Just as I felt after I read Long Way Down, I feel that the middle grade novel-in-verse Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020) gave me a window into a different world. In this story, ZJ is dealing with his father’s progressive cognitive decline, which comes with nightmarish migraines, mood swings,

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In the middle grade graphic novel Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson (Dial Books, March 2015), Astrid finds her interests differing from that of her best friend Nicole for the first time. Although Astrid wants to try an exciting new hobby the summer before sixth grade, Nicole wants to keep it safe by going to ballet

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Play Ball, Jackie! by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Joe Morse (Millbrook Press, 2011) tells the story of Jackie Robinson’s open day of baseball as told from the perspective of a young Italian-American boy and his father. I’m not a fan of baseball, but there was something touching about this story even for someone unfamiliar with baseball

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