Reading Without Walls
 Books that promote diversity, open readers' minds to new ideas and foster appreciation and understanding for others.
These titles can be found in the Easy, Juvenile and Teen section of the library.
 
Easy 
Sam's Super Seats
by Keah Brown

While trying on cute outfits at the mall with her friends, Sam, a disabled girl who loves comfortable seats, meets her match in a seat that isnt so super and comes up with what might be her best idea all day. Simultaneous eBook. Illustrations.
Our World Is a Family : Our Community Can Change the World
by Miry Whitehill

Learn how to welcome new neighbors into your community, particularly when they might be far from home, in this uplifting and diverse picture book that champions human connection and inclusivity.
Eyes That Speak to the Stars
by Joanna Ho

A young Asian boy, who notices that his eyes look different from his friends’, realizes that his eyes—like his father’s, grandfather’s, and younger brother’s—rise to the skies, speak to the stars and are visionary. 125,000 first printing. Illustrations.
Ruby's Reunion Day Dinner
by Angela Dalton

Inspired by the rich tradition of African American reunions, a multigenerational story follows the experiences of young Ruby, who helps loved ones prepare the foods they are bringing while trying to think of a signature dish of her own. 
Paletero Man
by Lucky Diaz

When a little boy finally catches up to Paletero José, who has the perfect treats for a hot summer day, his pockets are empty, so the entire community bands together to help him find his dinero.  
Home Is in Between
by Mitali Perkins

Immigrating to America, a young girl navigates between her family's Bengali traditions and her new country's culture.
Say Something
by Peter H. Reynolds

The author presents an empowering story for kid activists about finding one's voice and using it to make the world a better place.
Different: A Great Thing to Be!
by Heather Avis

Illustrations and rhyming text introduce Macy, whose conduct and bearing point to a kinder world where differences are celebrated and embraced.
The Magical Yet
by Angela DiTerlizzi

Everyday, when learning how to do new things, it is important to keep on trying and remember there is "Yet" something else that can be done.
This Beach Is Loud!
by Samantha Cotterill

A sensitive boy is overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and sensations of a family visit to a noisy, exciting beach, until his father offers some creative ways to manage.
Juvenile 
The Way I Say It
by Nancy Tandon

Rory Mitchell has always had an issue saying his R's correctly. His former best friend, Brent, suddenly sides with bullies against Rory but then Brent is hit by a car and suffers a serious brain injury, which requires Rory to reevaluate everything.
A Duet For Home
by Karina Yan Glaser

Two children living in a homeless shelter whose friendship grows over a shared love of classical music, June and Tyree join forces to confront a new housing policy that puts homeless families in danger.
Maizy Chen's Last Chance
by Lisa Yee

In Last Chance, Minnesota, with her family, Maizy spends her time at the Golden Palace, the restaurant that's been in her family for generations, where she makes some discoveries requiring her to go on a search for answers.
The Sea in Winter
by Christine Day

After an injury sidelines her dreams of becoming a ballet star, Maisie is not excited for her blended family's midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.
Sadiq and the Ramadan Gift
by Siman Nuurali

As Ramadan nears, Sadiq and his friends form the Money Makers Club to plan a community fundraiser, an iftar, but when Zaza stops participating Sadiq gets upset with him
The One Thing You'd Save
by Linda Sue Park

The Newbery Medal-winning author of A Single Shard explores a diverse classroom’s varied answers to a question about what they would save if their homes were on fire, in a series of linked poems complemented by striking black-and-white art. 
Born Behind Bars
by Padma Venkatraman

Growing up in prison because his mother is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit, Kabir is forced into the outside world and goes on the run in a place that cares little for homeless, low-cast children.
We Could Be Heroes
by Margaret Mary Finnegan

Fourth-graders Maisie and Hank, who has autism, become friends as they devise schemes to save a neighbor's dog, Booler, from being tied to a tree because of his epilepsy.
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!
by Sarah Kapit

Landing a spot on the baseball team at the same time her major-league hero responds to her fan letter, Vivy Cohen, a girl on the autism spectrum, considers her famous pen-pal’s advice when an accident lands her back on the bench.
My Video Game Ate My Homework
by Dustin Hansen

Dewey Jenkins wants to have the top science project in class to avoid summer school and win a state-of-the-art virtual reality video game, but after his friend Ferg accidentally breaks the console, they accidentally trigger the device, finding themselves transported inside a video game.  My Video Game Ate My Homework is a funny, fast-paced adventure that shows the importance of cooperation and teamwork and the importance of using your own unique abilities to solve problems. 
Teen Middle
The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle
by Leslie Connor

An oversized youth with challenging learning disabilities is wrongly suspected of having a hand in his best friend's death, a situation that compels him to create an underground haven for himself and a bullied new friend. 
Barakah Beats
by Maleeha Siddiqui

Leaving Islamic school to attend public school, 12-year-old Nimra Sharif, joins the school’s popular 8th grade boy band, Barakah Beats, in an attempt to fit in. Nimra is forced her to make a difficult decision. 
Free Lunch
by Rex Ogle

A sixth grader from an economically disadvantaged family struggles in a new school where he is forced to endure humiliation over his secondhand clothing and public daily requests for his school’s free lunch program.
How to find what you're not looking for
by Veera Hiranandani

Middle schooler Ariel Goldberg must find her own voice and define her own beliefs after her big sister elopes with a young man from India following the Supreme Court decision that strikes down laws banning interracial marriage. Simultaneous eBook.
The Legend of Auntie Po
by Shing Yin Khor

Aware of the racial tumult in the years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Mei tries to remain blissfully focused on her job, her close friendship with the camp foreman's daughter, and telling stories about Paul Bunyan--reinvented as Po PanYin (Auntie Po), an elderly Chinese matriarch.
Black Boy Joy
by Kwame Mbalia

Featuring contributions from such critically acclaimed Black authors as Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft and Kwame Mbalia, this celebration of Black boyhood is told through a brilliant collection of stories, comics and poems. 
Starfish
by Lisa Fipps

A debut novel-in-verse follows the experiences of a girl who tries to change her behavior when she is bullied for her weight, before a swimming hobby, a kind therapist and an accepting new neighbor help her embrace her true self. 
Ahmed Aziz's Epic Year
by Nina Hamza

Moving from Hawaii to Minnesota, Ahmed Aziz is having the worst year until he deals with bullies, makes new friends and uncovers his family’s past—all while finding himself in three books assigned for his English class. 
Treasure of the World
by Tara Sullivan

Longing to escape the future set for the children of her small mining village in Bolivia, 12-year-old Ana gives up her educational dreams to volunteer to work in the place of her ailing brother, a situation that becomes desperate in the aftermath of a tragic accident. 
Alma Presses Play
by Tina Cane

In 1980s New York, half-Chinese, half-Jewish Alma, whose life is a series of halfways, uses her Walkman to get through the challenges thrown her way until she is ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life. 
Teen High
Turning
by Joy L. Smith

A former aspiring ballerina until a devastating fall leaves her without use of her legs, Genie meets Kyle, another used to be, during physical therapy who helps her find a new path forward.
Frankly In Love
by David Yoon

Torn between his love for his white girlfriend and his sense of duty to the matchmaking parents who made hard sacrifices to move to the United States, a Korean American teen and his friend who has a similar problem come up with a scheme to solve both of their problems. 
An Emotion of Great Delight
by Tahereh Mafi

In the wake of 9/11, Shadi, a child of Muslim immigrants, tries to navigate her crumbling world of death, heartbreak and bigotry in silence, until finally everything changes. 
Indivisible
by Daniel Aleman

An American-born teen and his younger sister scramble to keep their family together when they return home from school one day to find that their undocumented parents have been arrested by ICE and are facing possible deportation. 
Maybe We're Electric
by Val Emmich

Stranded together in the Thomas Edison museum during a snowstorm, Tegan and star athlete Mac Durant cast aside their public personas and family pressures long enough to forge an unexpected bond over one unforgettable night. 
Enduring Freedom
by Jawad Arash

A dual-narrative tale finds a young American army private and an Afghan youth living under the horrors of the Taliban caught on opposing sides during the tumultuous events leading up to and following September 11, 2001.
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Aristotle and Dante continue their journey to manhood in this achingly romantic, tender tale set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic in 1980s America. In Aristotle  and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys fell in love. Now they must learn what it means to stay in love-and to build their relationship in a world that doesn't seem to want them to exist. In their senior year at two different schools, the boys find ways to spend time together, like a camping road trip they take in the desert. Ari is haunted by his incarcerated older brother and by the images he sees on the nightly news of gay men dying from AIDS. Tragedy feels like his destiny, but can he forge his own path and create a life where he can not only survive, but thrive?
Simone Breaks All the Rules
by Debbie Rigaud

The daughter of strict Haitian parents, Simone creates a Senior Year bucket list of all the things she hasn’t had a chance to do. Soon her list takes on a life of its own, forcing her to make some difficult decisions. 
All the Days Past, All the Days to Come
by Mildred D. Taylor

A long-awaited conclusion to the story that began in the Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry finds young adult Cassie Logan searching for a sense of belonging before joining the Civil Rights Movement in 1960s Mississippi. 
The Map from Here to There
by Emery Lord

Embarking on a senior year of high school with all the promises of a fun job, great friends and a devoted boyfriend, Paige Hancock confronts big decisions about her life after high school while acknowledging that she secretly does not want anything to change.
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