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Better with books : 500 diverse books to ignite empathy and encourage self-acceptance in tweens and teens / by Hart, Melissa,1970-author.; Draper, Sharon M.(Sharon Mills),writer of foreword.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Needed now more than ever: a guide that includes 500 diverse contemporary fiction and memoir recommendations for preteens and teens with the goal of inspiring greater empathy for themselves, their peers, and the world around them. As young people are diagnosed with anxiety and depression in increasing numbers, or dealing with other issues that can isolate them from family and friends-such as bullying, learning disabilities, racism, or homophobia-characters in books can help them feel less alone. And just as important, reading books that feature a diverse range of real-life topics helps generate openness, empathy, and compassion in all kids. Better with Books is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, therapists, and all caregivers who recognize the power of literature to improve young readers' lives. Each chapter explores a particular issue affecting preteens and teens today and includes a list of recommended related books-all published within the last decade. Recommendations are grouped by age: those appropriate for middle-grade readers and those for teens. Reading lists are organized around: Adoption and foster care; Body image; Immigration; Learning challenges; LGBTQIA+ youth; Mental health; Nature and environmentalism; Physical disability; Poverty and homelessness; Race and ethnicity; Religion and spirituality"--
Subjects: Teenagers; Children; Empathy in children.; Self-acceptance in adolescence.; Parent and child.; Books and reading.;

The boy who woke the sun / by Woodley, Aaron,1971-; Deas, Mike,1982-;
Eleven-year-old Elliot is having a dismal pandemic summer when suddenly he's caught in the bubble of one of his own dreams and transported to another world, controlled by evil butterflies, where the sun doesn't shine. Along with his octopus sidekick, Elliot discovers the reason for these butterflies-gone-wrong, and realizes that things must be set right if he is ever to find the way home. An epic middle-grade fantasy about discovering your true path.
Subjects: Fantasy fiction.; Friendship; Environmental justice; Coming of age;

The ultimate quest / by Patterson, James,1947-; Grabenstein, Chris.; Neufeld, Juliana,1982-;
When their ship, the Lost, explodes, Bick, Beck, Tommy, and Storm are stranded on a raft in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, but the situation worsens when the treasure hunters kidnap their parents, forcing the Kidd siblings to follow clues around the globe to uncover an ancient treasure and save their family.Ages 8-13.LSC
Subjects: Sea stories.; Adventure fiction.; Treasure troves; Seafaring life; Kidnapping; Siblings; Twins;

I survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 : the graphic novel / by Ball, Georgia.; Anderson, Cassie.; Aguilera, Juanma.; Tarshis, Lauren.; Graphic novelization of (work):Tarshis, Lauren.I survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871.;
Includes bibliographical references.Robbed on the train platform as soon as he arrives in the city, eleven-year-old Oscar Starling soon finds himself in the middle of the Great Chicago Fire when he chases after his thief, who is herself in need of rescue.Ages 8 through 12.
Subjects: Graphic novels.; Historical comics.; Graphic novel adaptations.; Comics (Graphic works); Great Fire, Chicago, Ill., 1871; Survival; Cartoons and comics.;

Class act / by Craft, Jerry.;
Eighth grader Drew Ellis recognizes that he isn't afforded the same opportunities, no matter how hard he works, that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted, and to make matters worse, Drew begins to feel as if his good friend Liam might be one of those privileged kids and is finding it hard not to withdraw, even as their mutual friend Jordan tries to keep their group of friends together.Ages 8-12.LSC
Subjects: Graphic novels.; Middle school students; African Americans; Minority students; Friendship; Private schools; Race relations; Stereotypes (Social psychology);

TBH, no one can ever know / by Greenwald, Lisa.;
With a Valentine's Day dance, snooping parents, and way too many secrets, these four BFFs have a lot to deal with in the seventh book in this hilarious series told entirely in text messages, emojis, and passed notes, perfect for fans of Invisible Emmie and the Dork Diaries series. It's no secret that Victoria's mom can be OTT overprotective! But lately her anxiety has been too much to handle. So even though Victoria is helping plan the school's Valentine's Day dance, she might not be allowed to go! To be honest, she's going to need lots of help from her BFFs to mend this mother-daughter relationship--and it may mean sharing her most embarrassing secret ever! The question is: Can you take back a secret once you've shared it? Ages 8-12.LSC
Subjects: Epistolary fiction.; Friendship; Middle schools; Valentine's Day; Mothers and daughters; Dance parties; Embarrassment; Text messages (Cell phone systems);

The rabbit hutch / by Gunty, Tess,author.;
"The automobile industry has abandoned Vacca Vale, Indiana, leaving the residents behind, too. In a run-down apartment building on the edge of town, commonly known as the Rabbit Hutch, a number of people now reside quietly, looking for ways to live in a dying city. Apartment C2 is lonely and detached. C6 is aging and stuck. C8 harbors an extraordinary fear. But C4 is of particular interest. Here live four teenagers who have recently aged out of the state foster-care system: three boys and one girl, Blandine, who The Rabbit Hutch centers around. Hauntingly beautiful and unnervingly bright, Blandine is plagued by the structures, people, and places that not only failed her but actively harmed her. Now all Blandine wants is an escape, a true bodily escape like the mystics describe in the books she reads. Set across one week and culminating in a shocking act of violence, The Rabbit Hutch chronicles a town on the brink, desperate for rebirth. How far will its residents--especially Blandine--go to achieve it? Does one person's gain always come at another's expense?"--
Subjects: Bildungsromans.; Novels.; Apartment dwellers; Cities and towns; Foster children; Teenagers; Violence;

The dramatic life of Azaleah Lane / by Smith, Nikki Shannon,1971-; Gloria Felix.;
Azaleah's older sister Nia is going to be the star of the school musical but things keep going wrong at the rehearsals (missing batteries, disappearing props, microphones that suddenly do not work); Mr. Guidi, the director, blames the ghost of Thespis, but Azaleah suspects that somebody is actually sabotaging the play--and she is determined to use her detective skills to uncover the culprit, and set things right so the play will be a complete success for her stressed-out sister.Ages 6-8.LSC
Subjects: Mystery fiction.; African American girls; Middle-born children; Sisters; Children's plays; Musicals; Malicious mischief;

Fire on Headless Mountain / by Lawrence, Iain,1955-;
Eleven-year-old Virgil Pepper is returning to Little Lost Lake in Oregon with his older brother and sister to scatter their mother's ashes in the place she loved best, but when their van breaks down in the middle nowhere, it is up to Virgil, who shared his mother's love of science and the wild, to remember and use all the lessons she taught him to survive a forest fire started by a lightning strike.Ages 9 to 12.Grades 4-6.LSC
Subjects: Forest fires; Survival; Mothers and sons; Brothers and sisters; Grief;

Alice Austen lived here / by Gino, Alex.;
Middle school student Sam is comfortable with their nonbinary identity, and their family has accepted it too (as long as they do their homework and chores), so when their history teacher assigns as a project coming up with a proposal for the new statue honoring a historical Staten Islander (there is a contest involved) they and their friend TJ decide to focus on Alice Austen, a lesbian photographer, whose house on Staten Island is a museum--but they have to overcome the presumption on the part of their teacher that only straight males are eligible.Ages 9-12.Grades 4-6.LSC
Subjects: Austen, Alice, 1866-1952; Gender-nonconforming people; Sexual minorities; Monuments; Contests; Middle schools;