This one was on my to-read list for a full year. A student raved about it during a book talk in June of 2019, but I was too deep into Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series to remember that I wanted to read this one.

I’m glad I did.

This middle grade novel is heartbreaking and eye opening. It follows the POVs of two boys: one boy is white and receiving special education services and the other, an immigrant from India. Outsiders in their class, they are forced together, much to their chagrin.

Lessons are learned. Friendships are assumed, made, and broken. My students enjoyed this book and you may too.

I appreciated that the authors wrote in their own voices to lend authenticity to the boy’s experiences.

The thing that especially broke my heart in the story was how prejudiced and useless the adults at school were. It seemed like they had no empathy training and their students took cues from their behavior. Worst!