The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine (audiobook)

Genre: middle grade historical fiction

Marlee knows all about what happened last year at Central High School, how people made a huge fuss about when black students were allowed to attend.  While she knew it was important, race relations in Little Rock seemed abstract until anxious and quiet Marlee actually becomes friends with the new girl, Liz.  What Marlee is going to learn from Liz is going to change everything Marlee thinks she knows about the world - and the people - around her.  And in a world where black and white is the literal dividing line, she's going to have to make a choice.

This book is a great introduction to the historical events in Little Rock during the tumultuous years of the late 1950s.  Marlee is a likeable character, flawed but earnest, loyal and realistically teenaged, with all the angst and drama that comes with that.  I found the book itself sometimes a little repetitive but I think the lessons it teaches, the foundation it gives and the clear message that people are people are people and should be allowed to live and love their lives in whatever color their skin, is such an important one.  I'd love for my kids to read this in school and really dig deep into how the ideas here are still relevant today.