This Librarian's Quick Picks: The Stars Beneath Our Feet

The Stars Beneath Our Feet
by David Barclay Moore
Knopf (2017)
Realistic Fiction

What It's About:

It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t celebrating. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-related shooting just a few months earlier.

Why You'll Love It:

• These characters are vibrantly alive, reconstituting the realness that is needed to bring diverse, complicated stories to the forefront of our shelves.
• Moore delivers a realistic and at times brutal portrait of life for young people of color who are living on the edge of poverty, while at the same time infuses the story with hope and aspiration, giving Lolly the chance to find salvation through creativity.
• The cover art. Seriously.

Who Should Read It:

Great for 6th-8th graders. Also, here's an interview with author Moore.

What Else You Should Read:

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• Into the Dangerous World by Julie Chibbaro
• Finding Mighty by Sheela Chari

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Armstrong & Charlie

Armstrong & Charlie
by Steven B. Frank
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2017)
Historical Fiction

What It's All About:

Charlie isn't looking forward to sixth grade. If he starts sixth grade, chances are he'll finish it. And when he does, he'll grow older than the brother he recently lost. Armstrong isn't looking forward to sixth grade, either. When his parents sign him up for Opportunity Busing to a white school in the Hollywood Hills, all he wants to know is "What time in the morning will my alarm clock have the opportunity to ring?" When these two land at the same desk, it's the Rules Boy next to the Rebel, a boy who lost a brother elbow-to-elbow with a boy who longs for one.

Why You'll Love It:

• Period details from the ’70s and hilarious dialogue will draw readers in from the very first pages.
• Armstrong and Charlie is a must read for middle grade students who are trying to figure out their own place in the world, since that's exactly what these characters are trying to do. 

Who Should Read It:

Great for 5th-8th graders...also check out this activity kit from the publisher.

What Else You Should Read:

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• Countdown by Deborah Wiles
• Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Unbound

Unbound
by Ann E. Burg
Scholastic (2017)
Novel in Verse/Historical Fiction

What It's All About:

The day nine-year-old Grace is called to work in the kitchen in the Big House, everyone warns her to to keep her head down and her thoughts to herself, but the more she sees of the oppressive Master and his hateful wife, the more she questions things until one day her thoughts escape--and to avoid being separated she and her family flee into the Dismal Swamp, to join the other escaped slaves who live there.

Why You'll Love It:

• I've discovered that there's a big niche for novels in verse at my school. Kids love the format and the quick pace of the writing. 
• The cadences offer excellent choral reading possibilities and a glimpse into the little-known existence of covert slave communities in the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia and North Carolina during slavery years.
• Providing strong suspense and vivid imagery, the survival tale conveys the terror and dehumanization of slavery, a girl’s courage and growing sense of self amid terrible odds, and a family’s binding love and unyielding spirit. 

Who Should Read It:

Great for 4th-8th graders.

What Else You Should Read:

• Serafina's Promise by Ann Burg
• Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor
• Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Overturned

Overturned
by Lamar Giles
Scholastic (2017)
Mystery Fiction

What It's All About:

Nikki Tate's father has been on death row for killing his best friend in a gambling dispute, but he has always maintained his innocence, and now his conviction has been overturned and he is back at the casino, where high school junior Nikki has been operating illegal poker games in the hopes of saving enough money to get out of Vegas after graduation--and now he is determined to find the real killer, and Nikki is inevitably drawn into his dangerous search for the truth.

Why You'll Love It:

• A fast-paced, compelling mystery and memorable characters and relationships make this selection a first choice.
• The mystery never feels forced and seems to flow naturally, gaining momentum as Nikki peels away each layer until everything is ultimately revealed.
• Racial elements at play - the Tates are black while their rivals, the Carlinos, are white - hover in the background, adding another layer to Giles's murder mystery.

Who Should Read It:

Perfect for 7th grade and up.



What Else You Should Read:

• Endangered by Lamar Giles
• Con Academy by Joe Schreiber
• Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Lillian's Right To Vote

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
by Jonah Winter
illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Schwartz & Wade (July 14, 2015)
Historical fiction picture book

Summary:

As Lillian, one-hundred-years old, walks to the polls, she remembers “the long haul up that steep hill” that her African American ancestors climbed to achieve U.S. voting rights.

Why You'll Love It:

• This powerful historical picture book dovetails very nicely with social studies standards, making it a great pick for both librarians and teachers. 
• An author’s note provides historical context, including information about the woman who inspired Lillian (Lillian Allen, who in 2008 at age 100 voted for Barack Obama).
•  Although the book is a celebration of how far we have come, it also ends with a warning that rights are threatened by a 2013 Supreme Court decision.

Who Should Read It:

Grades 2 and up.

What Else You Should Read:

• Grandaddy's Turn by Michael S. Bandy
• I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Public School Superhero

Public School Superhero
by James Patterson/Chris Tebbetts
illustrations by Cory Thomas
Little, Brown Books (March 16, 2015)
Chapter Book

Summary:

In Kenny Wright's active imagination he's a world famous superhero, but in the real world he's a sixth grade 'Grandma's Boy' whose struggles to fit in at his Washington D.C. inner city school will put his grades and family loyalty to the test.

Why You'll Love It:

• Students already familiar with the Middle School and I Funny series will welcome a new Patterson book.
• Underlying the humor is a commentary on inner-city schools, a subsection of our educational system plagued by budget cuts, principal-hopping and a society that may have written them off entirely.
• Kenny is African American and his classmates include kids from a rich and realistic diversity of racial and ethnic backgrounds, adding to the overall appeal of this novel.

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 5 and up ...and here's a book trailer.



What Else You Should Read:

• I Funny Series by James Patterson
• The Zero Degree Zombie Zone by Patrik Henry Bass
• Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce

This Librarian's Quick Picks: EllRay Jakes Rocks the Holidays!

EllRay Jakes Rocks the Holidays!
by Sally Warner; illustrations by Brian Biggs
Viking Books (October 16, 2014)
Chapter Book

Summary:

Third-grader EllRay dreads the upcoming Winter Wonderland school assembly in which he must emcee and sing "Jingle Bell Rock."

Why You'll Love It:

• I know I'm always looking for more holiday-themed chapter books. The kiddos can't get enough of them!
• I love that the main character is someone my boys can relate to.
• The quick pace, authentic dialogue, and cartoon illustrations scattered throughout are great for reluctant readers who need that extra nudge to get started on a great series.

Who Should Read It:

Perfect for grades 2-4...and here's the curriculum guide! 

What Else You Should Read:

• Other books in the EllRay Jakes series
• Zero Degree Zombie Zone by Patrik Henry Bass

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Zero Degree Zombie Zone

The Zero Degree Zombie Zone
by Patrik Henry Bass
Scholastic (Aug. 26, 2014)

Summary:

Fourth-grader Bakari Johnson is having a really bad day--class bullies Tariq and Keisha are mad at him, his best friend Wardell has nominated him for hall monitor, a pack of ice zombies from a frozen world are demanding he return the magic ring that Keisha has, and somehow he has to find a way to save the school.

Why You'll Love It:

• Kids will enjoy this school story that includes familiar details such as class elections and library time, while offering an exciting sci-fi twist.
• A fun middle-grade fantasy featuring African American characters.
• Zombie-fighting action will keep readers engaged.
• Jerry Craft’s expressive, bold-lined illustrations complement the story.

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 3-6.

What Else You Should Read:

• For more great chapter books with diverse main characters, try the STAT series or the EllRay Jakes series. 
• For great zombie fantasy, try Zombie Baseball Beatdown.