Wonder

Written by: RJ Palacio

First line: I know I’m not an ordinary ten-year-old kid.

Why you should read this book: Auggie Pullman really hit the genetic lottery with an astonishing combination of chromosomal abnormalities that make his face anything but ordinary, which he knows, because of the way other kids run away screaming when they see him on the playground. All his life he's been sick and set apart from the world that most kids inhabit, but his mother wants him to start fifth grade with other kids his age, and Auggie lets himself be convinced that he could possibly do this one thing like a normal kid. Told in multiple points of view, including Auggie's, his sister's, his friends, and his sister's friends, this is the story of a prejudice and perseverance, torture and triumph, as Auggie navigates the real world, populated by real people, and works through his real problems.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You know you'd feel better if you could just fix that little crooked part of your nose.

What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky

Written by: Lesley Nneka Arimah

First line: Ezinma fumbles the keys against the lock and doesn't see what came behind her: Her father as a boy when he was still tender, vying for his mother's affection.

Why you should read this book: The fictions populating this collection are short, but they each pack their own powerful punch in a mixture of realistic, magical, and fantastic stories that deal with love and families and relationships, especially as these concepts pertain to mothers and daughters. Some stories speak of the reality of Nigerian children sent to other family members, other countries, for financial reasons or behavioral reasons or cultural reasons, while other stories examine grief and loss through the lens of speculative fiction. Delightful and provocative, each piece in this book is a polished, multi-faceted gem offering multiple windows into the world.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You never gave your mother a moment's worry.