Hush

Written by: Jaqueline Woodson

First line: The mother's dark brown fingers move quickly through a rise of white dough.

Why you should read this book: Toswiah's dad did the right thing in testifying and now her entire life has been uprooted as she trades the home she loved for witness protection. They've even taken her name, and now her once-perfect family has transformed into something bleak and uncomfortable that she barely even recognizes: her mom has a new religion, her sister's ready to abandon them for college, and her dad isn't even a ghost of himself. Now a girl called Evie must learn to harness her own anger and channel it to positive change.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're in witness protection but you still keep accidentally answering to your old name.