Children's Books

Astrid and Nicole have been best friends since kindergarten, but going into seventh grade their interests are diverging—especially after Astrid becomes obsessed with girls’ roller derby. This graphic novel doesn’t tone down the violence of the sport, and parents may not appreciate the wild makeup and nicknames the players use. But the game is a metaphor for facing your fears, standing your ground, and playing fair. Roller Girl is funny and insightful about friendship, honesty, and setting things right after you mess them up. Cautions: one misuse of God’s name, and Astrid’s mother is apparently divorced or never married. (Newbery Honor Book)

The War that Saved My Life

Ada’s cruel mother has never allowed her to leave their dreary London flat because of the girl’s clubfoot. But with war looming, Ada smuggles herself and her little brother Jamie aboard a train filled with urban children being evacuated to the English countryside. When a lonely woman reluctantly takes them in, the reader can predict a happy ending; but the road to happiness means learning to trust and accept good gifts as they come. Bradley paints a truthful picture of Ada’s anger and a sense of worthlessness not easily overcome, and her story becomes a picture of grace. (Newbery Honor Book)

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement

Fannie Lou Hamer’s indomitable spirit shines as she travels the country throughout the tumultuous 1960s, urging folks to step up and fight for equality. Hamer even runs for office, all the while belting out the traditional spirituals that thrill her audiences. First-person free verse carries this story, but the real beauty is in the collage illustrations by Ekua Holmes. Sunshiny yellow accentuates Hamer, making her the “light” in nearly every scene. Meaty text, weighty issues, and a couple of crude words make this a picture book for older students, but it is a nice complement to other, longer works about the civil rights movement. (Caldecott Honor Book)

Echo

Friedrich must escape Nazi Germany, Mike must protect his brother from the orphanage, and Ivy’s Mexican-American family faces discrimination: All three youngsters, at separate times and places, find solace in a magical harmonica. Their stories come together in an epilogue that reveals a mystical, unifying thread. The harmonica plays the major theme of this four-movement symphony: that the underprivileged—whether physically handicapped, socioeconomically disadvantaged, or victims of prejudice—all have a song to sing. The story is expertly executed, but readers should remember that music and vague spirituality aren’t enough to foster true hope in adverse circumstances. (Newbery Honor Book)

Spotlight

In 2010 Rita Williams-Garcia published a novel about 11-year-old Delphine and her sisters Vonetta and Fern, and the summer spent in Oakland, Calif., with the mother who had abandoned them years before. One Crazy Summer (Amistad, 2010) won numerous awards, but Williams-Garcia wasn’t done: P.S. Be Eleven (Amistad, 2013) follows the Gaither sisters back to their home in Brooklyn, where their father has a girlfriend and their uncle has some Vietnam War–related issues. The final volume, Gone Crazy in Alabama (Amistad, 2015), sends the girls to their Southern roots.

Though the stories play out against events of the 1960s, including the Black Panther and Freedom Rider movements, their heartbeat is family dynamics. In each volume the girls learn more about themselves and their roots while dealing with disappointment and learning to accept each other. Williams-Garcia tackles problems like divorce, drug use, and violence with a light touch, ending with a loving and ultimately optimistic snapshot of African-American family life. —J.B.C.