by Henry K.

Books. Books can communicate big issues through fun stories. These are a couple of books that do talk about these big ideas.

Linked by Gordon Korman

Cover by Yaffa Jaskoll

Swastikas. A symbol of hate. A symbol of the Nazis, a group led by Adolf Hitler that murdered thousands of Jewish people. Now, In the small town of Chokecherry, Colorado, these symbols of hate have resurfaced. Michael, the first person to see the swastika is a prime suspect. Link, the most popular kid in town and a lot of pressure on his shoulders from his parents, is expected to figure out who did it. Dana, the only Jewish kid in town, is treated like an outsider more than ever. As tensions rise and more swastikas appear, the town’s racist past rises to the light. To fight all this negativity, the town starts a project that will expand beyond their imagination. If you are interested, you can check this book out of the Lower School Library.

New From Here by Kelly Yang

Cover by Maike Plenzke

COVID-19. It seems unavoidable. Well, New From Here is a novel about a family running from COVID. Meet Knox Wei-Evans, a boy born in Hong Kong. When COVID hits, Knox, his big brother Bowen, his little sister Lea, and his mom go to the United States, leaving his father behind. Taking place during the height of the pandemic, this is a story of family, Asian Hate, uncertainty, and a shortage of toilet paper. This book is not yet part of the Hackley Library collection, but you can find it at your local library or order it online.

I hope that you find these books interesting!