Reading Without Walls
Books that promote diversity, open readers' minds to new ideas and foster appreciation and understanding for others.
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Charlie Makes a Splash!
by Holly Robinson Peete
Charlie, a boy with autism, describes what his life is like with his twin sister Callie, who does not have autism, and explains how water--whether in a pool, a tub, or in the aquarium--is like a warm hug, which settles him down and calms his mind, allowing him to focus and cope.
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The Coat
by Severine Vidal
After receiving a perfect red coat from her sister, Elise gives her prized jacket to a child experiencing homelessness and discovers the joy of helping others.
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The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship
by Ibtihaj Muhammad
On picture day, Faizah wears her special red dress with matching hair ribbons, then realizes that she and her older sister, Asiya, don't match like her classmates and their siblings do, until a random act of kindness fixes all that.
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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 isn't so super and comes up with what might be her best idea all day.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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When Clouds Touch Us
by Thanhháa Lòai
This breathtaking novel in verse, inspired by the author's experience, follows Hà and her family, refugees from the Vietnam War, as they move to Texas for a new job, and despite not wanting to start over again, Hà discovers unwanted change can bring a good opportunity.
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On Air with Zoe Washington
by Janae Marks
While building a relationship with her newly exonerated birth father, who is having a hard time re-entering society, Zoe starts a podcast to shed light on the struggles exonerees experience and fundraises for his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant.
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The Witch of Woodland
by Laurel Snyder
While preparing for her bat mitzvah and trying to make sense of her own life, Zippy discovers she has magical abilities when she conjures up a beautiful girl with no memory and wings like an angel to whom she is connected.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Carry Me Home
by Janet S. Fox
When their father goes missing, 12-year-old Lulu and her younger sister must take care of themselves until they learn that trusting new friends and the community will help them find their true home.
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Farther Than the Moon
by Lindsay Lackey
While attending the Junior Astronaut Recruitment Program, 13-year-old Houston Stewart struggles to meet the program's rigorous demands but is determined to honor the dream of his brother, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, even if it seems like an impossible mission.
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Sanctuary
by Paola Mendoza
In 2032, when sixteen-year-old Vali's mother is detained by the Deportation Forces, Vali must flee Vermont with her little brother, Ernie, hoping to reach their Tâia Luna in the sanctuary state of California.
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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.
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Barakah Beats
by Maleeha Siddiqui
Leaving Islamic school to attend public school, twelve-year-old Nimra Sharif joins the school’s popular eighth grade boy band, Barakah Beats, in an attempt to fit in.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Where You See Yourself
by Claire Forrest
Having her heart set on a college in NYC with a major in Mass Media & Society, disabled high school senior Effie learns that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of.
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The Next New Syrian Girl
by Ream Shukairy
When their worlds collide, Khadija Shami, a sheltered Syrian American high school senior with a monstrous ego, and Leene Tahir, a Syrian refugee doing her best to survive school and family pressures while battling panic attacks, become the unlikeliest of friends.
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While You Were Dreaming
by Alisha Rai
When a video of her rescuing her crush James goes viral, Sonia, or rather a mysterious masked savior, is thrust into the spotlight and must protect her secret identity from TikTok and the world while dealing with her feelings for this awkwardly charming boy.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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