Santiago’s Road Home
Santiago’s Road Home By Alexandra Diaz Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books ISBN-13: 9781534446236 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…a Dickensian tale of children who become “Dreamers” in search of a new life in the United States.” —School Library Connection Description The coins in Santiago’s hand are meant for the bus fare back to his abusive abuela’s house. Except he refuses to return; he won’t be missed. His future is uncertain until he meets the kind, maternal María Dolores and her young daughter, Alegría,...
Read MoreWhat If a Fish
What If a Fish By Anika Fajardo Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers ISBN-13: 9781534449831 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat Figuring out how to be a true colombiano might be more difficult than he thought. Description Half-Colombian Eddie Aguado has never really felt Colombian. Especially after Papa died. And since Mama keeps her memories of Papa locked up where Eddie can’t get to them, he only has Papa’s third-place fishing tournament medal to remember him by. He’ll have to figure out how to be more Colombian on his own. As if by...
Read MoreWhen Stars Are Scattered
When Stars Are Scattered By Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed Illustrated by Iman Geddy Published by Penguin Young Readers Group ISBN-13: 9780525553908 Age Range: 9+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “This engaging, heartwarming story does everything one can ask of a book, and then some.” —Kirkus Reviews Description Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So...
Read MoreKarma Khullar’s Mustache
Karma Khullar’s Mustache By Kristi Wientge Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers ISBN-13: 9781481477710 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Karma Khullar—half Indian, half white; half Sikh, half Methodist—is starting sixth grade, and she’s pretty sure that the universe is against her.” —Publishers Weekly Description In the tradition of Judy Blume, debut author Kristi Wientge tackles the uncomfortable—but all too relatable—subject of female body hair and self-esteem with this “sparkling and triumphant tale of a middle...
Read MoreWhen Wings Expand
When Wings Expand By Mehded Maryam Sinclair Published by Kube Publishing Ltd ISBN: 9780860374992 Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A 12-year-old Canadian Muslim girl chronicles the death of her terminally ill mother and her slow healing.” —Kirkus Reviews Description She wrapped her arms around me and said, “Nur! I know. I don’t want to go. But all I can do is keep trusting in Allah. Nur, I will always be with you! My love and advice will always be with you to guide you in the right direction.” She patted my heart....
Read MoreGrandpa’s Stories
Grandpa’s Stories By Joseph Coelho Illustrated by Allison Colpoys Published by ABRAMS ISBN-13: 9781419734984 Age Range: 4+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “This lyrical tale of love, change, loss, and the healing power of art and memory will move readers of all ages.” —Kirkus Reviews Description One young girl reflects on a year with her beloved grandpa. She remembers the fields and parks they explored in the springtime and the old toys they fixed up in the summer. She remembers the handmade gifts they exchanged in the fall and the stories Grandpa...
Read MorePatron Saints of Nothing
Patron Saints of Nothing By Randy Ribay Published by Penguin Young Readers Group ISBN-13: 9780525554912 Age Range: 14+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Part mystery, part elegy, part coming of age, this novel is a perfect convergence of authentic voice and an emphasis on inner dialogue around equity, purpose, and reclaiming one’s lost cultural identity.” —School Library Journal Description Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers...
Read MoreLaila and the Sands of Time
Laila and the Sands of Time By Shirin Shamsi Published by Clear Fork Media Group LLC ISBN-13: 9781946101778 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “With an up-close depiction of the intersection of the LGBTQIA+ community with Bengali culture, this hard-hitting and hopeful story is a must-purchase for any YA collection.” —School Library Journal Description Thirteen-year-old Laila, still grieving over her father’s death, goes on their planned pilgrimage with her aunt and uncle. When she is transported back in time to 7th century Arabia, she...
Read MoreI’m Ok
I’m Ok By Patti Kim Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers ISBN-13: 9781534419292 Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat A work of heavy, realistic fiction told with oddball humor, honesty, and heart. —Kirkus Reviews Description Ok Lee knows it’s his responsibility to help pay the bills. With his father gone and his mother working three jobs and still barely making ends meet, there’s really no other choice. If only he could win the cash prize at the school talent contest! But he can’t sing or dance, and has no magic up his sleeves, so he tries...
Read MoreBlackbird Fly
Blackbird Fly By Erin Entrada Kelly Illustrated by Betsy Peterschmidt Published by HarperCollins Publishers ISBN: 9780062238627 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Children’s literature has been waiting for Apple Yengko—a strong, Asian-American girl whose ethnic identity simultaneously complicates and enriches her life.” —Kirkus Reviews Description Apple has always felt a little different from her classmates. She and her mother moved to Louisiana from the Philippines when she was little, and her mother still cooks Filipino foods and...
Read MorePie in the Sky
Pie in the Sky By Remy Lai Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) ISBN-13: 9781250314109 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Two brothers navigate a new country, a new language, and grief through cake.” —Kirkus Reviews Description Sometimes life isn’t a piece of cake . . . When Jingwen moves to a new country, he feels like he’s landed on Mars. School is torture, making friends is impossible since he doesn’t speak English, and he’s often stuck looking after his (extremely irritating) little brother, Yanghao. To distract himself from...
Read MoreThe Grief Keeper
The Grief Keeper By Alexandra Villasante Published by Penguin Young Readers Group ISBN-13: 9780525514022 Age Range: 12+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat Villasante builds her novel about undocumented immigrants into a suspenseful story with credible relationships, satisfying character development, and elements of science fiction. —Publishers Weekly Description Seventeen-year-old Marisol has always dreamed of being American, learning what Americans and the US are like from television and Mrs. Rosen, an elderly expat who had employed Marisol’s mother as a maid....
Read MoreThe Roses in My Carpets
The Roses in My Carpets By Rukhsana Khan Illustrated by Ronald Himler Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Limited ISBN-13: 9781550050691 Age Range: 6+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A young Afghan describes his grim life in the refugee camp where he lives with his mother and younger sister.” —School Library Journal Description For a young refugee living with loss and terror-filled memories, time is measured by the next bucket of water, the next portion of bread, and the next call to prayer. Here, where everything – walls, floor, courtyard...
Read MoreThe Yellow Suitcase
The Yellow Suitcase By Meera Sriram Illustrated by Meera Sethi Published by Penny Candy Books ISBN-13: 9780999658413 Age Range: 6+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A thoughtful story that artfully addresses the loss of a grandparent from an immigrant perspective.” —Kirkus Reviews Description In The Yellow Suitcase by Meera Sriram, Asha travels with her parents from America to India to mourn her grandmother’s passing. Asha’s grief and anger are compounded by the empty yellow suitcase usually reserved for gifts to and from Grandma, but when she discovers a...
Read MoreEducator’s Guide on Cross-Group Friendship & the Syrian Refugee Crisis
The I’m Your Neighbor team was honored to partner with Louise El Yaafouri of Refugee Classroom on an extensive guide to help you teach and share the acclaimed middle grade novel, Nowhere Boy. While visiting her family in Saida, Lebanon, Louise added ELL and Enrichment Modifications, Teaching Resources on the Syrian War, and more to the extensive classroom and reader discussion guide. Each of these resources are driven by the project’s guiding question, “If a global crisis is a collection of thousands of personal stories, what do we all gain from knowing those stories and...
Read MoreThe Astonishing Color of After
The Astonishing Color of After By Emily X. R. Pan Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ISBN: 9780316463997 Age Range: 12+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Pan’s emotionally charged debut is a compelling exploration of grief and the insidiousness of depression.” —Publishers Weekly Description Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird. Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined...
Read MoreDarius the Great Is Not Okay
Darius the Great Is Not Okay By Adib Khorram Published by Penguin Young Readers Group ISBN-13: 9780525552963 Age Range: 12+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…layered with complexities of identity, body image and mental illness that are so rarely articulated in the voice of a teenage boy of color.” —The New York Times Book Review Description Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s a Fractional Persian—half, his mom’s side—and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his...
Read MoreKiki and Jacques: A Refugee Story
Kiki and Jacques: A Refugee Story By Susan Ross Published by Holiday House ISBN-13: 9780823441808 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “When a few Somali families relocate to Jacques’s neighborhood, their presence is noticed, but not appreciated by everyone.” —Publishers Weekly Description Life could be better for twelve-year-old Jacques. His mother just died, his father is jobless, and his grandmother’s bridal store is on the verge of closing. At least he can look forward to the soccer season—after all, he’s a shoo-in for captain. But the...
Read MoreThe Only Road & El único destino
The Only Road By Alexandra Diaz Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books ISBN-13: 9781481457507 (Hardcover) ISBN-13: 9781481457514 (Paperback) Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat El único destino ISBN-13: 9781481484411 (Hardcover) ISBN-13: 9781481484428 (Paperback) PURA BELPRÉ HONOR BOOK ALA NOTABLE BOOK Description Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead. Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful...
Read MoreThe Crossroads & La encrucijada
The Crossroads By Alexandra Diaz Published by Simon & Schuster/ Paula Wiseman Books ISBN: 9781534414556 La encrucijada ISBN-13: 9781534414556 (Hardcover) ISBN-13: 9781534429901 (Paperback) Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…paints an insightful, realistic picture of a place that’s filled with opportunity but simultaneously rife with discrimination…” —Booklist Description After crossing Mexico into the United States, Jaime Rivera thinks the worst is over. Starting a new school can’t be that bad. Except it is, and not just because he can...
Read MoreWEAR YOUR WELCOME
