Sue Hirsch
Becoming Cleo at the Renaissance Faire
A lighthearted escape into a whimsical setting that works well for readers who enjoy quirky, low-stakes adventures.
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A magic-system adventure that takes its mixed-heritage protagonist's identity seriously — not as a side plot, but as the engine of the story.

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Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2026
A sharp, character-driven entry point to mythological adventure that centers South Asian representation without preaching — smart kids recognize themselves in the protagonist's internal conflict.

The Black God's Drums
by P. Djèlí Clark
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 780L · 2018
A Deaf protagonist in a richly imagined alternate-history New Orleans who saves the city through courage, resourcefulness, and trust in her own senses—rare, specific, and genuinely page-turning.