February Reading List: Protagonists who are Different from Me

During the month of February, I'm going to focus on reading books that feature protagonists who are different from me in some way.  They could be a different ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc.; the main idea here is that the protagonist will not be a middle class white girl.  

I think it's important to expose yourself to people and situations that are different from you, and reading is one of the easiest ways to do that.  After poking around on my shelves for books that fit the bill, here's what's on my reading list this month:

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - This book about colonialism features a male protagonist from Nigeria.  It will also be my "Classic by a Non-White Author" for my reading challenge.

Sold by Patricia McCormick - This award-winning young adult novel is about a thirteen-year-old girl from Nepal who is sold into prostitution to pay her family's debts.  It's been sitting on my shelves for a while now, and I'm excited to finally read it.

Hero by Perry Moore - The premise of this young adult book sounds amazing.  It's about a teen who discovers he had superpowers.  He is also gay.  He is afraid to tell his dad either thing.  I've heard very positive things about this novel and I'm glad that I'm finally making some time for it.

Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper - This novel about the slave trade during the Civil War centers around fifteen-year-old Amari, who is taken by slave traders from her African village and sold to a plantation owner in the Carolinas.  My students read this novel in their social studies classes each year and most love it.  I'm excited to finally see what all the fuss is about.

Bonus Round Books:

The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becki Albertalli

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

 I was glad to find that I had a ton of books already on my shelves that featured such a diversity of characters.  It's time to roll up my sleeves and get reading now!