Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

This is a sensitive book in which Grayson, a sixth-grader, spends his time doodling princesses and castles...he loves glitter pens and dreams of wearing twirly skirts and gowns instead of his boring track pants. Grayson knows he is a girl deep down, but he acts and looks like a boy, to conform with the expectations of his family and classmates.  

After he earns the lead role in the school play - as Persephone - he finds comfort in playing a girl's role on the stage...and in the accepting company of the other cast members.

As readers, we watch Grayson emerge and gain confidence as he struggles with his new identity. This is a sensitive book of courage and acceptance... encouraging you to embrace who you are and to accept the uniqueness of every individual.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Stay Where You Are, and then Leave by John Boyne

John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, brings us another war tale - this time from World War I.  I read this in anticipation of the historical fiction/primary source project that we are doing in 6th grade.  I know very little about WWI, so I thought this would be a good one for me to read.

The book introduces us to Alfie when he is 5 years old (1914), and his dad drives the Milk Float - delivering milk to the local community. When his dad joins the British Army to fight in the war, he tells Alfie that it will be for a short time...five years later, his dad is still away, and Alfie and his mom are struggling to survive. His mom keeps telling him that his dad is on a "secret mission," but Alfie fears the worst...until he discovers quite by accident that his father is in a local hospital, being treated for shell shock.  Upon learning this, Alfie cooks up a plan to break his dad out of the hospital - no matter what it takes.  

Though this is not a quick moving story, I enjoyed the quiet persistence that Alfie shows in 1) helping his mom through tough times; 2) finding out what happened to his dad; and 3) getting his dad out of the restrictive hospital.

When looking for primary sources to connect with this particular book, I found a photograph of a Milk Float (I wasn't sure what that would look like!) and an old, water-stained photograph of the hospital where his father had been treated in the story (the hospital still exists today)

This is a typical milk float or delivery cart, owned by Mr. Harrison (in the float) and his son Luther (by the horse) before and just after the First World War.

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=200621_160574

A water-damaged photo of Ipswich and East Suffolk Hospital 1918 http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-70ghHzqPoas/T6Ahe0YHLlI/AAAAAAAACvA/X_DR4HzucB8/s1600/IpswichEastSuffolkHospital2.jpg

Ashes of Roses by Mary Jane Auch

This historical fiction novel is set in New York City in 1911 - a time when many families were immigrating to the United States to find a better life.  Margaret Rose Nolan arrives at Ellis Island with her family, only to have it all fall apart when her baby brother does not pass the medical tests required upon entry to the US.  Rose is a quietly tenacious protagonist. She and her sister stay in New York on their own - Rose receives a quick education on the hardships of living in the tenements and working in the "sweatshops,"  all while taking care of her younger sister.

Despite the hardships, she is proud of her work and starts to make friends with her co-workers at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory...until the fateful day in 1911 when the factory catches fire.  Rose's account of her escape and subsequent panicked search for her friends and her sister after the fire are riveting. 146 people perished in this tragic fire, which ignited and spread within 30 minutes.   

This historical novel brings the era of the sweatshop to life through Rose's story...and it and offers a great introduction to the Triangle Fire and its legacy. There is an author's note at the end, describing how she used various sources to develop the characters and her story.

Here are two primary sources that connect to Ashes of Roses, showing firefighters putting out the triangle fire (located on the top 3 floors of the building) and showing the crowded conditions in a typical sweatshop:
                            

http://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/photosIllustrationshttp://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/photosIllustrations

Unfriended by Rachel Vail

I'll be up front. I did not love this book. It seems a bit too cliche as it takes on middle school lunch room social strata, mean girl politics, awkward relationships, and cyber-bullying...all through a narrative that is dominated by "text speak."  That being said...for all of these reasons...this book should resonate with middle school students! 

Truly receives the invitation of her dreams when Natasha invites her to sit at the "Popular Table." She never looks back as she walks away from her (previously) best friend, Hazel.  As Truly tries to navigate this new world of friendship (which she is finding is not all that it seemed to be from the outside), Hazel plots her revenge via social media...turning Truly and Natasha against each other.  The results spread like wildfire, and they are just as damaging. 

Intertwined between Truly's and Natasha's destructive dynamics are a variety of underlying personal issues that each member of the group is struggling with, highlighting the important role friendship plays in navigating these kinds of obstacles.