I’m getting back to posting about new releases coming out this week for this post I’m focusing on middle grade releases. I’m trying to focus on diverse books with these books focusing on everything from trans issues to protagonists of color.
Check out this story about diverse protagonist Sparrow Malone is a nonbinary person learning to navigate a binary world
It’s exhausting trying to be the perfect daughter. Still, getting good grades without making any waves may be the only way to distract from the fact that Sparrow Malone’s mother is on the verge of falling apart. Which means no getting upset. No being weird. No standing out for the wrong reasons.
But when Mom’s attempts to cope spiral out of control, Sparrow is sent to live with Aunt Mags on a sprawling estate full of interesting, colorful new neighbors. And for the first time, trying to fit in doesn’t feel right anymore. Even Sparrow’s shadow has stopped following the rules.
As Shadow nudges Sparrow to try all the scary, exciting things Mom has always forbidden, Sparrow begins to realize something life-changing: They don’t feel like a girl. Or a boy. And while this discovery is exciting, now Sparrow must decide whether to tell everyone―their new family and friends, not-so-secret crush, and, most importantly, their mom―the truth, especially if it means things change forever.
Amazon: The Beautiful Something Else
Check out this book about Eleven-year-old Alina Butt has changed schools four times already since her family moved to England from Pakistan. Even after all that practice, she doesn’t seem to be getting any better at being the new kid. Mocked for her last name and her “weird” lunches, the school isn’t used to anything diverse and Alina has had enough! Taking a leap of faith to try and stand out for the “right” reasons, Alina auditions for the school play. Her hopes of landing the lead role in Cinderella are dashed when her new friend gets the part of Cinderella instead…and her bully is cast as Prince Charming!
Alina must rely on her stubborn will and wacky sense of humor to survive the endlessly embarrassing and ridiculous situations she finds herself in and discover her own unique way to shine!
Amazon: The Unloveable Alina Butt
Mihi Ever After: A Giant Problem
In this second novel in the Mihi Ever After Series After just barely surviving their last trip to the Rainbow Realm, Mihi Whan Park and her friends Reese and Savannah know that stepping back through the library refrigerator and into the magical fairy-tale world would be a dangerous choice. But when they discover that Mihi’s nemesis, Genevieve, has crossed through the fridge and into the Rainbow Realm herself, Mihi, Reese, and Savannah decide they must bring her home.
Through the refrigerator they go, and when they arrive, they find the world has changed. Atop an enormous beanstalk, a greedy giant wreaks havoc on the realm, and Genevieve isn’t the only one who needs saving. Now Mihi and her friends must team up with villains, concoct a magical disguise, and infiltrate a party full of the most fearsome creatures in all the land. What could possibly go wrong?
Amazon: Mihi Ever After: A Giant Problem
Plaid Reader Reviews 