2020 Summer Reading Recommendations

Compiled by Kim Leng Teacher Librarian

Mendez High School May 2020

FICTION

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people... In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance--and Papi's secrets--the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they've lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf Amidst the Chinese-Malay conflict in Kuala Lumpur in 1969, sixteen-year-old Melati must overcome prejudice, violence, and her own obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to find her way back to her mother. (830L)

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender Felix Love has never been in love--and, yes, he's painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it's like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What's worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he's one marginalization too many--Black, queer, and transgender--to ever get his own happily-ever-after… Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.

Dominicana by Angie Cruz In this vivid portrait of the immigrant experience set in the 1960s, Ana must choose between her heart and her duty to family after she leaves her native Dominican Republic for what she hopes is a better life as a new bride in New York City.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi In a near-future society that claims to have gotten rid of all monstrous people, a creature emerges from a painting seventeen-year-old Jam's mother created, a hunter from another world seeking a real-life monster. (820L)

Dig by A.S. King Five white teenage cousins, who are struggling with the failures and racial ignorance of their dysfunctional parents and their wealthy grandparents, reunite for Easter.

The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park Love is a battlefield in this hysterically funny rom-com debut, perfect for fans of Jenny Han. Nate Jae-Woo Kim wants to be rich, just like everyone else at the elite private school where he's a scholarship student. When one of the wealthiest kids at school offers Nate a huge sum of money to commit grade fraud, he knows that taking the windfall would help support his prideful Korean family--and they need the money, since Nate's dad just lost his job. But is compromising his integrity worth it?

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay When seventeen-year-old Jay Reguero learns his Filipino cousin and former best friend, Jun, was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, he flies to the Philippines to learn more. (840L)

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas.

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi. Translated by Cathy Hirano When her mother is executed for the mysterious deaths of their kingdom's protective water serpents, a girl with an inherited ability to communicate with magical beasts finds her talent ensnaring her in life-threatening war plots. (840L)

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.

Frankly in Love by David Yoon High school senior Frank Li takes a risk to go after a girl his parents would never approve of; but his plans will leave him wondering if he ever really understood love--or himself--at all. (HL660L)

Nonfiction

This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy This story in verse recounts the firsthand experiences of one of the nine young African-American students who made history by integrating Tennessee's Clinton High School 1956, a year before the integration of Little Rock High. (1000L)

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz Examines the legacy of Indigenous peoples' resistance, resilience, and fight against imperialism in the United States, revealing the roles that colonialism and American policies played in forming a national identity.

Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir by Nikki Grimes In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in a compelling and moving memoir in verse. Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night - and discovered the magic and impact of writing. For many years, Nikki's notebooks were her most enduing companions. In this accessible and inspiring memoir that will resonate with young readers and adults alike, Nikki shows how the power of those words helped her conquer the hazards - ordinary and extraordinary - of her life. (840L)

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds

The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future…Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

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. (HL540L)

In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero Presents the true story of the author, a U.S. citizen by birth, who had to struggle to make a life for herself with the help of friends and strangers after her undocumented parents were deported when she was fourteen. (HL780L)

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah The host of "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" traces his wild coming of age during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed, offering insight into the farcical aspects of the political and social systems of today's world. (HL770L)

Becoming by Michelle Obama This intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir explores the life of the former First Lady of the United States. (1170L)

Mary Shelley: The Strange True Tale of Frankenstein's Creator by Catherine Reef The story of Frankenstein 's creator is a strange, romantic, and tragic one, as deeply compelling as the novel itself. Mary ran away to Lake Geneva with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley when she was just sixteen. It was there, during a cold and wet summer, that she first imagined her story about a mad scientist who brought a corpse back to life. Success soon followed for Mary, but also great tragedy and misfortune. (1010L)

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman Explores the extraordinary life and scientific discoveries of Maria Merian, who discovered the truth about metamorphosis and documented the science behind it. Features many original paintings by Maria herself.(1110L)

Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience Edited by Patrice Vecchione and Alyssa Raymond A treasury of sixty-five poems by some of today's most compelling young writers explores themes ranging from homesickness and social exclusion to human rights and identity, in a volume that reflects the experiences of today's teen immigrants and refugees.

Graphic Novels Fiction

This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews When their community celebrates the annual Autumn Equinox Festival by lighting paper lanterns and floating them in the river, Ben and the school misfit, Nathaniel, embark on a bicycle trip to discover what happens to the lanterns.

New Kid by Jerry Craft

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.

As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?

Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Venable; illustrated by Ellen T. Crenshaw Amanda's seemingly perfect life is turned upside down when she realizes she has a crush on her best friend, Cat, and uncovers a secret held by her father that could tear her family apart.

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.

Witchy by Ariel Slamet Ries In the witch kingdom Hyalin, the strength of your magic is determined by the length of your hair. Those that are strong enough are conscripted by the Witch Guard, who enforce the law in peacetime and protect the land during war. However, those with hair judged too long are pronounced enemies of the kingdom, and annihilated. This is called a witch burning. Witchy is a young adult graphic novel about the young witch Nyneve, who is haunted by the death of her father and the threat the Witch Guard poses to her own life. When conscription rolls around, Nyneve has a choice to make; join the institution complicit in her father’s death, or stand up for her ideals?

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang Presents a graphically illustrated fairy tale set in Paris at the dawn of the modern age, where a cross-dressing prince hides his identity as a popular fashion icon and falls for a brilliant dressmaker who knows his secret at the same time his royal parents begin searching for a traditional bride for him to marry. (GN360L)

Nonfiction

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder From before her mother's first oncology appointment through the stages of her cancer to the funeral, sitting shiva, and afterward, when she must try to make sense of her life as a motherless daughter, Tyler Feder tells her story in this graphic novel that is full of piercing--but also often funny--details. She shares the important post-death firsts, such as celebrating holidays without her mom, the utter despair of cleaning out her mom's closet, ending old traditions and starting new ones, and the sting of having the "I've got to tell Mom about this" instinct and not being able to act on it. This memoir, bracingly candid and sweetly humorous, is for anyone struggling with loss who just wants someone to get it.

Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaption Adapted by Ari Folman. Illustrations by David Polonsky Offers a graphic version of Anne Frank's diary authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation and using text from the diary. (GN800L)

I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir by Malaka Gharib In this heartfelt tribute to the American immigrant experience, the author recalls her eventful childhood as the daughter of Egyptian and Filipino immigrants, and her struggle to adapt her heritage to a new world. (GN490L)

The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix Tells the true story of German pastor and social critic Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who ultimately sacrificed his life to free the German people--and the world--from Nazi oppression. (980L)

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka This memoir traces the author's journey as a child growing up in a family fractured by addiction, and tells how he found a way to express himself--and confront his truths--through art. (GN510L)

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei In 1942, at the order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, every person of Japanese descent on the west coast was rounded up and shipped to one of ten "relocation centers," hundreds or thousands of miles from home, where they would be held for years under armed guard. They Called Us Enemy is Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, his mother's hard choices, his father's faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future. What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide? When the world is against you, what can one person do? To answer these questions, George Takei joins co-writers Justin Eisinger & Steven Scott and artist Harmony Becker for the journey of a lifetime. (GN680L)

Guts by Raina Telgemeier Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on? Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face -- and conquer -- her fears. (GN480L)

The Life of Frederick Douglass by David F. Walker

Presents a graphic retelling of the abolitionist's life and accomplishments, from his birth into slavery to his escape and rise as a public speaker and the most photographed man of the nineteenth century. (GN970L)