Karen English

When the sixteen-year-old boy whom she tutors in reading is accused of attempting to murder a white man, Francie gets herself in serious trouble for her efforts at friendship.

"In the summer of 1965, Sophie's family becomes the first African Americans to move into their upper middle-class neighborhood in Los Angeles. When riots erupt in nearby Watts, she learns that life and her own place in it are a lot more complicated than they had seemed"--

"Third-grader Gavin and his friends aren't sure what to make of the new boy in their class, Khufu. He doesn't look or act like other kids. When Gavin's bike goes missing, they think Khufu stole it, but did he?"--

When Bernardo comes to live with Carlos temporarily, taking over his top bunk, his spot on the school soccer team, and even his Papi's attention, Carlos knows he is not happy, but worse, Bernardo starts messing with Carlos's pet geckos, so Carlos tries to see past his cousin's annoying ways and keep the peace for his family's sake.

When an arrogant new girl comes to school, third-graders and best friends Nikki and Deja decide to form a club that would exclude her but find the results not what they expected.

As her eighth birthday approaches, Deja's biggest concern is whether her father will attend her party, until her aunt is called away on business and a classmate schedules a "just because party" on the same afternoon.

Marisol, who is bilingual, is sometimes overwhelmed when her Spanish-speaking family members and neighbors need her to translate for them.

137 PAGES ILLUS. $14.99. 2015013602. ILLUS: LAURA FREEMAN. WHEN BERNARDO COMES TO LIVE WITH CARLOS TEMPORARILY , TAKING OVER HIS TOP BUNK, HIS SPOT ON THE SCHOOL SOCCER TEAM, AND EVEN HIS PAPI'S ATTENTION, CARLOS KNOWS HE IS NOT HAPPY, BUT WORSE, BERNARDO STARTS MESSING IWTH CARLOS'S PET GECKOS, SO CARLOS TRIES TO SEE PAST HIS COUSIN'S ANNOYING WAYS AND KEEP THE PEACE FOR HIS FAMILY SAKE.