 Amara has always wanted to visit Harlem, where her father grew up. She wants to walk the streets he walked at her age, and meet her grandfather and cousins that she has only ever spoken with on the phone. With the imminent arrival of a baby sister on the horizon, Amara knows time is running out for now. When her parents finally relent and let Amara accompany her father on a business trip, Amara is beyond excited.
When she gets to New York she discovers that her family and the city are not exactly as she imagined. For one thing, her father isn't speaking to her grandfather. Also, her cousin Ava doesn't exactly give her a warm reception. Amara realizes she is going to have to navigate more than just the city streets to learn her family history. A well-crafted story about discovering your family history and finding beauty and joy in the small things. You feel as if you are walking the streets of Harlem with Amara. Recommended for grades 4 and up.
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 When Mia's family moves back to Vermont she breathes a sigh of relief to be away from Boston. When her mom tells her she needs to do two summer camps, one for her mind and one for her body, she chooses Warrior Camp and Launch Camp. In Launch Camp, she and her new friends are aiming to help her grandmother get her cricket farm successful, but something or someone is sabotaging it. She struggles more with Warrior Camp with bad memories from gymnastics surfacing as she grapples with something that happened in Boston. Part mystery, part friendship story this #metoo novel is all heart, Mia and her friends will make you smile and admire their bravery and creativity. Recommended for grades 5 and up.
 Zuri and her sisters have always lived in Bushwick. They love their neighborhood. So when the house across the street is renovated to be a mini mansion and a new family moves in, Zuri knows right away they don't belong. She can't stand them, especially arrogant Darius. But as her world opens up so does her heart. Is there room in there for the Darcy boy?
I loved this retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the author's childhood hometown. The characters are well developed, the story is beautifully told and I highly suggest you listen to the audiobook narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo. Recommended for grades 7 and up.  Marin left home and didn't turn back, not even when her best friend Mabel reaches out. When Mabel decides to come visit her in college, Marin has to face what happened to her. Will she be able to move forward or will she refuse to allow Mabel back into her life?
This powerful story of betrayal and loss moves quietly and slowly, but will leave you profoundly moved. A beautifully written story that shows how love and loss affect each of us differently. Recommended for 8th grade and above.  Arturo is trying to save his family restaurant, and navigate his first crush without his two best friends who are away for the summer. When a slick developer comes to town and threatens the family restaurant can Arturo find the voice he needs to speak up? Can he find the words to tell Carmen how he feels about her? Or is he in for an epic fail? With fantastic characters, and wonderful story this book will steal your heart and have you rooting all the way for the Zamoras! Recommended for grades 5th and up.
 Jarrett is used to having a revolving door of babies in his house. After all his Mother is a foster parent who takes in the babies temporarily while they find a more permanent place for them. All that changes the day his mother takes 2 year old Treasure - and her 12 year old brother, Kevon after Treasure was hurt at home and no parent could be located. Right from the start Jarrett and Kevon don't get along. Jarrett resents having to share his room, and Kevon resents having someone else taking care of Treasure. Jarrett just knows Kevon is lying about what happened to Treasure, and is determined to find out what happened. But can he handle the consequences? Can the two of them ever become friends? Booth does a fantastic job in capturing the emotions of these boys on the page as well as building a story that you will find hard to put down. Winner of the Washington State Sasquatch Award, this is one book everyone should read. For grades 5th and up.
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