Olivia Abtahi
Perfectly Parvin
A charming and funny look at the specific anxieties of being 'too different' in middle school, grounded in a warm family dynamic that avoids preachiness.
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Iveliz Explains It All
by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2022
Warm, funny, and genuinely wise about the experience of living between two cultures—Iveliz's voice is funny without being precocious, and the book trusts kids to recognize themselves.
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu
by Wendy Wan Long Shang
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2011
Warm, funny, and genuinely about the internal work of belonging — Lucy's shame is the point, and the book doesn't rush past it to easy acceptance.
Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything In It
by Sundee T. Frazier
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2013
A genuinely thoughtful exploration of biracial identity written with warmth and specificity—kids see themselves in Brendan's everyday confusion and his gradual self-acceptance.