More of my MG favorites can be found here and here. I love that Middle Grade lit addresses issues that kids might face in gentle and hopeful ways (because the middle-grade genre always infuses hope!). Themes: On the subject of themes, I love the other thoughtful themes here that include grief, homelessness, poverty, compassion, bullying, kindness, depression, writing, and family. All MG fiction weaves in an element of hope, and it’s not a spoiler to say you will love the heartfelt end of this story!

I love that compassionate, insightful, and caring people in the community find it in their hearts to be heroes to struggling kids. There are unsung heroes in the story, as well, as we consider the librarian, the barber, and a caring neighbor. His little sister views Isaiah as her hero as he cares for her and reads to her. Of course, Isaiah is a hero as he bravely manages his daily life and grieves for his dad at the same time. Heroes: I love the “hero” theme in this story that plays out on many different levels. In his dad’s stories, Isaiah is a hero and Isaiah ponders how he can be a hero and help his family.Ĭan librarians, barbers, and neighbors be heroes? Isaiah’s one true comfort is reading the stories in his dad’s journal that his dad wrote for him, and his safe place is the library. As the pressure mounts, Isaiah gets in trouble at school and fights with his best friend. Because of her grief, Mom has taken a leave of absence from her job and they lose their apartment when she has difficulty paying the rent.

The most important people in his life include his four-year-old sister who never stops asking questions, his mother who is depressed and drinking too much, and his best friend Sneaky. Isaiah feels the burden of holding the family together. Isaiah is the older brother and is grieving the loss of his father. *This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Genre/Categories: Middle Grade Realistic Fiction, Family Issues, Poverty, Homelessness, Grief, African American

Isaiah dunn is my hero