Hello bright readers! Here at Integra Youth, we are starting a new series on our blog. Please welcome...Integra Youth’s Monthly Book Recommendations!
The week before the start of each new month, Integra Youth will publish an article containing 6 book recommendations. These will be for: elementary fiction, elementary nonfiction, middle school fiction, middle school nonfiction, high school fiction, and high school nonfiction. Each recommendation will come with a short summary, a quick note from me (the blog writer!) on why I’m recommending the book, and a quick warning for any sensitive topics.
We here at Integra Youth hope to make reading fun and informative. To help spread knowledge and awareness to youth, some of these books will center around social issues and topics that are relevant in today’s society.
For the month of November, Integra Youth has decided to focus on the Black Lives Matter movement and books with characters of colour. Each age grouping will have at least one book recommendation on this topic.
Elementary - Fiction
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Here is a summary of this book from The Children’s Book Review site...
“Seventh-grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?”
New Kid is a middle school graphic novel, although the format makes it easier for elementary-aged students to read it on their own as well. This book introduces young readers to Jordan’s relatable character and his struggles as one of the only kids of colour at his new school. New Kid teaches life lessons on learning to stay true to yourself even when it is hard. Kids will relate to Jordan’s love for art and his hope to fit in with the rest of his school. It teaches a lot about discrimination and bullying, while still being a very enjoyable read. The pictures are stunning and even kids who don’t like to read will find this book engaging. If you or your child is looking for a new book to interest that budding mind, this is the one!
Warnings: discrimination, racism, bullying
Elementary - Nonfiction
Stay Curious! A Brief History of Stephen Hawking By Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer and illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Here is a summary of this book from Indigo...
“As a young boy, Stephen Hawking loved to read, stargaze, and figure out how things worked. He looked at the world and always asked, Why?
He never lost that curiosity, which led him to make groundbreaking discoveries about the universe as a young man. Even being diagnosed with ALS didn’t slow Stephen down. Those questions kept coming. As his body weakened, Stephen’s mind expanded–allowing him to unlock secrets of the universe and become one of the most famous scientists of all time.
Stephen always approached life with courage, a sense of humor, and endless curiosity. His story will encourage readers to look at the world around them with new eyes.”
Stay Curious! is a good book for parents or teachers to read to elementary school students to help inspire curiosity and knowledge in their young minds. This book is also the perfect introduction to STEM topics. Stephen Hawking is an excellent role model for young kids, as he made many amazing discoveries and theories. His struggles with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) can help inspire students and teach them that you can do amazing things even if you are not perfect. This book will help elementary students find a new perspective on learning, knowledge, and never giving up.
Middle School - Fiction
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
“Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic to trouble. All she wants to do is to follow the rules. (Oh, and she’d also like to make it through seventh grade with her best friendships intact, learn to run track, and have a cute boy see past her giant forehead.)
But in junior high, it’s like all the rules have changed. Now she’s suddenly questioning who her best friends are and some people at school are saying she’s not black enough. Wait, what?
Shay’s sister, Hana, is involved in Black Lives Matter, but Shay doesn’t think that’s for her. After experiencing a powerful protest, though, Shay decides some rules are worth breaking. She starts wearing an armband to school in support of the Black Lives movement. Soon everyone is taking sides. And she is given an ultimatum.
Shay is scared to do the wrong thing (and even more scared to do the right thing), but if she doesn’t face her fear, she’ll be forever tripping over the next hurdle. Now that’s trouble, for real.”
The middle school pick for a book with characters of colour, A Good Kind of Trouble, is about a girl named Shayla who spends seventh grade learning more about the Black Lives Matter movement and what it means to use your voice for good. As racism is a very relevant topic today, middle schoolers will learn a thing or two about politics and standing up for what they believe in. This book is targeted towards the younger side of middle school but can still be enjoyable for all ages. They will also be able to relate to our main character as she goes through one of the most confusing years of elementary school, dealing with friendship, boys, and drama in addition to learning how to do the right thing and finding her identity. This book is good for middle schoolers who want to have a relatable protagonist and be inspired to find their voices.
Warnings: racism, police violence, drama
Middle School - Nonfiction
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Here is a summary of this book from Goodreads…
“In 1942, with the Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, the Franks and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annexe” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary, Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and surprisingly humorous, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.”
Anne Frank’s diary is one of the most read documentaries of the World Wars and is an inside look at what it was like for Jewish families during Hitler’s rule. I really enjoyed this book and found myself relating to Anne on so many levels. I rooted for her and hoped desperately that she would make it through the war unharmed, even though I already knew how her story ended. Anne’s views on happiness, family, and love are so raw and authentic for her age. She made it feel as though we, the readers, are in hiding with her, as she shares her deepest desires and thoughts with her diary. This book teaches many important lessons, the main one being to not take life for granted. Many preteens and teens will find themselves relating to the bubbly and outspoken young German teen, wishing that she could have lived to write even more.
Warnings: antisemitism, gun violence, discrimination, death, sickness, bombings, the Holocaust, World Wars
Secondary School - Fiction
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Here is a summary of this book from The Children’s Book Review site...
“Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.”
The Hate U Give is a brilliant and raw book about standing up for what you believe in and refusing to accept discrimination. In the real world, more and more awareness is being brought upon the Black Lives Matter movement and ending discrimination against Black people. The issue of Black men being shot by law enforcers is a very current issue, one that all teens should be aware of. This book is about a Black girl finding her voice and inspiring others around her. This book has such a captivating storyline and I think that everyone who reads it will find a message for themselves within its pages.
Warnings: police shooting, death of a friend, flashbacks to childhood trauma, racism, racial profiling, implied domestic violence, blood
Secondary School - Nonfiction
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Here is a summary of this book from Goodreads…
“Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.
Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.”
This book is very high up on my TBR list. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an autobiography about believing in yourself and overcoming the hardships that get thrown your way, two lessons that I think are very important for teens to learn. This book teaches about the power of literature and the importance of perseverance. It also ties in with this month’s theme of books with characters of colour. Maya Angelou was a writer, poet, lecturer, and activist, whose autobiography revolves around what it was like for her growing up in a world where discrimination was the norm. Angelou shares how she was able to rise above the hate and prejudice, soaring in a world that seemed desperate to see her fall. I think this book will make a good read for anyone looking to feel inspired to rise up to life’s challenges and start living the life you’ve always dreamed of.
Warnings: racism, racial slurs, white supremacy, sexism, rape of a child, sexual assault, alcohol, smoking, physical assault, murder
That's it for November's book recommendations! I hope this list has inspired you to read more books next month. Don't forget to check back during the last week of November to see recommendations for December. Have a wonderful month of reading!
Written by: Nevadha
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