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by Jerry Craft ; illustrated by Jerry Craft with Jim Callahan ‧

Jordan Banks takes readers down the rabbit hole and into his mostly white prep school in this heartbreakingly accurate middle-grade tale of race, class, microaggressions, and the quest for self-identity.

He may be the new kid, but as an African-American boy from Washington Heights, that stigma entails so much more than getting lost on the way to homeroom. Riverdale Academy Day School, located at the opposite end of Manhattan, is a world away, and Jordan finds himself a stranger in a foreign land, where pink clothing is called salmon, white administrators mistake a veteran African-American teacher for the football coach, and white classmates ape African-American Vernacular English to make themselves sound cool. Jordan's a gifted artist, and his drawings blend with the narrative to give readers a full sense of his two worlds and his methods of coping with existing in between. Craft skillfully employs the graphic-novel format to its full advantage, giving his readers a delightful and authentic cast of characters who, along with New York itself, pop off the page with vibrancy and nuance. Shrinking Jordan to ant-sized proportions upon his entering the school cafeteria, for instance, transforms the lunchroom into a grotesque Wonderland in which his lack of social standing becomes visually arresting and viscerally uncomfortable.

An engrossing, humorous, and vitally important graphic novel that should be required reading in every middle school in America. (Graphic fiction. 10-14)

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THE EPIC FAIL OF ARTURO ZAMORA | Kirkus Reviews

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by Jerry Craft ; illustrated by Jerry Craft with Jim Callahan ‧ Jordan Banks takes readers down the rabbit hole and into his mostly white prep school in this heartbreakingly accurate middle-grade tale of race, class, microaggressions, and the quest for self-identity.

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Jordan Banks takes readers down the rabbit hole and into his mostly white prep school in this heartbreakingly accurate middle-grade tale of race, class, microaggressions, and the quest for self-identity.

He may be the new kid, but as an African-American boy from Washington Heights, that stigma entails so much more than getting lost on the way to homeroom. Riverdale Academy Day School, located at the opposite end of Manhattan, is a world away, and Jordan finds himself a stranger in a foreign land, where pink clothing is called salmon, white administrators mistake a veteran African-American teacher for the football coach, and white classmates ape African-American Vernacular English to make themselves sound cool. Jordan's a gifted artist, and his drawings blend with the narrative to give readers a full sense of his two worlds and his methods of coping with existing in between. Craft skillfully employs the graphic-novel format to its full advantage, giving his readers a delightful and authentic cast of characters who, along with New York itself, pop off the page with vibrancy and nuance. Shrinking Jordan to ant-sized proportions upon his entering the school cafeteria, for instance, transforms the lunchroom into a grotesque Wonderland in which his lack of social standing becomes visually arresting and viscerally uncomfortable.

An engrossing, humorous, and vitally important graphic novel that should be required reading in every middle school in America. (Graphic fiction. 10-14)

Did you like this book?

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Jordan Banks takes readers down the rabbit hole and into his mostly white prep school in this heartbreakingly accurate middle-grade tale of race, class, microaggressions, and the quest for self-identity. He may be the new kid, but as an African-American boy from Washington Heights, that stigma entails so much more than getting lost on the way to homeroom.

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The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

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In this poignant, action-packed adventure, 12-year-old Coyote must hoodwink her father, Rodeo, into returning home to Washington…

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Book Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - Teen Librarian Toolbox

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Although I am a weeper by nature, I am not a book weeper. The last book that really left me sobbing what If I Stay by Gayle Forman, until last week. True story: although I adored The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, I didn’t really cry when I finished it. Then, I read […]

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Placing her daughter for adoption left a hole in Grace's heart; her adoptive parents can't fill it, and her birth mother's unreachable-then Grace learns she has siblings.

Maya, 15, a year younger than Grace, was adopted by wealthy parents 13 months before their biological daughter, Lauren, arrived. Joaquin, nearly 18, a survivor of 17 failed foster-care placements and one failed adoption, is troubled when his current foster parents express a wish to adopt him. Grace reaches out, and the siblings soon bond. All-Maya especially, standing out in a family of redheads-are grateful to meet others with dark hair (only Joaquin identifies not as white but Latino) and weird food preferences (French fries with mayo). Still, each keeps secrets. Maya discusses her girlfriend but not her mother's secret drinking; Joaquin edits out his failed adoption; Grace, her pregnancy and daughter's birth. It hurts that her siblings have zero interest in tracking down the mom who gave them away, yet Grace persists. Chapters alternate through their third-person perspectives, straightforward structure and syntax delivering accessibility without sacrificing nuance or complexity. Family issues are neither airbrushed nor oversimplified (as the ambiguous title suggests). These are multifaceted characters, shaped by upbringing as well as their genes, in complicated families. Absent birthparents matter, as do bio siblings: when their parents separate, Lauren fears Maya will abandon her for her "real" siblings.

From the first page to the last, this compassionate, funny, moving, compulsively readable novel about what makes a family gets it right. (Fiction. 13-18)

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Placing her daughter for adoption left a hole in Grace's heart; her adoptive parents can't fill it, and her birth mother's unreachable-then Grace learns she has siblings. Maya, 15, a year younger than Grace, was adopted by wealthy parents 13 months before their biological daughter, Lauren, arrived.

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In the 1960s, Ruthie Mizrahi, a young Jewish Cuban immigrant to New York City, spends nearly a year observing her family and friends from her bed.

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Author Pablo Cartaya & The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

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Meet Jordan Banks | NEW KID by Jerry Craft

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Winner, National Book Awards 2017 for Young People's Literature

Being the middle child has its ups and downs.

But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including-

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she's quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family's long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can't help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he's learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can't hurt anyone but him.

Judges Citation

Far from the Tree is the poignant story of three young people discovering the complicated ways that families love. Grace, Maya, and Joaquin's quest to bond as they search for their biological mother resonates across the many definitions of family. In Benway's able hands, readers feast on a big-hearted and uplifting story about growing up, daring to count on others, and most importantly, having the courage to reveal and embrace our own imperfections

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Far from the Tree - National Book Foundation

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Being the middle child has its ups and downs. But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including-

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Ruth Behar. Penguin/Paulsen, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-399-54644-0

More By and About This Author

Set in 1966, this strongly sketched novel, adult author Behar's first for children, focuses on a 10-year-old Cuban immigrant whose injury forces a prolonged convalescence and rehabilitation. The story begins with Ruthie Mizrahi moving up from the "dumb class" (where she learned English) to the "regular fifth grade class" at her school in New York City. However, a car accident leaves Ruthie so severely injured that she spends almost a year sequestered in her room in a body cast ("My bed is my island; my bed is my prison; my bed is my home"). Readers will get a powerful sense of the historical setting through Ruthie's narration, but the novel is perhaps defined even more by her family's status as immigrants and by its memorable multicultural cast. Some dialogue can ring false ("I am a bit of a hippie. I believe in peace, love, and flower power," explains the tutor sent to work with Ruthie), but Behar successfully juggles several engaging plot threads, and Ruthie's complicated relationship with her mother, given the demands of her care, is especially compelling. Ages 10-up. Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. (Apr.)

Audio book sample courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio

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Children's Book Review: Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar. Penguin/Paulsen, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-399-54644-0

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Ruth Behar. Penguin/Paulsen, $16.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-399-54644-0 More By and About This Author Set in 1966, this strongly sketched novel, adult author Behar's first for children, focuses on a 10-year-old Cuban immigrant whose injury forces a prolonged convalescence and rehabilitation.

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Latest News and Events - North Central Regional Library

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Stay up-to-date on the latest news and information about North Central Regional Library. Here you will also find events such as storytime and book clubs

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After leaving Castro's Cuba in 1966 to join their family in New York, Ruthie's family is involved in a car accident that leaves ten-year-old Ruthie in a body cast. Now she can't do anything but stare at the ceiling and feel sorry for her mother, who was already mourning Cuba and suddenly has to stay inside all the time and care for her daughter. Taking a cue from her friend, Ramu, Ruthie prays to Shiva as well as her Jewish God and, upon learning about Frida Kahlo and her physical travails, adds her into the mix as well. Her real challenge comes, however, when, after ten months in bed, she has to learn to walk again. The diction of her first-person narration is characterized by the careful formality of someone who learned English by the book in the 1960s, and though Ruthie is sometimes frustrated with her situation and angry at the boys who caused the accident, she never fully loses her resiliency or her energy. Readers may need some support to think about the differences between everyday life and medical procedures in the 1960s and today, but Ruthie provides a lot of welcome context for the way her life is structured. She smoothly integrates the layered immigration stories of her grandmother, Ramu's family, her Mexican neighbor, and her own family, giving her story a pleasing accessibility that complements and expands impressions young readers may have of [End Page 400] immigration, urban life, and coming back after tragedy. An author's note reveals the autobiographical basis of the story.

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After leaving Castro's Cuba in 1966 to join their family in New York, Ruthie's family is involved in a car accident that leaves ten-year-old Ruthie in a body cast. Now she can't do anything but stare at the ceiling and feel sorry for her mother, who was already mourning Cuba and suddenly has to stay inside all the time and care for her daughter.

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Book Review: Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar

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Reviewed by Maria Ramos-Chertok DESCRIPTION FROM THE PUBLISHERS: Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro’s Cuba to New York City. Just when she’s finally beginning to ga…

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This story is necessary. This story is important.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is a black girl and an expert at navigating the two worlds she exists in: one at Garden Heights, her black neighborhood, and the other at Williamson Prep, her suburban, mostly white high school.

Walking the line between the two becomes immensely harder when Starr is present at the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, by a white police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Khalil's death becomes national news, where he's called a thug and possible drug dealer and gangbanger. His death becomes justified in the eyes of many, including one of Starr's best friends at school. The police's lackadaisical attitude sparks anger and then protests in the community, turning it into a war zone. Questions remain about what happened in the moments leading to Khalil's death, and the only witness is Starr, who must now decide what to say or do, if anything. Thomas cuts to the heart of the matter for Starr and for so many like her, laying bare the systemic racism that undergirds her world, and she does so honestly and inescapably, balancing heartbreak and humor. With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr's natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family.

This story is necessary. This story is important. (Fiction. 14-adult)

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Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is a black girl and an expert at navigating the two worlds she exists in: one at Garden Heights, her black neighborhood, and the other at Williamson Prep, her suburban, mostly white high school.

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The Hate U Give | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - On the Inspiration Behind the Book

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After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.

Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her-who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves-Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.

This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)

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SLEEPING FRESHMEN NEVER LIE | Kirkus Reviews

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Scott's wacky life always plays out in totally unexpected ways. His excitement to be a freshman, finally, is overturned by the horrible reality where he's whacked on the head on the bus, his spare change is stolen, he's totally ignored by all females and he constantly suffers being the lowliest of the low.

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David Lubar, Author Dutton Books $16.99 (279p) ISBN 978-0-525-47311-4

More By and About This Author

As much an exercise in wordplay and narrative structure as it is a rendition of Freshman year woes, Lubar's (Dunk) story starring Scott Hudson, a brain from a blue-collar background, contains many stock characters and situations associated with high-school initiation. In his first few weeks at Zenger High, Scott gets smacked by Seniors, robbed of his lunch money, ignored by the girl of his dreams and ousted out of his position of youngest member of his family when his mother breaks the news she is pregnant. On the bright side, he has a great Honors English teacher, who encourages Scott to join the newspaper staff and introduces him to some interesting literary devices that Scott practices throughout the novel. Speaking in ""Tom Swifties"" ("" 'I lost my wrists,' Tom said offhandedly"") couplets (""Me dance?/ Fat chance"") and a few different points of view, Scott reports sports news for the school newspaper and, in a series of journal entries, lends advice to his unborn baby brother. While the book does offer some humorous moments and real-life drama (such as when an unpopular classmate attempts suicide), it strains too hard to be clever. Most readers will breathe a sigh of relief when the gimmicks start to fade as Scott tries his hand at conventional journalism. Ages 12-up.

Downloadable Audio - 978-1-933322-99-5

Paperback - 279 pages - 978-0-14-240780-6

Compact Disc - 6 pages - 978-1-933322-52-0

Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-59895-943-7

Prebound-Sewn - 288 pages - 978-0-7569-8003-0

Compact Disc - 978-1-933322-51-3

Open Ebook - 288 pages - 978-1-101-55489-0

MP3 CD - 978-1-5012-3633-4

Compact Disc - 978-1-5012-3748-5

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Children's Book Review: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar, Author Dutton Books $16.99 (279p) ISBN 978-0-525-47311-4

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David Lubar, Author Dutton Books $16.99 (279p) ISBN 978-0-525-47311-4 More By and About This Author As much an exercise in wordplay and narrative structure as it is a rendition of Freshman year woes, Lubar's (Dunk) story starring Scott Hudson, a brain from a blue-collar background, contains many stock characters and situations associated with high-school initiation.

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Two boys, one black and one white, act out an all-too-familiar drama when the former is brutally beaten during an arrest and the latter witnesses it.

Rashad wasn't trying to steal that bag of chips, but Officer Paul Galuzzo beats him to a pulp rather than hear him out. Quinn doesn't know that, but he does know that no one should be treated the way he sees family friend and surrogate father Paul whaling on that black kid. Day by day over the next week, each boy tells his story, Rashad in the hospital, where he watches endless replays of the incident, and Quinn at school, where he tries to avoid it. Soon Rashad's a trending hashtag, as his brother and friends organize a protest he's not sure he wants. Meanwhile, Quinn negotiates basketball practice with his best friend-Galuzzo's little brother, who expects loyalty-and Rashad's, who tells him bluntly, "White boy like you can just walk away whenever you want." In a series of set pieces, Rashad contemplates his unwanted role as the latest statistic, and Quinn decides whether he'll walk away or stand. Reynolds and Kiely supply their protagonists with a supporting cast that prods them in all the right ways; Rashad's strict, ex-cop dad provides unexpected complexity.

If the hands and agenda of the authors are evident, their passion elevates the novel beyond a needed call to action to a deeply moving experience. (Fiction. 12-18)

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Two boys, one black and one white, act out an all-too-familiar drama when the former is brutally beaten during an arrest and the latter witnesses it. Rashad wasn't trying to steal that bag of chips, but Officer Paul Galuzzo beats him to a pulp rather than hear him out.

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ALL AMERICAN BOYS co-authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely on race in America

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A 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature. In this New York ...

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After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.

Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her-who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves-Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.

This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)

Did you like this book?

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After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself. Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street.

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Vande Velde again traps teenagers inside an authentically depicted arcade game-but here she works twists into the premise that are both amusing and crank up the danger. As in User Unfriendly (1991) and Heir Apparent (2002), the game, called "The Land of Golden Butterflies," is manufactured by the shadowy Rasmussem Corp.

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Laugh with the Moon Book Trailer Random House, 2012

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Poetic coming-of-age story deals with abuse, sexual assault. Read Common Sense Media’s The House on Mango Street review, age rating, and parents guide.

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Fantasy becomes reality in an exploration of mental illness based partly on the experiences of the author’s son, who is also the book’s illustrator.

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CHALLENGER DEEP by Neal Shusterman | Official Book Trailer

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Neal Shusterman, Author – “Challenger Deep”

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No Slam Dunk

On sale 11/06/2018
A fast-paced, heartfelt story for basketball fans that proves being a good teammate remains the most important quality in basketball—and in life, from New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica.
Wes' father always told him that there was only one ball in basketball. That you had to know when to take it yourself and when to give it up, that finding the right balance was key. So at every practice and game, Wes tries his best to be a good basketball player and, above all, a good teammate.

As the season kicks off, Wes finds that not everyone on his team has the same idea. All-star player and the Hawks' point guard, Danilo "Dinero" Rey seems determined to hold the spotlight and the ball, even if it means costing his team the game. If Wes is to lead the Hawks to the playoffs, he'll need to find new ways to dish out an assist—even if it means his most important one comes off the court.

In No Slam Dunk, #1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica demonstrates once again that there is no children's sports novelist today who can match his ability to weave a story of vivid sports action and heartfelt emotion. A touching story about teamwork and family, of selfishness and generosity, No Slam Dunk shows that even in the face of adversity, giving your best is the surest way to victory.

Praise for Mike Lupica:

"Lupica is the greatest sports writer for middle school readers."
— VOYA on True Legend

"Lupica will win a Pulitzer for his sportswriting one day (he should have won it already)."
— The New York Times on Heat

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No Slam Dunk A fast-paced, heartfelt story for basketball fans that proves being a good teammate remains the most important quality in basketball-and in life, from New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica. Wes' father always told him that there was only one ball in basketball.