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Grade Level: 5-7
Shooting Kabul is an intriguing story about a family trying to escape from Afghanistan and eventually return home to reconnect. I chose this book because it provides diversity by allowing students to read about a life that is probably foreign to some. Others may relate to the refugee aspect, and others may learn something completely new about another country and political unrest in other areas of the globe.

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Grade Level: 5-8
Summerlost is an interesting story about a girl who lost her father and brother in a tragic accident. She follows the mysteries of her new town for a book full of intriguing scenes. I chose this book because it describes a family that has faced loss. Although not all of my students will have faced tragedy like this, I wanted them to be able to see that others deal with loss. I also wanted my students who have lost parents or siblings to see themselves in a story, as well.

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Grade Level: 5-6
Four kids from different backgrounds often clash, but when they all qualify for the elite middle school track team, working together brings them together as friends. I chose the book Sunny because it features four different cultures, and it shows how working together with people who are "different" from you can actually result in successes and friendships.

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Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (2009)

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Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (2009)

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Grade Level: 5-7
Return to Sender is an interesting story about a family who must hire migrant Mexican workers. The complexities of this situation play out in this book - are they here legally? How do they balance their Mexican heritage with this new American life? I chose this book because many of the instances described in it favor those of situations I see at home. It is important for students to begin to think about other cultures in a different light.

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The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang (2011)

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The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang (2011)

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Grade Level: 5-6
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu is a relatable story about Lucy & all her plans, and how those plans get messed up when family steps in. I chose this book because it features Lucy Wu, a Chinese main character. I want my students to be familiar with many different cultures, and I want them to be used to other ethnicities being the main characters of the books they read.

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Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks (2016)

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Save Me a Seat by Gita Varadarajan and Sarah Weeks (2016)

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Grade Level: 5
Joe and Ravi come from extremely different backgrounds. Joe comes from a small town, and Ravi comes from India. They may not seem to have anything in common until they have to face a bully together. I chose this book because it shows how different cultures and backgrounds can become best friends.

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Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall (2011)

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Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall (2011)

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Grade Level: 7-9
Lupita is a Mexican American in an immigrant family. She struggles with finding out her mother has cancer, and she is still trying to juggle the stresses of high school. I chose this book because I want my students to be able to either relate or learn about Mexican Americans, and see that students from other cultures face many of the same problems.

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Grade Level: 5-7
Listen, Slowly is a book about a California girl traveling to Vietnam with her grandmother. She learns about her roots while gone on the trip with her grandma. I chose this book because it provides yet another different perspective about heritage and where families come from.

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Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly (2015)

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Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly (2015)

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Grade Level: 5
A Filipino girl named Apple is still trying to find her place in America amongst students who don't know much about her culture. Apple turns to music as an escape, and ultimately music brings her together with her new friends. I chose this book because it features a girl from the Philippines dealing with many of the same problems as students from America. I want my students to either be able to relate, or realize that all students, regardless of background, are trying to find their friends and place in the world.

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The Usual Suspects by Maurice Broaddus (2019)

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The Usual Suspects by Maurice Broaddus (2019)

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Grade Level: 5-8
Thelonius Mitchell fights to remove the label of being a trouble maker throughout this book. I chose this book because I want my students to either be able to relate to the feelings of being instantly labeled, or I want them to learn that culture and skin color is not a definition of what kind of person someone is.

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Ann Fights for Freedom: An Underground Railroad Survival Story by Nikki Shannon Smith (2019)

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Ann Fights for Freedom: An Underground Railroad Survival Story by Nikki Shannon Smith (2019)

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Grade Level: 5-7
Ann is a 12-year-old slave who attempts the underground railroad with her family to try to gain freedom. I chose this book because it provides a student-age perspective of slavery and the fight for freedom.

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Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper (2010)

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Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper (2010)

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Grade Level: 5-8
Melody is a smart, capable girl who deals with cerebral palsy. She strives to prove to the adults and her classmates that she is smart, capable, and worthy of friendship. I chose this book because I want my students to have a better understanding of what a "disability" means and how it does not define someone.

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Grade Level: 5-8
Tortilla Sun is an intriguing story about Izzy who finds a marked up baseball with the words "because magic" written on it. Izzy moves to a small New Mexico village with he grandma where she discovers many untold secrets. I chose this book because it features a Mexican-American girl engaged in an interesting story that could be applied to anyone.

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I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín (2014)

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I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín (2014)

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Grade Level: 6-8
I Lived on Butterfly Hill is a book about Celeste Marconi's life after the turmoil of war takes over her home in Chile. I chose this book because I wanted students to gain a different perspective and better understand what it would be like to live in a war-torn city that was once peaceful.

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Grade Level: 5-7
El Deafo is a fun, informative book about a girl with a large hearing aid. She worries she'll be too different and not fit in, but she finds she is more powerful and strong than she realized. I chose this book to shed light on the fact that some students will seem "different," but they are still humans with personalities. I want my students to be kind and open to all types of people.

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It Ain't So Awful Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas (2016)

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It Ain't So Awful Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas (2016)

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Grade Level: 5-7
It Ain't So Awful, Falafel is a story set in the 1970s about a girl wanting to change her identity and living amidst the conflict with Iran and the US. I chose this book for a couple reasons. 1) It provides a perspective on the other side of the anti-Iran sentiments of the 1970s, and 2) it allows students to read from a different time period than the present.

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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (2014)

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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (2014)

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Grade Level: 5-6
Brown Girl Dreaming is a collection of poems about an African American girl and what it was like growing up in the '60s and '70s. I chose this book because it's another way to teach about the Civil Rights Movement, Jim Crow Laws, and what life was like for African Americans.

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Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia (2015)

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Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia (2015)

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Grade Level: 5-8
Gone Crazy in Alabama is a story about the Gaither sisters and their summer spent in Alabama. They discover family secrets and realize family bonds run deeper than they ever thought. I chose this book because it features an African American family and their family history. I want students to either be able to see themselves in this story or normalize other cultures for students.

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Grade Level: 5-6
The Crossover is a fun, exciting story about Josh Bell and his basketball/family journey. I chose this book because I wanted some of my students to be able to see themselves in this story. I also wanted other students to read and realize many students, regardless of skin color, face the same issues and problems.

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Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan (2000)

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Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan (2000)

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Grade Level: 5-8
Esperanza Rising is a story about a young Mexican girl living with fancy dresses, a large home, and servants. However, when the Great Depression hits, she finds herself living in poverty in a Mexican farm village in California. I chose this book because it provides a journey for students to follow. I want them to see that many people who came to the US to find work did not do so because their lives back home were all bad. I want students to see that life changes for everyone, whether that's for the good or bad.

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Grade Level: 5-7
Wonder is a moving story about a boy, Auggie, with a facial defect. He struggles to find friends when he starts public school. I chose this book because it provides Auggie's perspective as well as the perspectives of his friends and family. I chose this book because I want my students to be kind, compassionate, and make friends with everyone, regardless of looks or backgrounds.