BLACK BROTHER, BLACK BROTHER by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Donte attends Middlefield Prep. His older brother goes there, too, but life at school is quite different for the two brothers. Donte's brown skin and black dreads earn him taunts and the nickname "Black Brother." 

Donte looks like his mother while Trey looks like their white father. Being brothers of a bi-racial couple is definitely a challenge. Trey fits right in as a talented athlete and an excellent student. Donte does well in school, but he isn't particularly interested in sports, and he gets blamed for anything that goes wrong.

When a pencil is thrown in one of his classes and hits one of the popular girls, Donte gets the blame. He ends up in the principal's office which results in a suspension, handcuffs, and a trip to jail. The experience is traumatic. Donte sees first hand the plight of many black, young men who become trapped in a legal system out to get them.

While suspended, Donte wanders into a local Boys and Girls Club. He meets Arden Jones, a former Olympic fencing champion. Donte's biggest nemesis at Middlefield is the captain of the fencing team, "King" Alan. He begins to think he would feel better about himself if he could seek revenge against his chief tormentor if he could learn to fence and take down the team captain.

Arden Jones has demons of his own, but he connects with young Donte and encourages him to see himself, not just the anger he feels for Alan. Donte finds his niche in the sport of fencing. It might just provide the outlet he needs to deal with his frustrations.

Author Jewell Parker Rhodes looks at racism and bullying in her newest novel BLACK BROTHER, BLACK BROTHER. Through Donte, readers will feel the confusion and stress created by being part of a bi-racial family. Check this one out!

CLEAN GETAWAY by Nic Stone

CLEAN GETAWAY is author Nic Stone's first middle grade novel. Her success started with DEAR MARTIN and continued with ODD ONE OUT and JACKPOT. No matter which of her books you pick up, you won't be disappointed.

William "Scoob" Lamar tries to make his dad proud, but it gets harder all the time. Being grounded during spring break vacation just about takes the cake, but then G'ma shows up. She's driving a Winnebago RV, and she's inviting Scoob to join her on an adventure. It seems like the perfect way to escape his current punishment so it doesn't take much convincing to get Scoob packed and on the road with G'ma.

There are some strange things that should have been clues that something isn't quite right with G'ma, but Scoob is enjoying the ride. He's learning about his grandfather who died in prison and about his grandparents' early relationship and their dreams for the future. He's also learning about how tough it was for a mixed race couple back in the day.

Despite stops at cool tourist attractions and G'ma's crazy antics, Scoob realizes that she is constantly avoiding phone calls from his father and insists that it's best if Scoob doesn't talk to him either. A mysterious treasure box and a pamphlet titled Travelers' Green Book seem to be guiding their strange journey prompting Scoob to wonder if he knows who G'ma really is.

Nic Stone takes middle grade readers on an adventure that reveals disturbing glimpses of racism and how even today in some places, a black person and white person seen together may raise unwarranted suspicions.

PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING by Randy Ribay

When Jay Reguero learns that his cousin in the Philippines is dead, his own plans of graduating and heading off to the University of Michigan seem totally unimportant. He knows Jun was murdered, but when he questions his father, he learns nothing which leaves him angry and confused.

Jay and Jun haven't been exact close, but for years they exchanged letters and often poured out their feelings on those pages. Jay knows enough about the country his father calls home to know about the drug war going on that has resulted in the unexplained deaths of many drug users at the direction of Philippine President Duterte.

With spring break of his senior year just days away, Jay convinces his parents that he should use the vacation time to visit his relatives in the Philippines. They agree to the idea but with strict instructions from his father to avoid the subject of his cousin's death. According to Jay's father, Jun's family prefers to move on and put Jun's death behind them. This seems unbelievable to Jay, and he's determined to use his time on the trip to get to the truth behind Jun's murder.

Author Randy Ribay takes readers along on Jay's adventure in search of truth and justice. It isn't easy when he doesn't speak the language and doesn't understand the culture that drives his father's people. Determination drives Jay to do whatever is necessary to find out what really happened to his cousin.

SNAPDRAGON by Kat Leyh

Is there really a witch in Snapdragon's town? Does the witch really eat pets? Snapdragon is concerned about her dog, Good Boy. He's the only good thing about her mother's ex-boyfriend, Chuck. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Good Boy was in danger.

On her own most of the time, Snapdragon wanders the woods discovering all sorts of cool things. The day she discovers a litter of possum babies she also meets a fascinating stranger. It turns out that the stranger actually knows Snapdragon's grandmother. In fact, the two were in love long ago.

Snapdragon's new friend, Jacks, collects dead animals, reclaims their bones, and recreates their skeletons to sell on the internet. It's a strange hobby, but it fascinates Snapdragon. Other observations lead Snapdragon to ask if Jacks might be a witch. Jacks admits she is and offers to teach Snapdragon the ways of magic.

SNAPDRAGON is a graphic novel by author Kat Leyh. In this unique story, Leyh shares a tale of a lonely, yet courageous girl willing to find friendship in unlikely places. This reader hopes to read future adventures of Snapdragon, Good Boy, and Jacks.

CLOSE CALLS: How Eleven U.S. Presidents Escaped from the Brink of Death by Michael P. Spradlin

A few presidents have been assassinated, but did you know a number of others barely escaped death? Author Michael P. Spradlin has written about presidents who almost died before or while in office. This well-researched book titled CLOSE CALLS features detailed descriptions of each incident as well as side pieces about other little known historical facts.

George Washington almost wasn't our nation's first president. He escaped a plot to kill him involving poisoned peas. Harry S. Truman avoided death twice. Once involved a shoot out he watched from the White House, and the other threat came from a letter bomb intercepted in the mailroom.

Many probably know about John F. Kennedy's near death experience on PT-109, but most readers probably don't know about the history of PT boats and their role in WWII. George H. W. Bush, the youngest pilot in the U.S. Navy also barely escaped death in WWII.

All in all, Spradlin writes about eleven presidents who some believe may have cheated death. This new release is packed with historical information written in an entertaining style. It's perfect for any young history buffs and perfect for making history come alive in a classroom setting, definitely a great addition to library and classroom collections.

THIS DARKNESS MINE by Mindy McGinnis

THIS DARKNESS MINE by Mindy McGinnis features Sasha Stone. From all appearances Sasha has it all together. She is in the running for top of her class, she plays first chair clarinet, and she has her sights set on attending Oberlin Conservatory where she'll major in music. Despite all her success, Sasha's been feeling a bit strange lately.

She has been feeling light-headed, and she even blacked out. Her boy friend, Heath, seems worried about her, and probably for good reason considering Sasha has been mysteriously attracted to bad boy Isaac Harver. She's so obsessed with Isaac that she stopped practicing her clarinet and lost a challenge for first chair.

Things come to a head one night when Sasha's friends witness her fall (or did she jump) from her second story bedroom window. The resulting injuries lead doctors to discover Sasha has a heart condition that threatens her life if she doesn't get a heart transplant soon. Even though her parents are surprised by this revelation, Sasha seems to have known all along. 

Shortly before her fall, Sasha discovered that she had a twin. Her mother's pregnancy began with two babies, but somehow Sasha's twin was absorbed in the womb. This discovery explains a lot about the way Sasha has been feeling. She's convinced that she has the heart of her rejected twin. That explains her sudden attraction to Isaac and also the mysterious heart condition. Will a heart transplant fix Sasha or will she even survive until a transplant is available?

THIS DARKNESS MINE is a twisted tale of love and rejection. The unique storyline is sure to earn McGinnis fans looking for a strong female character trying to make sense of her strange circumstances.

THE UNTEACHABLES by Gordon Korman

Kiana is leaving California and moving across the country to live with her father and stepmonster. Thankfully, it's only temporary. Her mother will be acting in a movie for several months making Kiana a short-time resident of Greenwich.

Due to a registration mix-up, Kiana finds herself in classroom 117 with a teacher named Mr. Kermit. The small group of eighth graders in this remote classroom are known as "the unteachables." They have learning problems, anger issues, and troubled home lives, and are taught by Mr. Kermit who has his own unfortunate reputation. Kiana figures she can handle anything since it won't be for long.

When you have a teacher hoping to survive the year and collect on his early retirement, no one expects much in the way of an education. The group of misfit students don't put forth any effort, and neither does their teacher. It's a surprise to everyone when things begin to turn around for the kids, and the teacher, in room 117. Can they earn passing scores on the state science test and redeem their teacher's reputation? Is it possible for a burned out educator to find a reason to care again?

Author Gordon Korman does it again in THE UNTEACHABLES. His trademark humor, nonstop action, and likeable characters will have readers begging for more. This is a must-have for middle grade classrooms and libraries.