When I was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds

 Ali, age 15,  lives in the Bed Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York with his mom and sister.  His dad is an ex-con who his still working a "hustle" to support himself. Ali befriends two brothers who live in a nearby tenement.  Noodles is toughened by a hard life, and his brother, Needles, deals with Tourette's. Ali tries to steer clear of the worst elements of his environment, and Ali's family try to support Noodles and Needles because they often don't have enough food to eat. Ali takes boxing lessons from an old Vet in exchange for cleaning up his place. One day the boys find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Ali has to use his boxing skills to keep them from being beaten up. As a result, some bad dudes are after all three of them. What can a basically good kid in a bad "hood" do?

This was Jason's Reynold's first book and his genius was already evident. His portrayal of life in the "hood" is authentic, and his characters are sympathetic.  He doesn't sugar coat anything. For example, even though he never states it, it is clear the Noodles and Needle's mom is a sex worker. He lays out what the temptations and dangers are, and then tries to model how someone can successfully navigate them. He also deals with issues about friendship, and how far should you go for a friend. I am so grateful that a writer like Jason Reynolds exists.  I can only imagine all the good he has done in the world. (256 p. 2014)

note: this book is squarely YA.  There are some elements that aren't appropriate for middle grade. 

Of Jasmine and Roses by Jill Warner

 Anna Beasley had an English mother and a Indian father.  She was raised in India until her mother died in an epidemic and then was sent to live with her aunt, who was a baronet, in England.  She was raised along side her cousin to be a proper aristocratic young lady, but when their steward made off with the family fortune, Anna felt obliged to make her own way and became a governess. Even as a governess, her mixed heritage caused problems.  She bounced from household to household until she finally landed where the lady of the house had recently moved up from the merchant class into the aristocracy through an advantageous marriage. At a house party, Anna meets William Thaxton, a third son hoping to make a name for himself in politics. Of all the Englishmen Anna has ever met Mr. Thaxton is the only one who treats her like he would any other lady. They strike up a friendship that then starts to mature into something more.  Then tragedy happens, and they budding regard for each other meets its greatest test. 

Here is a new historical romance writer from Covenant Communications.  She does a decent job.  The fact that Anna isn't a blond, blue eyed beauty is refreshing and I feel like the challenges the couple face are realist, and not just the result of some petty miscommunication. Both main characters have pretty good character development, and both have to sacrifice to make their relationship work out in the end. There is a different ending that I thought the author was leading up to and I thought would have been more satisfying, but the author's ending was fine. This is the first book I have ready by Jill Warner, but it was good enough she has won a tentative place on my Good Clean Romance Writers list. (2023, 256 p)

Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim

Wen Zhou's parents immigrated to Australia looking for a better life.  Instead, Wen's father gave up his medical training and is working at a Chinese restaurant.  There is not much money in the house, but Wen's father expects everyone to maintain appearances even if their clothes are threadbare and discretely mended. He rules the home with an iron hand and has a sometimes explosive temper. Wen is a constant disappointment to him, and she finds solace from his verbal abuse in her friendship with Henry, a first generation Chinese immigrant in her class.  Even though his English isn't very good, he is smart and has dreams of qualifying to attend an exclusive charter school. He and Wen are working together toward that goal with tragedy strikes in Henry's family.  Wen wants to reach out and help her friend, but her mother is afraid of the retribution they would both receive if her father found out. Can Wen find the "tiger" within to help her friend, and maybe heal her own family?

This got a ton of starred reviews when it was first published in the US In 2023. Lim creates such an authentic voice for Wen that one must wonder how much is autobiographical.  I have read many immigrant stories about Chinese Americans, but never of Chinese Australians.  If this story is accurate, the immigrant situation for Chinese people in Australia is just as bad, if not worse, than in America. It was a little different to have the book narrated by someone with an Australian accent, and it made me remember that the US is not the only place where immigrants struggle to adjust to a new life. I thought Lim did a good showing how a girl can realistically stand up to a domineering father.  I also liked seeing Wen's mother be inspired by her daughter's show of strength. This is a good choice for kids who like reading books from other cultures, but young reader beware that it deals with some heavy issues. (192 p. 2023)