The Lions of Little Rock ( 291 pages )

Kristin Levine has written about a 12 year old white girl entering middle school the same year that the Little Rock Nine attempted to integrate the city's schools. This is not the first book on this subject, but I believe it is the first written from the point of view of a Caucasian. Set in 1958, Marlee is one of those kids who doesn't want to draw any attention to herself; so she doesn't talk (except to her sister and brother)! She's a math wiz, however, and uses the repetition of prime numbers to keep her from feeling totally over-whelmed. And then she meets Liz, and for the first time in all of her years of school, she has a friend. Liz is bright, bold, and unknown by Marlee, an African American passing as white. The novel shows that it is possible for a 12 year old to take a stand on something s/he believes to be the correct course to follow. This would pair nicely with Fire In The Rock by Sharon Draper.