by Brittany Burns, Children's Services Associate September 2022
I love learning about other cultures and people with different life experiences than mine. Let me tell you about a few titles highlighting diverse characters that I highly recommend:
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen by Sarah Kapit
In this book, we get to know Vivy Cohen, an autistic girl who loves the knuckle ball pitch, baseball, and her hero VJ Capello. The story is told through a series of letters being exchanged between VJ and Vivy as Vivy becomes the first female pitcher for a Little League baseball team. The story is interesting in that it shows Vivy’s way of seeing the world and how she processes things while dealing with bullying, family, and everyday life. Vivy is smart, funny, and will make you love her by the end of the book. This book is one of my favorites!
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf
This book follows a group of friends who one day get a new student from Syria in their class. Their mission: befriend him! Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as they think: their new classmate has come from a difficult situation and does not understand them. This story will pull at your heartstrings, have you cheering the kids on, and being amazed at the kindness of people by the end of this book. This is one amazing book that I recommend everyone read if they can.
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
It is time for the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow in Ann Arbor, Michigan and everyone is coming. Told by Native authors, this fun collection of stories subtly connects as people from everywhere and all walks of life gather for this cultural event. I guarantee there is at least one story for everyone. You will learn about different Native cultures and see all the amazing things that have been accomplished by Indigenous people.
Each of these books are written by authors who understand exactly what they are writing about and can tell a great story that will keep you in stitches or on the edge of your seat from cover to cover. If walking in another person's shoes sounds exciting to you, be sure to stop by the service desk during your next library visit and ask us for more book recommendations!