New Beginnings

In this graphic novel, an African-American seventh grader struggles to fit in at his new private school.

Facing prejudice both within her family and from her peers, Genesis Anderson struggles to accept herself and allow her talents to shine.

For Merci Suárez, sixth grade is a year of change. A scholarship student at the posh Seaward Pines Academy, Merci must juggle extra community service and family responsibilities, all while coping with a nasty classmate and her beloved grandfather's declining health.

Darius has always struggled to fit in: he suffers from depression, he is bullied at school, and he can never seem to meet his father's high expectations. When Darius's family travels to Iran to visit his grandparents, Darius finds a place where he belongs, and a true friendship, for the first time.

Dimple Shah is thrilled to be spending her summer studying web development at Stanford University — but she doesn't know that her traditional parents are planning for her to meet (and eventually marry!) fellow student Rishi Patel.

Like many Japanese-Americans, Hanako and her family are imprisoned in an American internment camp during World War II. After the war ends, they emigrate to Japan — but they struggle to make a home in a country that is unfamiliar to them.

Eleven-year-old Imogene loves working with her family at the Renaissance Faire, especially now that she is finally old enough to train as a squire. At the same time, she must face an unexpectedly difficult quest: surviving middle school.

After she was struck by lightning at the age of eight, Lucy became a mathematical prodigy and developed obsessive compulsive disorder. Now, Lucy prefers to stay at home and solve equations, but her grandmother insists that Lucy tackle the most complex problem she's ever faced: middle school.

When her parents take jobs at a western theme park in Arizona, Aven gets caught up in a local mystery — and tries to adjust to a new school.

What happens when a homeschooled hippie suddenly has to navigate public middle school? Find out as you learn these words from Gordon Korman's funny and heartwarming novel.

In this novel, a boy with facial anomalies tries to navigate the sometimes treacherous world of public school.

Inside, George knows that she is a girl. When her class puts on a production of Charlotte's Web, she is not allowed to try out for the role of Charlotte — but with the help of her best friend, George is determined to show the world who she really is.

In letters addressed to an unnamed friend, Charlie describes his experiences as a high school freshman.

Rafe Khatchadorian and his friend Leonardo come up with a game in which they earn points for breaking middle school rules. But a school bully discovers their journal full of the game's details and threatens to turn them in.

A cross-country move, questions about her adoption and origins, and an incident of racism at school all have Makeda wondering where she belongs.

Fleeing to America to escape the Vietnam War, Hà and her family end up in Alabama, where they must adapt to a new culture. This novel in verse was inspired by author Thanhha Lai's own experiences.

In this verse novel, a young immigrant from Africa adjusts to life in the United States.

In Ibi Zoboi's debut novel, a young Haitian immigrant tries to make a new life for herself in Detroit.

In this powerful novel-in-verse, a twelve-year-old Sudanese girl must make her way to a refugee camp after her village is attacked.

Christina Baker Kline's historical novel follows two young women searching for a sense of belonging: Molly, a teen navigating the foster system in 2011, and Niamh, an Irish immigrant orphaned on the cusp of the Great Depression. Discover how their lives intersect as you learn these words from Orphan Train.

Recent immigrants from Cuba, Ruthie and her family are just learning to adjust to life in New York City when Ruthie is severely injured in a car accident. This novel, based in part on the author's childhood experiences, won the 2018 Pura Belpré Award.

After moving to Chicago from Alabama, an eleven-year-old boy finds solace and inspiration in the poetry of Langston Hughes.

When her Arab-American family moves to Jerusalem, Liyana is unprepared for the prejudice they face — or for the close bond she forms with a Jewish boy named Omer.

Stargirl Caraway lives life on her own terms, but when she moves to a new town her unique personality rubs others the wrong way. As the school year goes on, Stargirl is torn between staying true to herself and fitting in.

After she moves to New York City from China, Shirley struggles to fit in and make friends — until she discovers baseball.

Twelve-year-old Malú loves punk rock, but her mother and the strict principal at her new school definitely do not. With the help of her fellow "misfits," Malú fights to express who she truly is.

In this sequel to the novel Holes, Theodore "Armpit" Johnson is hoping for a fresh start, but he gets caught up in a series of strange adventures when he reconnects with his old friend X-Ray.

When tragedy strikes, Esperanza's family has to leave their ranch in Mexico and move to a farmworkers' camp during the Great Depression.

After the Communist revolution in Cuba, fourteen-year-old Lucía Álvarez and her brother are sent to the United States to make a new life in Nebraska.

After her house is destroyed by a tornado, 12-year-old Ivy must navigate changing relationships with her family and friends.

Enrique's mother left Honduras to find work in the United States; eleven years later, Enrique embarked on a dangerous journey to reunite with her. In this powerful nonfiction account, journalist Sonia Nazario recounts his experiences.

During the Great Depression, the Joad family leaves a failing farm in Oklahoma in hopes of a better life out west.

In L.M. Montgomery's classic novel, imaginative and outspoken orphan Anne Shirley comes to the town of Avonlea to live with her new guardians.

Santiago is a young Andalusian shepherd whose desire for a different life leads him on a journey of self-discovery. 2004 HarperOne edition.

Considered a seminal work of African-American literature, Their Eyes Were Watching God is notable for its strong and independent female protagonist.