1. Dear Martin
Why:
Teri Lesesne wrote a book called Reading Ladders that basically talks about a way to start with what students are interested in and "rung by rung" connect students from their preference to more complex reading. I would like to say the Dear Martin is a rung to lead to The Hate U Give, however, I don't think it is a rung, I think it is a parallel scaffold to talk about social injustice, racism, finding a voice and literature as a catalyst for social activism.
2. My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life
Why
YA authors are doing a great job of highlighting often marginalized protagonists and making them the moral center of the very diverse and booming multicultural YA literature scene. I am enjoying how books like To All the Boys I've Loved Before and this book, My Flawless. . . highlight multicultural characters who seek to embrace and normalize their different cultural backgrounds and values as part of their coming of age stories. They are not trying to abandon one culture for another, but seek to understand as well as respect each side of themselves. This is not about melting into a generic American pot, but embracing and owning what makes each character special.
3. Don't Date Rosa Santos
Why
This is cute, cute, cute. I think the relationship with Rosa and Mimi, the complication of her mother and her very loyal friends are characters that you want to root for. Even Cuba is a magical character that pulls all of the characters in very interesting ways.
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