Holler of the Fireflies

Javari knew that West Virginia would be way different from his home in Brooklyn. But his first day at STEM Camp in a little Appalachian town — the Holler — is still a shock. Run-ins with the police are just the same here — not good — and he finds it hard to fit in with the other kids who are from more privileged backgrounds. But Cricket, a local boy, budding activist, and occasional thief, shows him a different side of the Holler — exposing him to people he never knew even existed. Javari’s summer is about to get messy, complicated, and confusing — and upend all his preconceptions. Your young readers will journey with Javari through one discovery after another, gaining new experiences that will shape his life.

Ages 10 and up. 368pp