Rusty, the boy from the hills
by Ruskin Bond
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 720L · 209 pages · 2002
Why we'd hand it over
A quiet, beautifully observed memoir-novel about finding your place; Bond's affection for the Himalayan foothills seeps into every page, and Rusty's outsider perspective invites kids to think about identity and belonging without preaching.