Multicultural Education | Reading Guide: Middle School

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed In Pakistan, Amal holds onto her dream of being a teacher even after becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family's debt to the wealthy and corrupt Khan family.

The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson; Ryan Andrews (Illustrator) When a family buys a house in a struggling town for just one dollar, they are hoping to start over, but they may have traded one set of problems for another.

The End of the Wild by Nicole Helget Eleven-year-old Fern doesn't have the easiest life. Her stepfather is out of work, and she's responsible for putting dinner on the table--not to mention keeping her wild younger brothers out of trouble. The woods near their home is her only refuge, where she finds food and plays with her neighbor's dog. But when a fracking company rolls into town, her special grove could be ripped away, and no one else seems to care.

Free Lunch by Rex Ogle The author reveals the humiliation that came with the daily outing of his family's hunger and poverty in sixth grade when he had to announce that he participated in his school's free lunch program. While constantly hungry, Ogle also recounts how much he craved the love of family in the face of his parents' abuse and brutality.

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee Seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan's day job is doing maid work for the spoiled daughter of one of Atlanta's wealthiest men; by night, Jo writes as Miss Sweetie for a news paper advice column. When Jo's "Dear Miss Sweetie" articles become popular, she begins to use her pen-power to address society's ills, particularly challenging ideas about gender and race, drawing a backlash and attempts to uncover her real identity. Then, Atlanta's most notorious criminal gets on Jo's trail, and she will have to decide on standing up for her beliefs or remaining in the shadows of anonymity.

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman "Readers will be captivated by this beautifully written novel about young people who must use their instincts and grit to survive. Padma shares with us an unflinching peek into the reality millions of homeless children live every day but also infuses her story with hope and bravery that will inspire readers and stay with them long after turning the final page."--Aisha Saeed, author of the New York Times Bestselling Amal UnboundFour determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman's stirring middle-grade debut.Life is harsh in Chennai's teeming streets, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter--and friendship--on an abandoned bridge. With two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul, the group forms a family of sorts. And while making a living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to laugh about and take pride in too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom. Nancy Paulsen Books.

The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly Abandoned by their father and living in poverty with their heartless stepmother in Louisiana, two sisters from the Philippines, twelve-year-old Sol and six-year-old Ming, learn the true meaning of family.

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya Arturo Zamora must save his family's restaurant before a land developer destroys it. He teams up with the funny, cute new girl, Carmen, to thwart the developer's plans and help bring the community together.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang Mia Tang and her immigrant parents are not exactly living the American dream since moving here from China--they live in the Calivista Motel, and Mia must tend to its guests. Her parents, meanwhile, have been hiding illegal immigrants in the motel's empty rooms, risking the wrath of the owner, Mr. Yao. On the personal life front, Mia wants to become a writer, but her mother is being very discouraging because she is better at math and English is not her first language. No matter what, however, Mia vows to follow her dreams.

After the Shot Drops by Randy Ribay When Bunny takes a scholarship to a prestigious prep school with a championship basketball team, his relationship with his best friend Nasir is ruined. When Nasir learns that his cousin, Wallace, and his grandmother are being evicted, he tries to get over Bunny's betrayal. But as Wallace's situation becomes desperate, both Bunny and Nasir will have to face bigger and bigger consequences and decide just how much they're willing to risk.

Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson; Renée Watson Tired of being singled out at her mostly-white private school as someone who needs support, high school junior Jade would rather participate in the school's amazing Study Abroad program than join Women to Women, a mentorship program for at-risk girls.

No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen Almost-thirteen-year-old Felix Knutsson finds himself and his mom, Astrid, living in a van due to his mom's inability to hold down a job. He cannot tell anyone, not even his best friends, unless he wants to be taken away from his mom and put in foster care. The only hope is for Felix to get on a junior edition of his favorite game show, "Who What Where When," and hope that his love for trivia can see them through.

Almost Home by Joan Bauer After her grandfather dies and her father leaves on one of his gambling trips again, 12-year-old Sugar and her mother, Reba, lose their home in Missouri. Deciding to start all over, mother and daughter move to Chicago-but life is not that easy. Now they are homeless, and Reba has a breakdown. Sugar finds in herself a strength she didn't know was there, which helps her care for her mother while staying in a foster home. When she is given charge of a little beagle named Shush, the two develop a bond strong enough to see them through anything.

Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist After his father's death, Isaiah feels that he is now the man of the house and it is his responsibility to take care of his Mama and little sister. When things get really tough at home, Isaiah depends on the stories in his daddy's journal in order to find his way out of the darkness.