A mom, dad, and 2.5 kids is no longer the family norm―if there ever was such a thing as “normal”. Today’s families are blended, made up of different cultures and circumstances. Fortunately, current children’s literature reflects these growing trends, including books that feature biracial kids, dads that travel for work, and matriarch-led households. Offer these new titles from award-winning fan favorites selected by the editors at Junior Library Guild. LORD, Cynthia. Half a Chance. Scholastic. 2014. ISBN 9780545035330. JLG Level: B : Upper Elementary & Junior High (Grades 5–7). More than anything, Lucy wants her father to recognize her talent as a photographer. It’s hard for him to notice when he’s always on a trip shooting photos himself. So when an opportunity to enter a contest using her new friend Nate’s name as an alias crops up, she takes it. How could she know that her attempts to bring her family together would reveal problems in Nate’s family? Lord’s poignant tale of friends and family lends itself to discussion about photography and privacy. It could be an opportunity to explore copyright and fair use. Certainly students will want to take pictures of their own, creating their own unique portfolios. This title would be great for use in a science classroom in bird preservation units; visit the official Loon Preservation site for ideas about student involvement. Check out the author’s website for more teaching ideas. You can also read her blog and follow her on Twitter and Facebook. For these and other resources, visit the JLG BTG LiveBinder. MORPUGO, Michael. A Medal for Leroy. Feiwel & Friends. 2014. ISBN 9781250039804. JLG Level: B : Upper Elementary & Junior High (Grades 5–7). Michael never knew his father. He died in World War II before he was born. Though his aunts raised him, neither they nor his mom ever talks about him. Things change when Auntie Snowdrop leaves a secret letter for him when she dies. Her tale not only teaches him about his father, but it changes everything he thought to be true. Inspired by the true story of Walter Tull, the first black officer in the British Navy, as well as the author’s own background, Morpugo’s story explores racial prejudice and family values of the past that are still quite relevant in current society. On the author’s website you’ll find teaching resources, including lesson plans. Want to know what he’s working on? Sign up for his newsletter. PHILBRICK, Rodman. Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina. Scholastic/Blue Sky. 2014. ISBN 9780545342384. JLG Level: B : Upper Elementary & Junior High (Grades 5–7). Zane Dupree didn’t plan to spend the last week of summer in a hurricane. His great-grandmother raised the father he never knew. Trissy, a force to be reckoned with, is the African American matriarch in an old New Orleans neighborhood. Growing up in a white family, every experience―even attending church―is fascinating for Zane. When his mutt-of-a-dog Bandy leads Zane away from safety, he learns about family, humanity, and friendship. It gives him the courage to survive horrific circumstances, making him stronger for it. Philbrick’s website is very thorough―bibliography, biography, and resources. You can follow him on Twitter. Scholastic has published a free discussion guide that meets Common Core State Standards. Students who want to know more about Hurricane Katrina can visit History.com for videos, articles, and speeches. The JLG Booktalks to Go LiveBinder includes these and additional resources. WOODS, Brenda. The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Bks. 2014. ISBN 9780399257148. JLG Level: B+ : Upper Elementary & Junior High (Grades 5–7). Violet Diamond misses her daddy. An odd thing, really, when you learn she has never met him. He died before she was born. Her family loves her to pieces, but she’s always feels incomplete. She gets frustrated when folks learn that she and Daisy are sisters. You see, Daisy is white. Violet’s dad was not. Maybe it’s time for feelings to heal and families to unite. Maybe it’s time for her to meet the black side of her family. Violet’s story of family discovery adds a twist on the complexities a child may face. For more about the novel, read SLJ’s Pick of the Day review. For a taste of the story, read an excerpt at Penguin. Read about the author on her website. The Brown Bookshelf has a really good interview with her. Additional Resources In an effort to organize these links, I have created a LiveBinder. All websites will be posted within the LiveBinder, along with the accompanying booktalk. As I write more columns, more books and their resources will be added. Simply go to JLG Booktalks to Go where you will see LiveBinder main tabs. Each tab is a book title. Under each color-coded tab are gray subtabs with links to media, websites, and other related documents. Everything you need to teach or share brand new, hot-off-the-press books is now all in one place. Please visit JLG’s new LiveBinder, JLG Booktalks to Go. For library resources, tips, and ideas, please visit JLG’s Shelf Life Blog. Junior Library Guild (JLG) is a collection development service that helps school and public libraries acquire the best new children’s and young adult books. Season after season, year after year, Junior Library Guild book selections go on to win awards, collect starred or favorable reviews, and earn industry honors. Visit us at www.JuniorLibraryGuild.com. (NOTE: JLG is owned by Media Source, Inc., SLJ’s parent company.)