Lisa Moore Ramée

Shayla gets nervous even thinking about trouble, and so she does her best to follow all the rules. But seventh grade brings a lot of complications involving friendships, boys, and the casual racism she feels all around her. Her two best friends and she have been the United Nations (because she's Black, Isabella is Hispanic, and Julia is Asian) since forever, but now it seems that Julia prefers to be with her Asian friends, Isabella is attracting the attention of the boy Shayla likes, and Shayla is feeling disapproval from some of her classmates - and her sister - for not having any Black friends. All of this is framed by the news story she and her family are following about the trial of a cop who shot a Black man. When the cop is found not guilty, Shayla faces her discomfort with getting into trouble and vows to stir up the good kind.

This middle grade novel would be a great way to ease younger kiddos into thinking about issues of race. It doesn't sugar-coat anything, but it manages to discuss the issues in a medium-stakes kind of way; think The Hate U Give lite.… (altro)