Books on TCKs for Children in Upper Elementary
For Ages 10-13
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Ryan uses the experiences of her Mexican grandmother as the basis for this compelling story of immigration and assimilation, not only to a new country but also into a different social class.
Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz
The author’s fictionalized version, though all the events are true, of her childhood in China in the 1920’s.
I’m New Here by Bud Howlett
Spanish speaking Jazmin integrates into an English speaking school. Her mother prepares her, and a bilingual teacher helps, but Jazmin still feels on the outside.
New Kid by Jerry Craft
The book is a graphic novel about Jordan trying to fit in at a new school. It has a number of TCK parallels.
Wingman by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
Short novel about Donald Chen, a Chinese-American native New Yorker, who felt alienated from school and created his own comic book hero, Wingman, to help him with the difficulties he experienced. Portrays the strengths of the Chinese-American family and reveals how a teacher was able to encourage the work of an individual child by valuing the child’s abilities and cultural background.
The Year My Parents Ruined My Life by Martha Freeman
Chronicles a middle schooler’s feelings about leaving suburban beachside sunny California and moving to a small rural town in Pennsylvania in the middle of winter. A novel about adjusting to a new town, sibling rivalry, and the qualities that make a house a real home.