. 978-1-324-03090-4. 368 p. $19.99. Grades 7+.

In the spring of 1992, Los Angeles was thrown into turmoil following a jury’s acquittal of four police officers accused of the vicious beating of Rodney King, a Black man. The city became engulfed in flames, resulting in over a billion dollars in damages. In areas abandoned by law enforcement, clashes erupted between protesters and shop owners, leading to more than 12,000 arrests, 2,400 injuries, and 63 deaths. In Rising from the Ashes, acclaimed author Paula Yoo delves into the experiences of the Korean American community during this turbulent time. She uncovers the deep-rooted racism that contributed to the economic struggles in neighborhoods plagued by drugs and gang violence, highlighting the complex dynamics among the city’s diverse minority groups. The narrative centers on three pivotal figures: Rodney King; Latasha Harlins, a young Black girl tragically killed by a Korean American shopkeeper; and Edward Jae Song Lee, a Korean American who lost his life amidst the chaos. Alongside a comprehensive timeline of the events, the book features perspectives from police officers, firefighters, journalists, business owners, and activists, enriching the understanding of the five-day uprising and its enduring impact.

THOUGHTS: In Rising from the Ashes, Paula Yoo explores a pivotal yet often overlooked period in young adult literature—the aftermath of the Rodney King trial in Los Angeles. Well-written, unbiased, and thoroughly researched, Yoo provides readers with a nuanced look at the complexities surrounding the events of that time, inviting reflection on the lasting impact of racial tensions and the importance of understanding history in shaping our present and future. 

305.800979 Ethnic and National Groups

YA – Kill Her Twice

Posted on by

Lee, Stacey. Kill Her Twice. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-0-593-53204-1. 400 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

In 1932 Los Angeles, Lulu Wong is a rising Hollywood starlet and the pride of Chinatown … until her body is discovered in an abandoned lot. Sisters May and Gemma make the grisly discovery, and quickly notice that law enforcement is less than dedicated to solving the killing of a Chinese American woman, even a famous one. As younger girls, May and Lulu were schoolmates and friends, and May is determined to find out who is really responsible for Lulu’s death. Spunky Gemma is ready to take on the case, too. Their efforts are complicated by trying to keep the family flower business afloat amidst multiple challenges: their father’s hospitalization for tuberculosis, their mother’s pregnancy, and developers threatening Chinatown’s very existence. This murder mystery noir features a compelling mix of Old Hollywood mystique and the not-always-pretty discrimination facing Asian Americans of the era.

THOUGHTS: Kill Her Twice is a solid, atmospheric mystery that moves a little slowly at times. The real star of the show is Stacey Lee’s vivid depiction of Chinatown in the 1930s, a setting so strong it is practically a character!

Historical Fiction
Mystery

This murder mystery set in America’s depression years captures both the pride in and prejudice of Los Angeles’s Chinatown as a corrupt city government plots its demise. It focuses on the Chow family, who are not doing well. For months, Ba is recuperating from tuberculosis in a sanitarium, leaving their meager flower business to the oldest girls, demure May and outspoken Gemma. Twelve-year old Peony takes a reluctant back seat at home with Ma, who is nearing delivery of a new addition to the family. Discrimination toward the well-established Chinese community  is rampant in the corrupt city government and police department coached by the wealthy Fox family, who are spearheading the plans to raze Chinatown to make way for Union Train Station. The Fox family built their fortune on Mrs. Fox’s cosmetics and now are backing their only son’s campaign for a position on the City Council. In the midst of this turmoil, the sisters discover the dead body of their friend, a beautiful rising Asian film star, Lulu Wong. The police are not interested in investigating; they quickly find an unhoused, mentally ill staple of Chinatown, Guitar Man, and pin the murder on him. Meanwhile, Meg and Gemma refuse to let their friend’s death go unavenged. Clever and bold, Gemma makes fearless connections with the inhabitants of the richer side of town, namely, a handsome Caucasian doctor. She pushes May to fight for Lulu and even to get involved in the film in which Lulu was scheduled to star. The older teen girls get a fast education in how dirty and connected city government can be and how spiteful and ambitious people can act. Told in alternating voices of May and Gemma, the author sprinkles their narrative with idiomatic expressions of the thirties and familial Chinese proverbs, making the writing pop with freshness and suspense for the modern reader. As the two main characters unravel the mystery behind the murder, they also find themselves with close bonds and new loves.

THOUGHTS: Kill Her Twice was one of those books that had me yearning for time to read it. Stacey Lee is adept at weaving interesting characterization with historical fact. This time, she puts the reader in 1932 in the old Chinatown of Los Angeles, California, as the city prepares to destroy the community. Though the two protagonists are probably 18 and 21, there is no sex or foul language. Older readers will appreciate the well-crafted characterization of each young woman. Typical of the time, May and Gemma are a bit naive in some respects. When May is chosen to star in Lulu’s original role, she has the opportunity to spy on other actors and people involved in the movie. It does not occur to her that the heartthrob male lead and the male assistant director could be a couple. Of course, given the times and the industry, their attraction was kept under wraps. The headstrong, relentless, and bold moves of both characters will fulfill the strong Asian-American female lead that is exciting to read about.

Historical Fiction  

Elem./MG – Salem Witch Trials

Posted on by

Messner, Kate. History Smashers: Salem Witch Trials. Illustrated by Falynn Koch. Random House, 2024. 978-0-593-70528-5. $12.99. 226 p. Grades 3-6. 

 —. History Smashers: The Mayflower. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Random House, 2020. 978-0-593-12031-6. $12.99. 224 p. Grades 3-6.
—. History Smashers: Women’s Right to Vote. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Random House, 2020. 978-0-593-12035-4. $12.99. 224 p. Grades 3-6.
—. History Smashers:Pearl Harbor. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Random House, 2021. 978-0-593-12037-8. $12.99. 224 p. Grades 3-6.
—. History Smashers: the Titanic. Illustrated by Matt Aytch Taylor. Random House, 2021. 978-0-593-12043-9. $12.99. 224 p. Grades 3-6.
—. History Smashers:The American Revolution. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Random House, 2021. 978-0-593-12046-0. $12.99. 224 p. Grades 3-6.
—. History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics. Illustrated by Faylnn Koch. Random House, 2021. 978-0-593-12040-8. $12.99. 240 p. Grades 3-6.
—. History Smashers:Earth Day and the Environment. Illustrated by Justin Greenwood.   Random House, 2025. 978-0-593-70530-8. $12.99. 240 p. Grades 3-6.
Messner, Kate, and Gwendolyn Hooks. History Smashers: The Underground Railroad. Illustrated by    Damon Smyth. Random House, 2022. 978-0-593-42893-1. $12.99. 224 p. Grades 3-6.
Messner, Kate, and Jose Barreiro. History Smashers: Christopher Columbus and the Taino People. Illustrated by Faylnn Koch. Random House, 2023. 978-0-593-56426-4. $12.99. 224 p. Grades 3-6.

Another volume added to the popular History Smashers series, this one has to do with the Salem Witch Trials. As readers expect, this title is written in the same casual style that matches information with explanation. Messner makes historical facts kid-friendly and appealing, while not stinting on a thorough exploration of the events leading up to the Salem Witch Trials, the reasons given for the girls’ behavior, and the different persons accused. Addressed in chronological order with sufficient background information, Messner presents a primary document and then paraphrases it to make it more accessible for younger readers. Humorous graphics add extra entertainment. Included is a timeline tracing the major points of that period.

THOUGHTS: The History Smashers series is a favorite of many students and this new entry does not disappoint. Coupled with the topic of the Witch Trials, this book offers information and entertainment.

345.74 Criminal law

YA – The Color of a Lie

Posted on by

Johnson, Kim. The Color of a Lie. 2024, 978-0-593-11880-1. $19.99. 336 p. Grades 7–12

It’s 1955, and Calvin and his family are moving from Chicago, Illinois to Levittown, Pennsylvania. While he and his family are Black, they are light-skinned enough to pass for being White. After moving into their new house, Calvin finds himself caught between two very different worlds. The longer Calvin and his family live in their new city, the more racial division and injustice he starts to see.

THOUGHTS: This book was phenomenal. I cannot wait to book talk it when my middle schoolers do their historical fiction novel unit in the fall. While there are historical elements like the Greenbook and redlining within districts it is written in such a way that is super engaging for teen and young adult readers. There also are elements of mystery woven throughout the novel which keeps readers wanting to know more!

Historical Fiction 

After tragedy strikes, Calvin and his family relocate from Chicago, Illinois to Levittown, Pennsylvania in search of a new start. Light skinned enough to pass as white, Calvin and his family must hide their true selves in order to fit into their new neighborhood and town. While his mom’s cooking becomes bland and his dad doesn’t listen to the same music he once loved, Calvin perhaps experiences the greatest burden. Going to an all white school means that Calvin never feels at ease, constantly worried he’s going to slip and blow his family’s cover. When a local Black student from the neighboring school starts attending Heritage (high school), Calvin feels like he’s met someone with whom he can be himself. Emboldened by her bravery, Calvin decides there are some risks worth taking and reconnects with his older brother who lives in a neighboring community. Will getting closer to Lily and Robert risk too much, or can Calvin find a way to balance the two parts of his life. With towns observing sundown laws all over the country, and racially motivated crimes escalating, Calvin has to decide if he’ll remain true to himself or the self everyone around him sees. Watching his tongue and hiding who he really is to “play white” proves to be more difficult than Calvin thought, especially when tragedy threatens to strike again.

THOUGHTS: Known for powerhouse realistic YA novels like Invisible Son (2023) and This Is My America (2020), Johnson transitions to historical fiction with ease. YA readers who enjoy historical titles focused on race and familial relations like Last Night at the Telegraph Club, We Deserve Monuments, The Weight of Blood and historical nonfiction titles like Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice, A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School, and March (trilogy) and Run by Lewis will devour this one and be anxious to learn more. Pennsylvania readers will appreciate that Johnson selected the setting in response to her book This Is My America being challenged in Bucks County (PA) which also has a Levittown. Highly recommended for young adult collections.

MG – Mascot

Posted on by

Waters, Charles, and Traci Sorell. Mascot. Charlesbridge, 2023. 978-1-623-54380-8. 248 p. $17.99. Grades 5-8.

In the greater D.C metro area, eighth grade students grapple over an English assignment where they must debate the pros and cons of indigenous mascots. Callie, one of the students involved, catalyzes the debate project after sharing her original poem. The poem disparages the school’s indigenous mascot and the offensive “tomahawk chants” students perform (and, in turn, must endure) at school sporting events. All perspectives and feelings about this issue are represented. During the course of the multiple-perspective verse novel, each stakeholder develops their argument, and some change their minds in the process. The students are also empowered to take action by addressing the school board.

THOUGHTS: After reading this verse novel in its entirety, I am moved by how Charles Waters and Traci Sorell use diverse character perspectives to artfully build an argument against the use of indigenous mascots. The plot itself takes its time building through exposition because Waters and Sorell use the diverse character perspectives to weave in necessary historical context for middle grade readers. It’s worth the wait. Mascot contains a diverse cast of characters with different opinions about the issue. I was concerned that the teacher in this novel would assign a debate project about such a triggering issue, but my fears were put to rest almost immediately through the novel’s carefully planned development. Recommended as a relevant addition to all middle school realistic fiction collections. 

Realistic Fiction

“What happens when a mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone?” In a middle school just outside of Washington, DC, Ms. Williams, an eighth grade English teacher, assigns students to debate whether or not their school mascot should stay the same or change due to it being perceived as a racist symbol. Following six middle school students: Callie, a Black Cherokee Nation Citizen; Franklin, a football and sneaker loving kid who wants to learn more about his heritage; Priya, who wants to be a journalist; Sean, a student whose family has attended Rye School District for six generations; Tessa, a white student who was previously homeschooled but has ties to social justice activism in the past; and Luis, who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador a few years ago. Written from these students’ point of view, readers dive into the debate on if a Mascot should be changed or if tradition runs deeper.

THOUGHTS: This novel is PHENOMENAL. It does a wonderful job of allowing readers to see both sides of the debate and really think critically about where they fall in regard to the topic. It opens the conversation on why teams like the Washington Commanders changed their mascot a few years ago and that these changes are not made lightly. Overall, this book is HIGHLY recommended for grades 5-8 and the audiobook is narrated beautifully by a full cast.

Realistic Fiction
Novel-In-Verse

MG – Tiger Daughter

Posted on by

Lim, Rebecca. Tiger Daughter. Delacorte, 2023. 978-0-593-64898-8. 181 p. $17.99. Grades 5-8.

As the daughter of two Chinese immigrants, Wen doesn’t always feel like she fits in at her Australian public school. At home, Wen is expected to obey her father, Jin, at all times. He also expects Wen’s mother to be a polished, quiet stay-at-home wife. At school, Wen makes friends with Henry, also a son of Chinese immigrants, and together they begin to prepare for a special examination—a passing score would ensure entrance into the prestigious school across town. The stakes are incredibly high for both young people. Before the examination, a horrible tragedy strikes Henry’s family, and afterward, Wen must help Henry find his inner strength to survive. Wen’s father, Jin, does not want to help and forbids Wen from assisting Henry or his father. Wen and her mother both have to find the courage to help Henry’s family and rise above the expectations placed upon them, even if that means disobeying and enraging Jin.

THOUGHTS: Tiger Daughter is a strong story of resilience, family, grief, and coming-of-age as a young female immigrant. Wen and Henry’s family dynamics are each written with realism and nuance. Domestic abuse, spousal control, sexism, toxic masculinity, prejudice, and mental health issues all are explored truthfully through the book’s characters. Rebeccca Lim writes with a clear understanding of clashing cultural spheres having lived her own immigrant experience as well. The book has a hopeful and satisfying ending for middle school readers without being saccharine. At under 200 pages, this quickly-read piece of realistic fiction packs a powerful punch. Tiger Daughter will be a great companion text to titles written by Kelly Yang and Rex Ogle, and it is recommended as an excellent addition to any middle school library. 

Realistic Fiction

MG/YA – Gallows Hill

Posted on by

Ruby, Lois. Gallows Hill. Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, 2023. 978-1-728-43102-4. 208 p. $19.99. Grades 7-12.

Gallows Hill is a fictionalized story of the Salem Witch Trials as told from the alternating perspectives of Patience and Thomas, two teens living during the 1692 height of hysteria. Patience aims to live up to her name, but when her own sister, Abigail, becomes “afflicted” and begins to accuse a local elderly widow, Prudence Blevins, of being a witch, Patience doesn’t know who to believe. Patience knows many women and men are being arrested in Salem—even a five-year-old child, Dorothy, is among the accused of witchcraft. Unlike Patience, who has lived in Salem her whole life, Thomas and his sister Grace are newcomers to Salem Village. Grace and Thomas are only trying to make a life for themselves after their strenuous trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Being of Quaker faith makes Thomas and Grace outcasts among their new Puritan neighbors. After Thomas is also arrested, he must fight against the odds to survive being swept up in the madness and sent to Gallows Hill.

THOUGHTS: This story is a compelling and well-researched fictional account of what it may have been like to grow up during the time of the infamous Salem witch trials. Ruby includes historically accurate diction (using phrases like Goody and Goodman), and she balances it with clear dialogue and short chapters to make this book accessible for middle school readers. While other middle grade and YA witch-trial related fiction often ventures into supernatural or fantasy genres, Gallows Hill stays true and realistic to the time. Strong sensory details placed throughout the story will bring the abysmal prison cells and Salem village itself to life for readers. Ruby also offers historical explanations, theories, and book discussion questions in the book’s endpapers. Recommended as an addition to middle school historical fiction collections.

Historical Fiction