But as the novel opens, Heidi has begun to chafe she is no longer willing to live with Bernadette's complacency about the mysterious past ('What happened before doesn't matter,' Bernadette tells Heidi. Somehow Heidi and Mama never get billed for rent or utilities, and besides, Heidi has an almost magical ability to play slot machines, which, in their native Reno, can be found even in the local Sudsy Duds laundromat. Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common - but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.Heidi It has gotten to be 12 years old without knowing any but the sketchiest information about her background: her mentally disabled mother, who insists her name is So Be It, showed up with the week-old Heidi on their neighbor Bernadette's doorstep seemingly out of the clear blue sky, and Bernadette, who is severely agoraphobic but also bookish and generous, has been looking out for Heidi and Mama ever since. Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in. Joe's lived in the same town all his life and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own. Publisher's Synopsis: Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL.

Genres: Bullying, Friendship, Immigration and Emigration

Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks, Gita Varadarajan The other day, when a substitute teacher was in our class, the students took it upon themselves to carefully learn her name even after she said it was a hard name and they were welcome to call her Mrs. Students also really identified with Ravi’s frustration when his name was mispronounced and talked seriously about the importance of using names carefully and respectfully. Joe, the other main character, feels like a target at school, and before we brainstormed agreements (rules) for our class contract, we discussed what we can do to make sure no one has to feel like Joe did in our community. His experiences helped us talk about how we want people to feel in our classroom. One of the main characters, Ravi, is a new student (and recent immigrant).

So be it sarah weeks