Nouveau! My Year in the Middle
Details
http://classroomessentials.scholastic.ca/fr/-my-year-in-the-middle-/3506360-cec-ca.htmlDescription
In a racially divided classroom in 1970s Alabama, blacks sit on one side, and whites sit on the other. So where does that leave Lu, a Latina who doesn't seem to fit in anywhere?
Good For:
Immersive Historical Fiction, Appealing Latina Heroine, Inspiring Coming-of-Age Novel, Modeling Stand-Alone Courage and Moral Conviction
Topics and Themes:
Middle School, Alabama, George Wallace, Racism, Desegregation, Latinas, Racial Identity, Track, Friendship
Sixth grader Lu Olivera just wants to keep her head down and get along with everyone in her class. The trouble is, Lu's old friends have been changing lately, acting boy crazy and making snide remarks about Lu's newfound talent for running track.
Lu's secret hope for a new friend is fellow runner Belinda Gresham, but in 1970 Red Grove, Alabama, blacks and whites don't mix. As segregationist ex-governor George Wallace ramps up his campaign against the current governor, growing tensions in the state, and in the classroom, mean that Lu can't stay neutral about the racial divide at school. Will she find the courage to stand up for what's right and to choose friends who do the same?