Clubhouse Mysteries Series, by Sharon Draper

We're currently five books into the six book Clubhouse Mystery series written by Sharon Draper and my son is obsessed.  I wasn't sure how he'd take to these books - especially given their age (they're about 15 years old) - but he's taken with how "real life" they are.  The series follows four Black boys with distinct personalities and families as they form a club and go on various adventures - from attending a space camp together to finding a young fawn and raising him until he's old enough to go to a local wildlife center.  His favorite character is currently Ziggy, a charismatic and outgoing boy who is always putting together wacky outfits and eating odd food combinations, who he finds absolutely hilarious.  I think his obsession with the realism is that so many of the books we read have some form of magic or preposterous situation, while my son can actually envision himself in the situations in these books.  

Some of the books touch on slavery, in particular Lost in the Tunnel of Time (in which they boys stumble upon an old tunnel from the Underground Railroad).  And I did find myself changing some of the words in Shadows of Caesar's Creek, in which the children learn about the Shawnee tribe, as some of the language was outdated.  However, these books have been invaluable and I'm positive that my son will revisit them several times over the next few years.

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library)

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, by Lamar Giles

I read The Last Last-Day-of-Summer out loud to my son in the days leading up to his first day of 1st grade.  We both loved it.  Some of the jokes and references were over his head, but he was generally able to follow the plot and was beginning to continue reading at the end of each chapter.  

The two main characters are Otto and Sheed Alston, Black cousins famous for their otherworldly adventures in their unusual town.  They are extremely close and both live with their grandmother (why this is or where their parents are goes unmentioned) and their main competitors are two Black sisters - one a wizard at robotics and the other nicknamed "Wiki" for the vast amount of knowledge she carries around in her head.  There's a nice aside at one point where Otto recalls his grandmother's reminder never to touch anyone without their permission - even if their body is frozen in time - and asks Wiki if he can touch her arm to unfreeze her.  

The book is a long and engaging read full of adventure, traps, "manuevers" to escape tricky situations, complex relationships, and richly drawn characters.  We're already eagerly waiting for the next book, and though we borrowed this from the library it may be one of the few we purchase to keep on the bookshelf for years to come.  

BUY HERE (or, even better, request at your local library)