Sticks & Stones by Abby Cooper. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016, 288 pages.

The Dirt Diary by Anna Staniszewski. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2013, 246 pages.

A huge hit for my 3-5th grade bookclub. Fun and readable and full of surprises.

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: The New Girl by Meg Cabot. Scholastic Press, 2008, 222 pages.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina. Candlewick Press, 2013., 260 pages.

Piddi Sanchez is in a new school when one day, in a hall crowded and noisy between classes, a girl she thinks is named Vanesa jumps in front of her and says "Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass". Then Vanesa disappears into the crowd before Piddi can even ask "Who is Yaqui Delgado?".
Piddi needs to learn how to navigate this-- as well as other life situations-- the best friend she left behind seems to be moving on; her mother works all the time and Piddi cannot talk to her anymore; Hair salon chisme leads to a terrible revelation about the father she never met-- and more. A quick read sprinkled with spanish slang terms that do not always work in english (caramel) I loved this coming of age story that stays real about bullying and the behavior of adults, the predicaments kids find themselves in and the limits and possibilities of school anti bullying and discipline policies. Loved it.