Burying the Moon

Reach for this book when your child starts noticing global inequalities or when they are struggling to speak up about a problem that everyone else seems to ignore. This novel in verse introduces Latika, a young girl in rural India who faces the daily danger and indignity of living without a toilet. It explores themes of bodily autonomy, the barrier puberty creates for girls' education, and the courage required to break cultural silences. While it handles heavy topics like sanitation and systemic poverty, the tone is deeply empowering. It is an excellent choice for middle-grade readers (ages 9-13) to build empathy and understand how basic infrastructure is a fundamental human right.