After Tupac and D Foster
by Jacqueline Woodson
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 720L (~4th grade) · 2009
Why we'd hand it over
Woodson's lyrical prose and unflinching portrayal of 1990s Black girlhood make this a quiet masterpiece—the kind of book that stays with kids long after they finish, reshaping how they think about friendship and loss.