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While my school has a number of children in third and fourth grade who can comfortably read The First Rule of Punk or Towers Falling, I find that, more often than not, a child comes into the library asking for books that fall into the M-P level range (these are Fountas and Pinnell levels for those not familiar). Alvin even looks like a younger kid on the cover: With some exceptions (Riding Freedom comes to mind), most of the M-P books don’t have the kind of content our 3rd and 4th graders are interested in. After finishing it, I’m not sure I can get a 4th or an end-of-the-year 3rd grader to read it, but I’m glad I found this title anyway. I’m not only going to read middle grade titles in the M-P range, but I’m keeping my eyes open for titles on those levels that our kids won’t find too babyish.

Stella Díaz Has Something to Say, to me, was really a title about the urge to belong and find one’s place in a community (in this case, the community being school). While Stella’s school days aren’t totally comfortable, as she sometimes experiences anxiety while speaking English (and sometimes Spanish, as well), she always has the support of her best friend, Jenny. Stella came to the United States when she was a baby, and has no memory of Mexico (other than second-hand recollections from her mother, brother, and other extended family), which is why she’s surprised when she discovers in class one day that she’s technically a resident or legal alien, meaning someone who, “can stay here as long as they want, but they don’t have as many rights as citizens” and that “after you’ve been a resident for a while you can apply to be a citizen. The word “alien” is a shock to Stella’s system, making her feel even more out-of-place: “I don’t fit in, Mom,” she thinks, “I am different from the people in my class.

While Selena is a superstar when it comes to traditional Mexican dance and speaks Spanish confidently and fluently, Malú shows up to school in too much black eyeliner, hates cilantro, spicy food and meat, dresses in band shirts and jeans, and gets nervous when she has to speak Spanish. The First Rule of Punk is a real feel-good title and if you haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, here’s a peek at what’s sure to make you smile: ♡ Malú’s cheerful, hilarious, and often informative zines, complete with directions on how to dye your hair green, instructions on how to make an ofrenda, a history of The Mexican Farm Supply Program, and information about Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Malú’s namesake, María Luisa Block. Places you wish you could visit in real life: Spins & Needles Records, owned by Malú’s dad, and Calaca Coffee, full of pan dulce, Day of the Dead decorations, soyrizo breakfast tacos, and 80s punk band album covers lining the walls.

That’s when I came to the realization that, while, for me, September 11, 2001 felt like it had just happened, most of the children I worked with at the library were too young to have remembered it (of course, now, I only work with children who hadn’t even been born yet). Through lessons from her teacher, Miss Garcia, about connections and community, and discussions with her new friends, Ben and Sabeen, Déjà begins to understand how the attack on New York has changed her neighborhood, school, and even her own family. At one point, Déjà’s father begins to object to his daughter knowing anything about 9/11, saying that she’s too young to learn about such a traumatic event. For example: Déjà and her family live in a shelter, but she attends a wealthy, fully-resourced school (Socioeconomic Status or Class); Ben is of Latinx descent, Déjà is Black (race); Déjà’s father has difficulty breathing and often has episodes that appear to be panic attacks (Ability); Sabeen’s family is Muslim and are of Turkish descent, and her mother speaks English, Turkish, and Arabic (Religion, Geographic/Regional Background, Language); and Déjà’s