One and Only Ivan, The by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate
Harper Collins Children's
2012
305  pgs.

When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

Lions of Little Rock
Kristin Levine
GP Putnam and Sons
298 pgs.

In 1958 Little Rock, Arkansas, painfully shy twelve-year-old Marlee sees her city and family divided over school integration, but her friendship with Liz, a new student, helps her find her voice and fight against racism. 

Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

The Mighty Miss Malone
Christopher Paul Curtis
Wendy Lamb Books
307 pg.


With love and determination befitting the "world's greatest family," twelve-year-old Deza Malone, her older brother Jimmie, and their parents endure tough times in Gary, Indiana, and later Flint, Michigan during the Great Depression.

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood

Glory Be
Augusta Scattergood
Scholastic Press
202 pg.


In the summer of 1964 as she is about to turn twelve, Glory's town of Hanging Moss, Mississippi, is beset by racial tension when town leaders close her beloved public pool rather than desegregating it.

Crow by Barbara Wright

Crow
Barbara Wright
Random House
297 pg.


In 1898, Moses Thomas's summer vacation does not go exactly as planned as he contends with family problems and the ever-changing alliances among his friends at the same time as he is exposed to the escalating tension between the African-American and white communities of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler

Princess of the Wild Swans
Diane Zahler
Harper Collins Children's Books
212 pg


Twelve-year-old Princess Meriel must sew shirts from stinging nettles in order to rescue her five older brothers from their evil stepmother's spell lest they remain swans forever. Inspired by the Andersen fairy tale, "The Wild Swans."

May B by Caroline Starr Rose

May B.
Caroline Starr Rose
Schwartz and Wade
231 pg


When a failed wheat crop nearly bankrupts the Betterly family, Pa pulls twelve-year-old May from school and hires her out to a couple new to the Kansas frontier.

Miles to Go For Freedom by Linda Osborne

Miles to Go For Freedom: Segregation and Civil Rights in the Jim Crow Years
Linda Osborne
Abrams Books for Young Readers
118 pg.

Black Gold by Albert Marrin

Black Gold: The Story of Oil in Our Lives
Albert Marrin
Alfred Knopf
181 pg.

A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson

A Boy Called Dickens
Deborah Hopkinson, ill by John Hendrix
Schwartz and Wade
Unpaged


Narrates the tale of twelve-year-old Charles Dickens who, despite poverty and long hours of factory work, still has time to discover and share the stories of other residents of 1824 London. Includes author's note about Dickens' life and some of the books he wrote.

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin

Dumpling Days
Grace Lin
Little, Brown
261 pgs.

When Pacy, her two sisters, and their parents go to Taiwan to celebrate Grandma's sixtieth birthday, the girls learn a great deal about their heritage.

Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani

Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani
Veera Hiranandani
Delacorte Press
211 pgs.


When Sonia's father loses his job and she must move from her small, supportive private school to a public middle school, the half-Jewish half-Indian sixth-grader experiences culture shock as she tries to navigate the school's unfamiliar social scene, and after her father is diagnosed with clinical depression, she finds herself becoming even more confused about herself and her family.