mascot

Charlesbridge
ISBN: 978-1623543808

What if a school’s mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone? In this compelling middle-grade novel in verse, two best-selling BIPOC authors tackle this hot-button issue.

In Rye, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, people work hard, kids go to school, and football is big on Friday nights. An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment for her class to debate whether Rye’s mascot should stay or change. Now six middle-schoolers–-all with different backgrounds and beliefs–-get involved in the contentious issue that already has the suburb turned upside down with everyone choosing sides and arguments getting ugly.

Told from several perspectives, readers see how each student comes to new understandings about identity, tradition, and what it means to stand up for real change.

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recognition

2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award - Middle Grade Honor
2024 Charlotte Huck Honor Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children
2024 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award – Chapter Book Honor
2024 YALSA’S BEST FICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS LIST
2024 NOTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOKS IN THE LANGUAGE ARTS
2024 NOTEABLE SOCIAL STUDIES TRADE BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
2024 NOTABLE BOOKS FOR A GLOBAL SOCIETY
2024 Texas Library Assn's Lone Start Reading List Selection
2023-24 Project Lit Club Pick
2023 Best Books List - Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, National Public Radio, New York Public Library, and Chicago Public Library
September/October 2023 Kids Indie Next List
2023 Junior Library Guild selection

RAVE REVIEWS

"Waters and Sorell paint a complex portrait of the differing reactions toward the controversy by layering the racially diverse tweens’ perspectives and showcasing the effects the event has on their individual relationships and the community beyond their school. The creators eschew judgment to present a well-rounded discussion about classism and racism, as well as effective allyship, with compassion and understanding."

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This clever novel unfolds in poems told in multiple voices showing the wide range of students’, families’, and community responses to the controversy; for some, initial feelings of opposition, hesitation, or indifference change and friendships are tested. The compelling, highly relevant subject matter and accessible text invite readers to understand different perspectives and witness individual growth. A brilliant story not to be missed; deeply engaging from the first page."

—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Waters and Sorell's plain-spoken verse is always sharp and direct."

—The New York Times
"Mascot, with its multilayered, insightful narrative and diverse voices, reveals the nuances of an emotionally charged topic in a passionate, accessible way."

—Shelf Awareness
"Highly recommended . . . a timely and important novel."

—School Library Journal