Omar Rising

Reach for this book when your child is facing a new environment where they feel the deck is stacked against them, or when they are beginning to notice social and economic inequalities. It is a powerful tool for discussing how systems can be unfair and how one person, backed by a community, can advocate for systemic change. Omar is a talented student who wins a scholarship to an elite boarding school, only to find that scholarship kids are treated as second class citizens and forced to meet impossible standards. The story deals with classism and injustice with a hopeful, empowering lens. It is perfectly suited for middle grade readers (ages 8 to 12) who are developing their own sense of justice and learning the value of persistence and collective action.