Since January, we’ve added over 20 new Discovering Literature books to our expanding collection. With a wide range of reading levels, writing styles, and subject matter, these fresh books are the perfect addition to your classroom library. Check them out!
Piecing Me Together
To achieve her vision of success, teenager Jade believes she must leave her troubled neighborhood, even if that means taking opportunities that seem more humiliating than helpful. Award-winning author Renée Watson’s thoughtful story deals with themes of friendship, identity, privilege, and other issues your students experience every day.
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The 57 Bus
In 2013, two lives changed forever after an assault during a bus ride home from school. As part of a prank gone wrong, 16-year-old Richard lit another passenger—an agender teen named Sasha—on fire. Told in a narrative format, this nonfiction work explores the incident and its subsequent court case and media fallout from all angles. If you’re looking to incorporate social justice and LGBTQ+ topics into your curriculum, The 57 Bus makes a compelling choice.
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You're Welcome, Universe
Art appreciation and Deaf culture come together in this young adult novel by Whitney Gardner. After transferring to a new school, Julia, a deaf student, copes with her loneliness by indulging in her favorite—and illegal—hobby: graffiti art. As she paints her tags around town, Julia soon finds herself in a graffiti war with a fellow vandal. You’re Welcome, Universe tackles themes of communication, complicated friendships, and the struggles of growing up.
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The Crossover
Basketball and poetry collide in Kwame Alexander's award-winning verse novel, The Crossover. Like their father, a former pro basketball star, twin brothers Josh and Jordan are on the road to athletic achievement. When a terrible event rocks their family, the brothers realize there’s more to life than petty competition. Because of the book’s poetic style, even the most reluctant readers will be eager to follow along.
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Blood on the River
Middle school students who love historical fiction will find Blood on the River a fascinating read. This book reimagines the legend of Captain John Smith and the settling of Jamestown as told through the perspective of a boy named Samuel. To further inform readers, the author includes a factual guide describing Virginia’s colonization and links to primary sources at the end of the book.
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Everything I Never Told You
Celeste Ng’s debut novel serves as a powerful lesson in character study. Taking place during the 1970s, Everything I Never Told You follows Marilyn and James Lee, an Asian American couple, as they cope with their daughter Lydia’s suspicious death. While mostly exploring themes of family and relationships, the story also touches on the racism, sexism, and miscegenation prevalent during this time period. Because of its sensitive content, this book is better suited for older students.
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Parable of the Sower
Originally published in 1993, Octavia Butler’s dystopian novel offers a glimpse into an eerily believable future. In Butler’s version of the 2020s, environmental devastation has caused widespread disease, food shortages, and violence. After a fire destroys her neighborhood and kills her family, Lauren Olamina ventures out into the world in search of fellow survivors, eventually establishing a new belief system named Earthseed in the process.
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Every Day
The premise of David Levithan’s bestselling novel is simple: Each day, a spirit named "A" wakes up in someone else’s body. A is content passing from life to life, until they meet a girl named Rhiannon while occupying her boyfriend’s body. Both humorous and thoughtful, this modern love story will keep students pondering the complexities of life and relationships long after they’ve finished reading.
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Refugee
Three different refugee stories come together in this gripping book by Alan Gratz. Though their narratives span time and place, Josef, a Jewish boy in 1939 Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015, all face danger, death, and discrimination on their journeys to seek safety. Refugee is a great choice for middle school students who love historical fiction and realistic narratives.
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The Leavers
When his mother, Polly, an undocumented Chinese immigrant, suddenly goes missing, Deming Guo finds himself completely alone. It’s not until he’s adopted by well-meaning white parents and renamed Daniel Wilkinson that the boy realizes just how much he has lost. Winner of the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Fiction, Lisa Ko’s The Leavers is a powerful novel that examines cultural heritage, familial relationships, and the true meaning of belonging.
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The Wave
Beginning with a simple slogan, “Strength through action, strength through community, strength through courage,” and a salute, a history teacher’s thought experiment goes terribly awry. Based on true events that occurred in a high school in Palo Alto, California, The Wave is an amazing and powerful quick read about the dangers of groupthink and how movements like fascism grow.
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Born a Crime
In Born a Crime, actor and comedian Trevor Noah reflects on his youth in South Africa through eighteen personal essays, beginning with his birth during the dark days of apartheid. Students from all backgrounds will find Noah’s hilarious accounts of his childhood antics and awkward high school years all too relatable. Aside from being a witty coming-of-age tale, Born a Crime is also an insightful look into South African culture and makes an excellent resource for learning more about the country’s history.
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Chasing Lincoln's Killer
The true story of the riveting pursuit of Lincoln’s assassin, Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is based on extensive research but reads like a fast-paced thriller. Adapted from James L. Swanson’s bestselling book, Manhunt, this young adult book is perfect if you’re looking for an American history tie-in, or just an amazing nonfiction selection that your students will love.
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The Poet X
Written by award-winning slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo, The Poet X is an empowering novel-in-verse that explores the complexities of growing up and finding one’s identity. Xiomara Batista, an Afro-Latina teenager, just wants to be heard, but her family’s strict rules and unwanted attention from the neighborhood boys force her to keep quiet. It’s not until she joins her school’s slam poetry club that she musters the courage to speak her mind. High school students of all backgrounds will surely relate to Xiomara’s struggles and triumphs while appreciating Acevedo’s witty writing.
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Bull
Written in verse with each character’s voice taking a different poetic style, David Elliott’s Bull reimagines the classic myth of Theseus and the Minotaur for modern readers. Though the characters and events remain identical to the Greek classic, dark humor and contemporary slang make Bull an accessible and highly entertaining read. Because it contains profanity and suggestive content, this book is better suited for older students.
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Just Mercy
The powerful, true story of one of America’s most committed lawyers, Just Mercy examines the inequalities of the justice system through a life dedicated to defending those most in need. This book is a perfect nonfiction pairing with To Kill a Mockingbird or A Lesson Before Dying. Just Mercy has won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence, the NAACP Image Award, and numerous other awards.
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The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things explores the story of a multi-generational family living under the caste system in 1960s India. Fraternal twins Estha and Rahel live with their mother, grandmother, great aunt, and uncle, all of whom have trouble adhering to society’s rules. When a tragedy occurs on the river outside their home, Estha and Rahel quickly find their world turned upside down. Praised for its unconventional writing style, The God of Small Things is a great novel for analyzing how nonlinear narratives can affect a story’s plot.
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Long Way Down
After his brother is murdered, fifteen-year-old Will sets out for revenge, tucking his brother’s gun into the waistband of his jeans. But as he rides the elevator down from his family’s apartment, Will is confronted by the elevator’s ghostly occupants, all of whom were killed by gun violence. This verse novel by celebrated author Jason Reynolds takes an unflinching look at teenage gun violence and the perpetual cycle of destruction revenge can bring.
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We Are Okay
After her grandfather’s death, Marin found herself struggling with the suffocating feelings of loneliness and grief that came with his passing. To escape her pain, Marin moved across the country, away from everything and everyone she once loved. Now, four months later, Marin’s estranged best friend, Mabel, is coming to visit. Will seeing Mabel again give Marin the strength to confront her darkest feelings? For powerful lessons on character study and a thoughtful look into the effects of depression, consider teaching We Are Okay.
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Stella by Starlight
Your middle-grade readers will love this work of historical fiction by bestselling author Sharon Draper. In the Depression-era South, avoiding discrimination is next to impossible for Stella and her family. But after she accidentally witnesses a Ku Klux Klan rally late one night, life in her segregated community changes for the worse. Told through Stella’s perspective, this novel presents themes relating to prejudice, bravery, and hope in an accessible and ultimately inspiring way.
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The Impossible Knife of Memory
In The Impossible Knife of Memory, Laurie Halse Anderson examines how PTSD can affect military veterans and their families. Hayley Kincaid’s life hasn’t been the same ever since her father returned from Iraq. Many of her teenage years have been spent on the road, moving with her father from place to place as a way to escape his trauma. Now that they’ve settled down in her father’s hometown, will Hayley finally have a chance to live a normal life? Consider teaching this book if you wish to explore a condition that affects thousands of families every day.
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Life as We Knew It
Life on Earth is forever changed when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the planet, causing worldwide natural disasters and mass panic. For sixteen-year-old Miranda and her family, that means finding unconventional ways to survive in this dangerous new environment. Told in a series of journal entries, Life as We Knew It makes an exceptional choice for middle-grade readers looking to explore the science fiction genre.
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March: Book One
Congressman John Lewis presents the incredible story of his life through March, a graphic novel series created in collaboration with co-writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell. This first volume covers Lewis’s early involvement with the civil rights movement, including his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr. and his participation in the Nashville sit-ins. Stunning artwork and the powerful lessons presented in Lewis’s story make March an excellent resource for learning about one of the most turbulent times in United States history.
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You can find all our Discovering Literature books on this complete list.
Have a recommendation for a new Discovering Literature title? Leave a comment below, or send an email to info@prestwickhouse.com. We’re always looking for new books to add!