I witness

When Luis Onofre Valencia was five years old, his father lost his business and was forced to leave Mexico for the United States to find work. Devastated, Luis and his family struggled to keep afloat. When his father asked them to join him in the US, Luis journeyed by truck for several weeks, separate from his family members, who traveled on foot. When the family reunited in Anaheim, Luis faced an entirely new struggle: adapting to a new city and a new culture that did not look kindly on him.

"Continuing this . . . middle grade nonfiction series, a young woman once persecuted by the Taliban shares her journey to becoming a community activist. As a girl and as part of an ethnic minority in Afghanistan, Freshta Tori Jan was persecuted relentlessly. Her family faced kidnappings and daily murder attempts on the bus, on the way to school, in the workplace, and beyond. Freshta's school was shut down by the Taliban, and many of her friends were murdered and shot. Her journey through poverty, terrorism, and other forms of injustice has enabled her to be a voice for those unable to share their stories and those unable to receive the opportunities she has sought. She believes in empowering youth in order to bring about change and be the leaders of today and tomorrow"--Provided by publisher.

"A young man shares how he combated Puerto Rico's public health emergency after Hurricane Maria. Suffering heavy damage in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rican communities lacked access to clean water and electricity. Salvador G?mez-Col?n couldn't ignore the basic needs of his homeland, and knew that nongovernmental organizations and larger foreign philanthropies could only do so much. With unstoppable energy and a deep knowledge of local culture, Salvador founded Light and Hope for Puerto Rico and raised more than $100,000 to purchase and distribute solar-powered lamps and hand-powered washing machines to households in need. With a voice that is both accessible and engaging, Salvador recalls living through the catastrophic storm and grappling with the destruction it left behind"-- Provided by publisher.

"A young activist opens a window for young readers into his fight for equal education, racial justice, and economic equity. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Haitian immigrants, Frantzy Luzincourt has dedicated his life to service and the empowerment of youth voices. When he was fifteen, Frantzy became the founding president of his high school's Black Student Union, where he advocated for more Black male teachers and for bringing social justice into school curriculum. Frantzy now fights to ensure that all students, no matter their background, have access to equitable schools where young voices are championed. After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Frantzy and his friends formed the Strategy for Black Lives coalition, which centers youth voices and mobilizes communities to fight against racism, discrimination, and inequity"-- Provided by publisher.

"Continuing this . . . middle grade nonfiction series, a young woman once persecuted by the Taliban shares her journey to becoming a community activist. As a girl and as part of an ethnic minority in Afghanistan, Freshta Tori Jan was persecuted relentlessly. Her family faced kidnappings and daily murder attempts on the bus, on the way to school, in the workplace, and beyond. Freshta's school was shut down by the Taliban, and many of her friends were murdered and shot. Her journey through poverty, terrorism, and other forms of injustice has enabled her to be a voice for those unable to share their stories and those unable to receive the opportunities she has sought. She believes in empowering youth in order to bring about change and be the leaders of today and tomorrow"--Provided by publisher.

Adama Bah recounts when she was a teenager after September 11 and how she was arrested and accused of being a suicide bomber.

"Launching a propulsive middle grade nonfiction series, a young man shares how he combated Puerto Rico's public health emergency after Hurricane Maria. Suffering heavy damage in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rican communities lacked access to clean water and electricity. Salvador G?mez-Col?n couldn't ignore the basic needs of his homeland, and knew that nongovernmental organizations and larger foreign philanthropies could only do so much. With unstoppable energy and a deep knowledge of local culture, Salvador founded Light and Hope for Puerto Rico and raised more than $100,000 to purchase and distribute solar-powered lamps and hand-powered washing machines to households in need. With a voice that is both accessible and engaging, Salvador recalls living through the catastrophic storm and grappling with the destruction it left behind"-- Provided by publisher.

"Launching a propulsive middle grade nonfiction series, a young woman shares her harrowing experience of being wrongly accused of terrorism. Adama Bah grew up in East Harlem after immigrating from Conakry, Guinea, and was deeply connected to her community and the people who lived there. But as a thirteen-year-old after the events of September 11, 2001, she began experiencing discrimination and dehumanization as prejudice toward Muslim people grew. Then, on March 24, 2005, FBI agents arrested Adama and her father. Falsely accused of being a potential suicide bomber, Adama spent weeks in a detention center being questioned under suspicion of terrorism. With sharp and engaging writing, Adama recounts the events surrounding her arrest and its impact on her life--the harassment, humiliation, and persecution she faced for crimes she didn't commit. Accused brings forward a crucial and unparalleled first-person perspective of American culture post-9/11 and the country's discrimination against Muslim Americans, and heralds the start of a new series of compelling narrative nonfiction by young people, for young people"--Provided by the publisher.