Books like 'A Jar of Dreams'
Readers who enjoyed A Jar of Dreams by Yoshiko Uchida also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical historical-fiction realistic children family poc-mc social-commentary asian-mc coming-of-age
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The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBook Description Publication Date: 2011 When young Trisha finds out her class at the new school is known as "The Junkyard," she is devastated. She moved from her old town so she wouldn't be in a special class anymore! But then she meets her teacher, the quirky and invincible Mrs. Peterson, and her classmates, an oddly brilliant group of students each with his or her own unique talent...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary book bullying children-books -
![Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson]()
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids.I couldn't go to their schools.I couldn't drink from their water fountains.There were so many things I couldn't do. In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak...Categorized as:
historical-fiction social-commentary children poc-mc family realistic children-books historical -
![Three Keys by Kelly Yang]()
Three Keys by Kelly Yang
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMia Tang thinks she's going to have the best year ever.She and her parents are the proud owners of the Calivista Motel, Mia gets to run the front desk with her best friend, Lupe, and she's finally getting somewhere with her writing!But as it turns out, sixth grade is no picnic...1. Mia's new teacher doesn't think her writing is all that great...Categorized as:
asian-mc children coming-of-age family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary -
![Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca]()
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn #ownvoices novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia.Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic family poc-mc children coming-of-age middle-grade fiction -
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![Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall]()
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall invites readers to peek through windows that shine like real glass on this lavish book’s cover, and explore the dollhouse-like world of a beloved farmhouse where twelve children were born and raised.Over a hill, at the end of a road, by a glittering stream that twists and turns stands a farmhouse...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction realistic children children-books fiction historical multigenerational -
![Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles]()
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwo boys—one black, one white—are best friends in the segregated 1960s South in this picture book about friends sticking together through thick and thin.John Henry swims better than anyone I know. He crawls like a catfish, blows bubbles like a swamp monster, but he doesn’t swim in the town pool with me. He’s not allowed. Joe and John Henry are a lot alike...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary black-mc -
![My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom]()
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the award-winning and bestselling author of We Are Water Protectors comes an empowering picture book about family history, self-expression, and reclaiming your identityOur ancestors say our hair is our memories,our source of strength and power,a celebration of our lives.Mom never had long hair—she was told it was too wild. Grandma couldn’t have long hair—hers was taken from her...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction realistic children poc-mc children-books fiction indigenous-mc -
![The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco]()
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThis 25th anniversary edition of a beloved and bestselling classic about family and tradition includes fifteen pages of bonus material.“We will make a quilt to help us always remember home,” Anna’s mother said. “It will be like having the family in backhome Russia dance around us at night.” And so it was... -
![Room to Dream by Kelly Yang]()
Room to Dream by Kelly Yang
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMia Tang is going for her dreams!After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family -- to China! A total dream come true! Mia can't wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China's going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like . . .1...Categorized as:
asian-mc children coming-of-age family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary -
![The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi]()
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe new kid in school needs a new name! Or does she?Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week... -
![The Colours of Love by Rita Bradshaw]()
The Colours of Love by Rita Bradshaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan love survive when all is lost? England is at war, but nothing can dim land girl Esther Wynford's happiness at marrying the love of her life - fighter pilot Monty Grant. Their short honeymoon results in a baby, but on the birth of her daughter, Joy, Esther's world falls apart... -
![New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer]()
New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsElla Mae is used to wearing her cousin's hand-me-down shoes—but when her latest pair is already too tight, she's thrilled at the chance to get new shoes.But at the shoe store, Ella Mae and her mother have to wait until there are no white customers to serve first...Categorized as:
historical-fiction social-commentary realistic poc-mc children family historical children-books -
![Goin' Someplace Special by Jerry Pinkney, Patricia C. McKissack]()
Goin' Someplace Special by Jerry Pinkney, Patricia C. McKissack
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings1950s Nashville, Tennessee is segregated, and black people are persecuted, but young Tricia Ann is determined to venture on her own across town to someplace special. A must read book about persecution of minorities, but also about hope and light... -
![Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan by Ashley Bryan]()
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan by Ashley Bryan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNewbery Honor Book Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book Using original slave auction and plantation estate documents, Ashley Bryan offers a moving and powerful picture book that contrasts the monetary value of a person with the priceless value of life experiences and dreams that a slave owner could never take away... -
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![The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman, Bagram Ibatoulline]()
The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman, Bagram Ibatoulline
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"Pick whatever you like most. Then I’ll tell you its story." When a little girl visits her great-grandfather at his curio-filled home, she chooses an unusual object to learn about: an old cigar box. What she finds inside surprises her: a collection of matchboxes making up her great-grandfather’s diary, harboring objects she can hold in her hand, each one evoking a memory...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure book children-books -
![Gabrielle by Marie Laberge]()
Gabrielle by Marie Laberge
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsQuébec, 1930. Gabrielle est mariée avec Edward depuis bientôt dix ans. Entre la maison de l’île d’Orléans et celle de la Grande-Allée, elle mène une vie bien remplie, entourée de ses cinq enfants. De toute évidence, il s’agit d’un mariage heureux. Mais cette chose qui devrait être si simple fait pourtant froncer bien des sourcils dans l’entourage de Gabrielle... -
![Swansea Summer by Catrin Collier]()
Swansea Summer by Catrin Collier
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNewly promoted DI Matt Pryor is disappointed when his first case seems to be a simple death from natural causes - that is, until the post-mortem shows something quite unexpected ... The elderly man who died on a Cardiff train was murdered - poisoned - by one of the other passengers... -
![Orphan Train Girl by Christina Baker Kline]()
Orphan Train Girl by Christina Baker Kline
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis young readers’ edition of Christina Baker Kline’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel Orphan Train follows a twelve-year-old foster girl who forms an unlikely bond with a ninety-one-year-old woman. Adapted and condensed for a young audience, Orphan Train Girl includes an author’s note and archival photos from the orphan train era... -
![Of Mice and Men by Kevin Hinkle, John Steinbeck]()
Of Mice and Men by Kevin Hinkle, John Steinbeck
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratings...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction realistic book classics fiction historical literary -
![Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco]()
Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn Irish family stays together with the help of Fiona’s talent for making one-of-a-kind lace in this heartwarming immigration story from the New York Times bestselling creator of The Keeping Quilt.Many years ago, times were hard in all of Ireland, so when passage to America becomes available, Fiona and her family travel to Chicago...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children poc-mc realistic children-books historical fiction -
![Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter]()
Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis gorgeous picture book shows how one little girl’s careful tending of a pecan tree creates the living center of a loving, intergenerational Black family. For Earth Day and every day! Perfect for fans of Matt de la Peña and Oge Mora... -
![Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome]()
Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA window into a child's experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators of Before She Was Harriet and Finding Langston . Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North-- one she can't begin to imagine...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children poc-mc realistic children-books historical fiction -
![A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson]()
A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTwo young girls not only witness but help to change history in this inspiring and urgent Civil Rights-era picture book by three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Angela Johnson.There's a sweet, sweet smell in the air as two young girls sneak out of their house, down the street, and across town to where men and women are gathered, ready to march for freedom and justice...Categorized as:
historical-fiction social-commentary realistic poc-mc children family children-books historical -
![Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay]()
Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the author of the National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing comes an emotionally charged, moving novel about four generations of Filipino American boys grappling with identity, masculinity, and their fraught father-son relationships.Watsonville, 1930. Francisco Maghabol barely ekes out a living in the fields of California...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family realistic poc-mc social-commentary coming-of-age young-adult fiction -
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![People of the Nightland by W. Michael Gear, Kathleen O'Neal Gear]()
People of the Nightland by W. Michael Gear, Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt has been a thousand years since Wolf Dreamer lead his people up through the dark hole in the ice to a rich, untouched continent bursting with game. But the world has changed. Most of the magnificent animals are gone, and the last of the great glaciers is melting, forming a huge freshwater lake in the middle of the world. Over the centuries the People of the Wolf have split into two clans... -
![How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani]()
How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNew historical fiction from a Newbery Honor-winning author about how middle schooler Ariel Goldberg's life changes when her big sister elopes following the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, and she's forced to grapple with both her family's prejudice and the antisemitism she experiences, as she defines her own beliefs...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family realistic social-commentary children coming-of-age poc-mc middle-grade -
![Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall]()
Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsRuby is unlike most little girls in old China. Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to attend university when she grows up, just like the boys in her family...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family realistic poc-mc children social-commentary children-books fiction -
![Fifth Born by Zelda Lockhart]()
Fifth Born by Zelda Lockhart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Odessa Blackburn is three years old her beloved grandmother dies, and so begins her story, set in St. Louis, Missouri, and rural Mississippi. As the fifth born of eight children, Odessa loses her innocence at first when her drunken father sexually abuses her, and then again when she alone witnesses her father taking the life of his own brother... -
![This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, James E. Ransome]()
This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, James E. Ransome
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJacqueline Woodson--New York TimesBestselling, National Book Award andNewbery Honor winning author--writes arich story of a family adapting to change as they hold on to the past and embrace the future. WithCoretta Scott King Award winning illustrator James Ransome.During the time of the Great Migration, millions of African American families relocated from the South, seeking better opportunities...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary action-adventure audiobook -
![Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh]()
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFor fans of Inside Out and Back Again and Amina’s Voice comes a breathtaking story of family, hope, and survival from Ellen Oh, cofounder of We Need Diverse Books. When Junie Kim is faced with middle school racism, she learns of her grandparents’ extraordinary strength and finds her voice...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic family children poc-mc asian-mc social-commentary coming-of-age -
![All the Children Are Home by Patry Francis]()
All the Children Are Home by Patry Francis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA sweeping saga in the vein of Ask Again, Yes following a foster family through almost a decade of dazzling triumph and wrenching heartbreak—from the author of The Orphans at Race Point... -
![Earl, Honey by D.S. Getson, Denise Getson]()
Earl, Honey by D.S. Getson, Denise Getson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEARL HAHN is slow, the last one to catch on to things. Since the day his father hit him in the head with a two-by-four of loblolly pine, he’s struggled with a “thickness in his brain.” It takes him longer to make the connections others arrive at easily. When his father is prosecuted for the crime of incest, it feels like deliverance for Earl, his mother Lizzie Belle and the entire Hahn family... -
![Outbound Train by Renea Winchester]()
Outbound Train by Renea Winchester
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn 1976, memories from a night near the railroad tracks sixteen years earlier haunt Barbara Parker. She wrestles with past demons every night, then wakes to the train’s five-thirty whistle. Exhausted and dreading the day, she keeps her hands busy working in Bryson City’s textile plant, known as the “blue jean plant,” all the while worrying about her teenage daughter, Carole Anne... -
![Born in a Treacherous time by Jacqui Murray]()
Born in a Treacherous time by Jacqui Murray
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBorn in the harsh world of East Africa 1.8 million years ago, where hunger, death, and predation are a normal part of daily life, Lucy and her band of early humans struggle to survive. It is a time in history when they are relentlessly annihilated by predators, nature, their own people, and the next iteration of man. To make it worse, Lucy’s band hates her... -
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![Saddle The Wind by Jess Foley]()
Saddle The Wind by Jess Foley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLet much loved author Jess Foley sweep you away with this beautifully breathtaking saga of one woman's search for love and fulfilment. Fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Katie Flynn will absolutely love this... -
![Forgotten by Jeanne Hardt]()
Forgotten by Jeanne Hardt
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRumor has it, the war is about to end. But that doesn’t stop Billy Denton from running away to enlist. He’s lived a privileged life on the Wellesley estate, where slavery is seen as a necessary means to operate their textile production. Believing no human should be enslaved by another, he’s willing to fight—and even die—to change the future of the woman who holds his heart... -
![Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens]()
Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGrammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut. I learned your words and wrote my song. I put my story down...Categorized as:
family children historical-fiction poc-mc social-commentary children-books historical outdoors -
![The Cheerleader by Ruth Doan MacDougall]()
The Cheerleader by Ruth Doan MacDougall
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFirst published in 1973 and 1974 by Putnam and Bantam, The Cheerleader was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, optioned by Twentieth Century-Fox, made into an NBC sitcom pilot, and became a best-seller beloved by generations of readers. p/pThe reprint of this classic coming-of-age novel features a foreword by English professor Ann V...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction realistic book children-books fiction historical teens -
![Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson]()
Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLindy and her doll Sally are best friends - wherever Lindy goes, Sally stays right by her side. They eat together, sleep together, and even pick cotton together. So, on the night Lindy and her mama run away in search of freedom, Sally goes too. This young girl's rag doll vividly narrates her enslaved family's courageous escape through the Underground Railroad...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary action-adventure black-mc -
![In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo]()
In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA novel in verse about a young Taiwanese immigrant to America who is confronted by the stark difference between dreams and reality.Anna can’t wait to move to the beautiful country—the Chinese name for America. Although she’s only ever known life in Taiwan, she can’t help but brag about the move to her family and friends.But the beautiful country isn’t anything like Anna pictured...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic coming-of-age children family poc-mc social-commentary middle-grade -
![Like Vanessa by Tami Charles]()
Like Vanessa by Tami Charles
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this semi-autobiographical debut novel set in 1983, Vanessa Martin's real-life reality of living with family in public housing in Newark, New Jersey is a far cry from the glamorous Miss America stage. She struggles with an incarcerated mother she barely remembers, a grandfather dealing with addiction and her own battle with self-confidence...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary audiobook -
![A Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar]()
A Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings**Four starred reviews!**A farm-working girl with big dreams meets activist Dolores Huerta and joins the 1965 protest for workers’ rights in this tender-hearted novel in verse, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia and Pam Muñoz Ryan.Lula Viramontes aches to one day become someone whom no one can a daring ringleader in a Mexican traveling circus...Categorized as:
historical-fiction social-commentary family poc-mc children realistic coming-of-age middle-grade -
![Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold]()
Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIllus. in full color. Cassie, who flew above New York in Tar Beach, soars into the sky once more. This time, she and her brother Be Be meet a train full of people, and Be Be joins them. But the train departs before Cassie can climb aboard...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary action-adventure black-mc -
![Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris]()
Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne day, Kamala and Maya had an idea. A big idea: they would turn their empty apartment courtyard into a playground!This is the uplifting tale of how the author’s aunt and mother first learned to persevere in the face of disappointment and turned a dream into reality. This is a story of children’s ability to make a difference and of a community coming together to transform their neighborhood... -
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![Firehorse by Diane Lee Wilson]()
Firehorse by Diane Lee Wilson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen fifteen-year-old Rachel is forced to move to Boston in 1872, she is furious. She is also lonely, for her beloved horse, Peaches, has been sold. But Rachel soon finds a horse that needs her, and needs her desperately: The Governor's Girl, a famous firehorse, has been badly burned. Rachel gets permission to care for the Girl in a stable behind her house... -
![Grandfather's Dance by Patricia MacLachlan]()
Grandfather's Dance by Patricia MacLachlan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCould anything be more perfect than a prairie wedding? Cassie doesn't think so, for a wedding brings: Two lovebirds together, Aunts from faraway Maine, A long white dress with a wedding veil, Zinnias, Satin ribbons, Dancing under a clear blue sky, And a world that smells of roses...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family historical-fiction realistic book children-books classics -
![Babushka's Doll by Patricia Polacco]()
Babushka's Doll by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBabushka's doll was special. She had played with it only once, when she was a little girl like her high-spirited granddaughter, Natasha. Now Babushka is going to the store and it's Natasha's turn to take the little doll down from the high shelf... -
![Encounter by Jane Yolen]()
Encounter by Jane Yolen
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Christopher Columbus landed on the island of San Salvador in 1492, what he discovered were the Taino Indians. Told from a young Taino boy’s point of view, this is a story of how the boy tried to warn his people against welcoming the strangers, who seemed more interested in golden ornaments than friendship...Categorized as:
historical-fiction social-commentary poc-mc children realistic family children-books historical -
![Diamond by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt]()
Diamond by Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe fantastic new novel from bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson, starring Diamond, the little circus acrobat who first appeared in the hugely popular Hetty Feather books: Hetty Feather, Sapphire Battersea and Emerald Star.Diamond wasn’t always a star. Born to penniless parents who longed for a strong, healthy son, she was a dainty, delicate daughter - and a bitter disappointment...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books fiction historical -
![Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley]()
Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe untold story of Thomas Jefferson's slave childrenBeverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston are Thomas Jefferson's children by one of his slaves, Sally Hemings, and while they do get special treatment - better work, better shoes, even violin lessons - they are still slaves, and are never to mention who their father is...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family historical-fiction poc-mc realistic social-commentary audiobook
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