By Nina Hamza
(Quill Tree Books, $16.99, June 22.)
When 12-year-old Ahmed and his family move from Hawaii to his fatherâs Minnesota hometown, he is immediately on guard, aware that he has to explain the color of his skin and an Indian American heritage he only knows secondhand. He isnât swayed by his dadâs warm memories of growing up in Farthing and the yearly box of Pearsonâs Nut Goodies, maple syrup and autumn leaves sent by a childhood friend. A welcome letter from his sixth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Gaarder, along with a reading list, also put Ahmed on guard. âFor starters, itâs wrong to call an assignment a favor. Youâre not fooling anyone when you do,â he snaps. As the new kid, Ahmedâs plan is to blend in. But heâs targeted on his first day of school by a neighborhood bully, Jack. Ahmed also meets Carl, an unapologetic class overachiever. And he finds himself in a group with Ari, who uses a wheelchair, and sharp-tongued Jess