Below you'll find books that represent a variety of cultures. For print books in the SHS Learning Commons, see Ms. Melbourne, Ms. McCullough, or Ms. Reishus if you need help locating copies. To access eBooks & audiobooks in MackinVia, log in with your school credentials. To access print, eBooks, & audiobooks through the Scott County Library, use your Virtual Student Library Card.
Love, Hate and Other Filters by 
Frankly in Love by
As the son of Korean immigrants in Southern California, high school senior Frank Li is expected to find a nice Korean girl to marry. But instead, Frank falls for a white classmate who his parents will never approve of. He meets another Korean American, Joy Song, who is in a similar situation. They agree to be a couple in front of their parents in order for Frank and Joy to be with who they really want, but as their fake relationship becomes more real, they both wonder if they really know anything about love.
Open Mic by
Shares stories about growing up in diverse homes or communities, from an Asian youth who gains temporary popularity by making up a false background, to a biracial girl whose father clears subway seats by calmly sitting between two prejudiced women.
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by
Sixteen-year-old Gabi Hernandez chronicles her senior year in high school as she copes with her friend Cindy's pregnancy, her friend Sebastian's coming out, her father's meth habit, her own cravings for food and cute boys, and especially, the poetry that helps forge her identity.
material type: Book
Book
Breaking Through by
Having come from Mexico to California ten years ago, fourteen-year-old Francisco is still working in the fields but fighting to improve his life and complete his education.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by
Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Native American is the school mascot.
Unaccustomed Earth by
Contains eight short stories, largely centered on themes of family and friendship, including the title story, "Unaccustomed Earth," in which Ruma, a young mother, is visited by her father in Seattle.
You Bring the Distant Near by
From 1965 through the present, an Indian American family adjusts to life in New York City, alternately fending off and welcoming challenges to their own traditions.
The Fire Horse Girl by
When Jade Moon, born in the unlucky year of the Fire Horse, and her father immigrate to America in 1923 and are detained at Angel Island Immigration Station, Jade Moon is determined to find a way through and prove that she is not cursed.
American Panda by
A freshman at MIT, seventeen-year-old Mei Lu tries to live up to her Taiwanese parents' expectations, but no amount of tradition, obligation, or guilt prevent her from hiding several truths--that she is a germaphobe who cannot become a doctor, she prefers dancing to biology, she decides to reconnect with her estranged older brother, and she is dating a Japanese boy.
Born Confused by
As Dimple Lala turns seventeen, she realizes that life is about to become more complex as her best friend starts pulling away and her parents try to find a suitable boyfriend for Dimple, despite the fact that she is not interested.
Black Enough by
Collects seventeen stories that detail what it's like to be young and black in a diverse America. "In these stories, black kids are nerds and geeks, gay and lesbian, first-gen and immigrants, outdoorsy and artists, conflicted and confused, grieving and succeeding, thriving and surviving--in short, they're fully human.
The Kite Runner by
Amir, haunted by his betrayal of Hassan, the son of his father's servant and a childhood friend, returns to Kabul as an adult after he learns Hassan has been killed, in an attempt to redeem himself by rescuing Hassan's son from a life of slavery to a Taliban official.
The Astonishing Color of After by
After her mother's suicide, fifteen-year-old Leigh travels to Taiwan where she will finally meet the grandparents she never knew and come to terms with her mother's death. As she immerses herself the culture, she finds signs and hidden meanings all around her, and begins to believe that her mother has been reincarnated as a giant red bird.
And the Mountains Echoed by
In 1952 Afghanistan, Abdullah and his sister Pari live with their father and step-mother in the small village of Shadbagh. Their father, Saboor, is constantly in search of work and they struggle together through poverty and brutal winters.
The Namesake by
A young man born of Indian parents in America struggles with issues of identity from his teens to his thirties.
The Cat King of Havana by
When Rick decides to join a salsa class to impress, Ana, the girl of his dreams,he soon realizes his trip to Cuba isn't all sun, dance, and music.
A Map of Home by
Nidali, born in Boston and raised in Kuwait, flees with her Egyptian-Greek mother and Palestinian father after the 1990 Iraqi invasion, and comes of age in Egypt and Texas, where she learns about love, friendship, and her similiarities to other American girls.
Bingo's Run by
Kenyan teenager and drug runner Bingo, having witnessed a murder and been sent to an orphange by his boss for his protection, finds his life changing and begins to understand the power of art.
Watched by
Far from the "model teen," Naeem moves fast to outrun the eyes of his hardworking Bangladeshi parents, their gossipy neighbors, and the other forms of surveillance in his immigrant neighborhood in Queens, but when his mistakes catch up with him and the police offer a dark deal, will Naeem be a hero or a traitor?
The Book of Unknown Americans by
Moving from Mexico to America when their daughter suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras confront cultural barriers, their daughter's difficult recovery and her developing relationship with a Panamanian boy.
She Wore Red Trainers by 
Saints and Misfits by
Janna Yusuf is a sophomore trying to find her place within the splinters of her broken family, crushing on a cute boy, and finding hope within her Muslim faith. But an attempted sexual assault by a devout young man at her mosque has shaken her ability to trust others.
American Born Chinese by
A graphic novel which examines issues of self-image, cultural identity, transformation, and self acceptance as Jin Wang moves with his family from Chinatown to an upper class suburb in San Francisco.
Aya by
A graphic novel about the daily life of a nineteen-year-old girl named Aya living in Yopougon, Africa, during 1978; exploring her relationships with her father, who manages a beer company, and two best friends, who are determined to marry a wealthy man, and her own ambitions to attend college and become a scientist.
Sovereign Traces by
An anthology of contemporary North American Indian literature with imaginative illustrations by U.S. and Canadian artists.
Mexican WhiteBoy by
Sixteen-year-old Danny searches for his identity amidst the confusion of being half-Mexican and half-white while spending a summer with his cousin and new friends on the baseball fields and back alleys of San Diego County, California.
The Poet X by
Xiomara Batista is a teenage girl living in Harlem who's learned to use her fists to send messages. When she's invited to join her school's poetry club, she knows her religious mother will never allow it. But Xiomara is determined to find a way because she has something to say that can only be shared through her poetry.
Does My Head Look Big in This? by
Muslim teenager Amal Abdel-Hakim makes a decision to begin wearing the veil full time. When she does, Amal faces an endless string of teasing and bullying from other students at her preppy suburban high school in Australia.
Ayesha at Last by
Ayesha is a young, Muslim woman living in Canada with her family where she works as a substitute teacher in order to pay back her uncle who helped her immigrate to Canada and paid for her education. She's frustrated by her undeniable attraction to Khalid, a judgmental and conservative Muslim who seems stuck in another century. And when she learns Khalid is to be married to her cousin Hafsa, she looks into the unsettling rumors she's heard about his family and discovers things about Khalid and herself that surprise her.
Not the Girls You're Looking For by
In this coming-of-age novel, Lulu Saad considers herself both American and Arab, which in her American classmates' eyes makes her a terrorist, while her Muslim family disapproves of her American lifestyle. Tackling her junior year at her Texas prep school with a chip on her shoulder, Lulu makes a significant, impetuous mistake that could cost her more than she bargained for.
Open Mic (eBook) by
Ten YA authors use their own brand of humor to share their stories about growing up between cultures.
I'm Just Me (eBook) by
Nasreen, the only Muslim girl in Arondale High, who must wear a headscarf always, teams up with Mia, the only African American, to stand up to the bullies who cannot fathom that they are different.
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by 
Breaking Through by 
Reaching Out by Reaching Out (eBook) by
During his college years, the very family solidarity that allows Francisco to survive as a child is tested. Not only must he leave his family when he goes to Santa Clara University, but while Francisco is there, his father abandons the family and returns to Mexico.
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Black Enough by 
The Astonishing Color of After by Watched by The Book of Unknown Americans (Digital Audio) by
Mayor Tomo, a Panamanian-American, falls in love with fifteen-year-old Maribel, whose parents, Arturo and Alma Rivera, have moved the family to America seeking medical care following Maribel's accident. The romance begins a relationship between the Rivera and Toro families based on conflicting feelings of guilt, love, and responsibility.
The House on Mango Street by
The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become.
Pride by
Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.
Saints, Misfits, Monsters, and Mayhem by
Fifteen-year-old Janna Yusuf, a Flannery O'Connor-obsessed book nerd and the daughter of the only divorced mother at their mosque, tries to make sense of the events that follow when her best friend's cousin--a holy star in the Muslim community--attempts to assault her at the end of sophomore year.
A Girl Like That by
In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, sixteen-year-old half-Hindu/half-Parsi Zarin Wadia is the class troublemaker and top subject for the school rumor blogs, regularly leaving class to smoke cigarettes in cars with boys, but she also desperately wants to grow up and move out of her aunt and uncle's house, perhaps realizing too late that Porus, another non-Muslim Indian who risks deportation but remains devoted to Zarin, could help her escape. When the two end up dead in a car on a highway in Jeddah, it becomes clear she was far more than a "girl like that."
Love, Hate and Other Filters by 
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by
But the stories were always passed down from her dad—and her mom, when she wasn’t too busy with her high-profile newscaster gig. But when Alaine’s life goes a bit sideways, it’s time to finally visit Haiti herself.What she learns about Haiti’s proud history as the world’s first black republic (with its even prouder people) is one thing, but what she learns about her own family is another. Suddenly, the secrets Alaine’s mom has been keeping, including a family curse that has spanned generations, can no longer be avoided.It’s a lot to handle, without even mentioning that Alaine is also working for her aunt’s nonprofit, which sends underprivileged kids to school and boasts one annoyingly charming intern.
Color Me In by
Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time. Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but because she inadvertently passes as white, her cousin thinks she's too privileged, pampered, and selfish to relate to the injustices African Americans face on a daily basis. In the meantime, Nevaeh's dad decides that she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of a sweet sixteen, which guarantees social humiliation at her posh private school. But rather than take a stand, Nevaeh does what she's always done when life gets complicated: she stays silent.Only when Nevaeh stumbles upon a secret from her mom's past, finds herself falling in love, and sees firsthand the prejudice her family faces that she begins to realize she has her own voice. And choices. Will she continue to let circumstances dictate her path? Or will she decide once for all who and where she is meant to be?
The Book of Unknown Americans by
Mayor Tomo, a Panamanian-American, falls in love with fifteen-year-old Maribel, whose parents, Arturo and Alma Rivera, have moved the family to America seeking medical care following Maribel's accident. The romance begins a relationship between the Rivera and Toro families based on conflicting feelings of guilt, love, and responsibility.