8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Abstract: After half-heartedly joining his church youth group's project at a homeless shelter near his Brooklyn middle school, eighth-grade "loser" Reggie McKnight is inspired to run for school office on a platform of making a real difference in the community.







Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 324 p.

Culture Clash by L. Divine

Abstract: Fed up with the way her school is handling Cultural Awareness Day, Jayd decides to form the first African Student Union. At the same time, she can't deny her attraction for Emilio, the new Latino sophomore at South Bay High.






Publisher: Dafina, 220 p.

Black Magic by Dinah Johnson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Abstract: Presents a poem celebrating the African-American experience and what it means to be part of a strong, proud, and free people.








Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 1 v. (unpaged)

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Abstract: In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.








Publisher: Amistad, 218 p.

Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

Abstract: From the back of the bus, an African American child watches the arrest of Rosa Parks.







Publisher: Philomel, 1 v. (unpaged)

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Abstract: "This picture book is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the momentous Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in, when four college students staged a peaceful protest that became a defining moment in the struggle for racial equality and the growing civil rights movement."--Amazon.com.





Publisher: Little, Brown

Sweet, Hereafter by Angela Johnson

Abstract: Sweet leaves her family and goes to live in a cabin in the woods with the quiet but understanding Curtis, to whom she feels intensely connected, just as he is called back to serve again in Iraq.









Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 118 p.