Destiny

Reach for this book when your middle schooler is beginning to notice the weight of family responsibilities or the sting of economic inequality. Destiny is a twelve year old girl who serves as the emotional anchor for her household, navigating her mother's unrealistic dreams of winning the lottery and the presence of an untrustworthy boyfriend. Through her passion for art and the wisdom of her grandmother, Destiny learns to create her own beauty and agency despite a precarious home life. This is a quiet, deeply empathetic story about finding one's identity and voice when the adults in the room are struggling. It is ideally suited for children ages 10 to 14 who are developing a social conscience or seeking stories about resilience and the transformative power of creativity.