{"title":"Contemporary Fiction","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eContemporary fiction explores life as we know it today. Set in the present or recent past, these stories examine relationships, identity, family, work, and the challenges of modern life. You'll find voices from a wide range of communities and experiences, each selected because it offers readers a thoughtful perspective on the world we share.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-indian-national-book-award-winner","title":"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian","description":"\u003cp\u003eBestselling and award-winning author Sherman Alexie tells the heartbreaking yet funny story about a boy living on the Spokane Indian Reservation who wants to break free of the life he was destined to live.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJunior is a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, based on the author's own experiences and coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perfect for teens who appreciate honest, humorous stories about identity, belonging, and navigating life between different worlds.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eThe Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian\u003c\/em\u003e because it explores the complexities of growing up on a reservation while pursuing opportunities beyond it. The novel encourages readers to better understand contemporary Indigenous experiences, identity, and resilience.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315103047939,"sku":"9780316013697","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9780316013697.jpg?v=1784935616"},{"product_id":"sold","title":"SOLD","description":"\u003cp\u003eLakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid in the city. Glad to be able to help, Lakshmi journeys to India and arrives at \"Happiness House\" full of hope. But she soon learns the unthinkable truth: she has been sold into prostitution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn old woman named Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family's debt-then cheats Lakshmi of her meager earnings so that she can never leave.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLakshmi's life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother's words—Simply to endure is to triumph—and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision-will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e An excellent choice for readers ready to engage with difficult stories about resilience, human dignity, and global injustice.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eSold\u003c\/em\u003e because it humanizes the experiences of children affected by human trafficking and exploitation. Rather than reducing the issue to statistics, it invites readers to develop empathy for those whose lives are shaped by forces beyond their control.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315103015171,"sku":"9780786851720","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9780786851720.jpg?v=1784935616"},{"product_id":"melissa-previously-published-as-george","title":"Melissa","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMelissa thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. Melissa really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e An excellent choice for readers who enjoy heartfelt stories about friendship, identity, and finding the courage to be yourself.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eMelissa\u003c\/em\u003e because it gives young readers an authentic window into the experience of a transgender child navigating friendship, family, and self-understanding. It encourages empathy by affirming that every child deserves to be seen and respected for who they are.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315103506691,"sku":"9781338843415","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9781338843415.jpg?v=1784935618"},{"product_id":"the-poet-x","title":"The Poet X","description":"\u003cp\u003eXiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e An excellent choice for readers who enjoy powerful coming-of-age stories about finding confidence through creativity and self-expression.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eThe Poet X\u003c\/em\u003e because it gives voice to a young Afro-Latina navigating family expectations, faith, identity, and self-expression. It demonstrates how storytelling can become a path toward understanding both ourselves and others.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315105308931,"sku":"9780062662811","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9780062662811.jpg?v=1784935664"},{"product_id":"wishtree","title":"Wishtree","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn oak tree and a crow help their neighbors embrace their differences in this beautiful, nuanced, New York Times-bestselling middle-grade novel from Newbery Medalist author Katherine Applegate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRed is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood \"wishtree\"―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou might say Red has seen it all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUntil a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunny, deep, warm, and nuanced, this is Katherine Applegate at her very best- writing from the heart, and from a completely unexpected point of view.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perfect for readers who appreciate thoughtful stories about kindness, friendship, and creating welcoming communities.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eWishtree\u003c\/em\u003e because it encourages children to see empathy and inclusion as everyday choices. Through a neighborhood's story, it demonstrates the importance of welcoming people whose experiences may be different from our own.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315105898755,"sku":"9781250233899","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9781250233899.jpg?v=1784935666"},{"product_id":"front-desk-front-desk-1-scholastic-gold","title":"Front Desk","description":"\u003cp\u003eMia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReader Fit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Recommended for readers who enjoy stories about determination, family, and standing up for what is right.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy We Carry It:\u003c\/strong\u003e We carry \u003cem\u003eFront Desk\u003c\/em\u003e because it introduces young readers to the realities of immigration, economic hardship, and discrimination through an optimistic and compassionate lens. It encourages empathy while highlighting the importance of courage and community.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ingram","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49315106160899,"sku":"9781338157826","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/7573\/5555\/files\/9781338157826.jpg?v=1784935667"}],"url":"https:\/\/newhorizonsbooks.com\/collections\/contemporary-fiction.oembed","provider":"New Horizons Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}