While I Was Away
By: Waka T. Brown
4.24
Format: 310 pages, Hardcover
A middle grade memoir from debut author Waka T. Brown, who takes readers on a journey to Japan, whe…
Want to Read $ 6.99"Even though it was clear honors English might be a bit of a struggle for Kris, it was easy to be friends with her. Friendships shouldn't be forced, or difficult. The best friendships were the ones that occurred shizen ni--naturally."-Waka T. Brown, While I Was Away
"Even though it was clear honors English might be a bit of a struggle for Kris, it was easy to be friends with her. Friendships shouldn't be forced, or difficult. The best friendships were the ones that occurred shizen ni--naturally."-Waka T. Brown, While I Was Away
"I'm not lying..." My voice shook, but I had to defend myself. I knew I was weird and awkward here. Since I always forgot my hat, my skin was darker, not the pale shade people thought was pretty here. I knew I had a funny haircut, and maybe I was a burden, maybe I was a nuisance--no, I knew I was, a burden to my aunts, uncles, cousins, Mr. Adachi, Reiko. and maybe the way I spoke made me seem rude when I didn't mean to be... but I didn't say that. I did not lie."-Waka T. Brown, While I Was Away
"I'm not lying..." My voice shook, but I had to defend myself. I knew I was weird and awkward here. Since I always forgot my hat, my skin was darker, not the pale shade people thought was pretty here. I knew I had a funny haircut, and maybe I was a burden, maybe I was a nuisance--no, I knew I was, a burden to my aunts, uncles, cousins, Mr. Adachi, Reiko. and maybe the way I spoke made me seem rude when I didn't mean to be... but I didn't say that. I did not lie."-Waka T. Brown, While I Was Away
If you liked the middle grade plot in While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown , here is a list of 16 books like this:
1. Habibi
By: Naomi Shihab Nye
3.64
Format: 272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
An award-winning novel about identity, family, and friendship from renowned writer and editor Naomi… read more
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- middle grade
- school
2. In the After (In the After, #1)
By: Demitria Lunetta
4.42
Format: 718 pages, Hardcover
They hear the most silent of footsteps. They are faster than anything you've ever seen. And They wo… read more
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3. The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart
By: Stephanie Burgis
3.61
Format: 8 pages,
Aventurine is the fiercest, bravest dragon there is. And she's ready to prove it to her family by l… read more
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4. The Night Diary
By: Veera Hiranandani
4.22
Format: 272 pages, Hardcover
In the vein of Inside Out and Back Again and The War That Saved My Life comes a poignant, personal,… read more
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- middle grade
- family
- audiobook
5. Amina's Voice
By: Hena Khan
4.14
Format: None pages, Hardcover
A Pakistani-American Muslim girl struggles to stay true to her family's vibrant culture while simul… read more
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6. Slider
By: Pete Hautman
3.88
Format: 64 pages, Hardcover
Competitive eating vies with family expectations in a funny, heartfelt novel for middle-grade reade… read more
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7. The Shape of Thunder
By: Jasmine Warga
4.17
Format: 275 pages, Hardcover
Cora hasn’t spoken to her best friend, Quinn, in a year. Despite living next door to each other,… read more
Want to Read $ 9.49Similar categories in Jasmine Warga's The Shape of Thunder book and Waka T. Brown's While I Was Away
- middle grade
- family
- audiobook
"I just want to be okay. I don't want to feel okay. I want to be okay."-Jasmine Warga, The Shape of Thunder
"The more things you know, the less likely you are to be taken by surprise."-Jasmine Warga, The Shape of Thunder
"Whenever I get a bad grade, I always try to explain to Mom that I did read the book. And just because I can't remember what color shirt the character was wearing in page six doesn't mean that I didn'…"-Jasmine Warga, The Shape of Thunder
8. A Royal Conundrum (The Misfits #1)
By: Lisa Yee
3.82
Format: 288 pages, Hardcover
When a notorious thief is out for priceless treasure (gems! cats! general decorum!)—who're you gonn… read more
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- middle grade
- school
- audiobook
"They all perished. tragic deaths. sad parents. lawsuits.' Monica's words were met with stunned silence. ignoring the horrified looks on the student's faces, she shouted, 'Joking! We discovered that t…"-Lisa Yee, A Royal Conundrum (The Misfits #1)
9. Maizy Chen's Last Chance
By: Lisa Yee
4.29
Format: 277 pages, Hardcover
Welcome to The Golden Palace! Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota. . . until now. Her… read more
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- middle grade
- family
- audiobook
"When you're in a position to help, that means you're in a good place in your own life."-Lisa Yee, Maizy Chen's Last Chance
"Sometimes people don't know their dreams until they're in it. Other times, their dreams escape them because they are too busy being busy."-Lisa Yee, Maizy Chen's Last Chance
10. Finding Junie Kim
By: Ellen Oh
4.25
Format: 368 pages, Hardcover
A story of family, hope, and survival, inspired by the author's mother’s real-life experiences duri… read more
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- middle grade
- family
11. Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone
By: Tae Keller
4.17
Format: 277 pages, Hardcover
A story about a girl who is alienated by her friends . . . for believing in aliens. Sometimes m… read more
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- middle grade
- audiobook
"I had to make her understand that this mattered--what people thought had everything to do with who she was. Because how do we know who we are without knowing our place in the world?"-Tae Keller, Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone
12. The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez
By: Adrianna Cuevas
4.03
Format: 288 pages, Hardcover
All Nestor Lopez wants is to live in one place for more than a few months and have dinner with his … read more
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- middle grade
- audiobook
13. Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero
By: Saadia Faruqi
4.19
Format: 368 pages, Hardcover
Yusuf Azeem has spent all his life in the small town of Frey, Texas—and nearly that long waiting fo… read more
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- middle grade
- school
- audiobook
14. When the Ground Is Hard
By: Malla Nunn
4.15
Format: 257 pages, Hardcover
In this stunning and heartrending tale set in a Swaziland boarding school, two girls of different c… read more
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"Jane is stuck in the space between things."-Malla Nunn, When the Ground Is Hard
"Books are better than gossip, though Delia doesn't think so."-Malla Nunn, When the Ground Is Hard
"A dark wind lifts dirt into the air. The land absorbs the sobs of the women and the flinty silence of the gravediggers. The long fields and tall hills swallow us all."-Malla Nunn, When the Ground Is Hard
"Where would Jane be without that inheritance from her long-lost uncle? If she was in Swaziland, I'll tell you where she'd be: living in a grass hut with nothing to eat but porridge. A blind and cripp…"-Malla Nunn, When the Ground Is Hard
15. We're Not from Here
By: Geoff Rodkey
4.03
Format: 256 pages, Paperback
Imagine being forced to move to a new planet where YOU are the alien! From the creator of the Tappe… read more
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- middle grade
- audiobook
16. Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse
By: Susan Vaught
4.01
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
I could see the big inside of my Sam-Sam. I had been training him for 252 days with mini tennis bal… read more
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- middle grade
17. While I Was Away
By: Waka T. Brown
4.24
Format: 310 pages, Hardcover
A middle grade memoir from debut author Waka T. Brown, who takes readers on a journey to Japan, whe… read more
Want to Read $ 6.99Similar categories in Waka T. Brown's While I Was Away book and Waka T. Brown's While I Was Away
- biography
- memoir
- school
- middle grade
- biography memoir
- nonfiction
- family
- japan
- asian literature
- audiobook
"Even though it was clear honors English might be a bit of a struggle for Kris, it was easy to be friends with her. Friendships shouldn't be forced, or difficult. The best friendships were the ones th…"-Waka T. Brown, While I Was Away
"I'm not lying..." My voice shook, but I had to defend myself. I knew I was weird and awkward here. Since I always forgot my hat, my skin was darker, not the pale shade people thought was pretty here.…"-Waka T. Brown, While I Was Away
18. Taylor Before and After
By: Jennie Englund
3.98
Format: 320 pages, Hardcover
In journal entries alternating between two timelines--before and after a tragic accident--this hear… read more
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- middle grade
- family
"Sunset. Tears. "Good work," Miss Wilson said as she bent over my notebook. "You got the prompt down again today." Tears are words Waiting to be written. -Jennie Englund-"-Jennie Englund, Taylor Before and After
19. Frankie & Bug
By: Gayle Forman
4.10
Format: 288 pages, Hardcover
In the debut middle grade novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman comes a poig… read more
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20. Troublemaker
By: John Cho
4.03
Format: 214 pages, Hardcover
An instant New York Times bestselller!An Indiebound bestseller!Troublemaker follows the events of t… read more
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- asian literature
- middle grade
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21. Cuba in My Pocket
By: Adrianna Cuevas
4.34
Format: None pages, None
A middle grade historical novel about a twelve-year-old boy who leaves his family in Cuba to immigr… read more
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- middle grade
- family
- audiobook
