Diverse Fiction for KS2

'Boy, Everywhere' chronicles the harrowing journey taken by Sami and his family, from privilege to poverty, across countries and continents, from a comfortable life in Damascus, via a smuggler's den in Turkey, to a prison in Manchester. Once safe in the UK, Sami is bullied and decides he'd do just about anything to return to Damascus - including, possibly, becoming a stowaway. His is a story of survival, of family, of bravery - and of how thin the line is between 'them' and 'us'. How far would you go to find your way back home?

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. She lives in a motel. Every day, while where parents clean the rooms, Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tang's will be doomed. It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold onto her job and go for her dreams.

Birdie Bagshaw has never known her parents. Having grown up in a children's home for mixed race children in 1950s Leeds, now she has come to live with her great-aunt Mabel in the Yorkshire Dales. From her arrival, things are strained, and Birdie cannot understand why she is treated like an outsider by the local children. When their bullying drives Birdie to hide in the nearby coal mine, she finds an unexpected rescuer in the form of Mr Duke, the last remaining pit pony in the village. As the weeks pass, Birdie forms a special bond with the spirited little pony. But his future is in danger, and Birdie comes up with a daring plan to save his life in return.

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for Bahia de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: there are ghosts in Bahia de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake - and her own.

Eleven-year-old Danny Chung loves drawing more than anything - certainly more than maths, which, according to his dad and everyone else, is what he is 'supposed' to be good at. He also loves having his own room where he can draw in peace, so his life is turned upside down when a surprise that he's been promised turns out to be his little, wrinkly, ex-maths-champion grandmother from China. What's worse, Nai Nai has to share his room, AND she takes the top bunk! Nai Nai can't speak a word of English, which doesn't make things easy for Danny when he is charged with looking after her during his school holidays. Babysitting Nai Nai is NOT what he wants to be doing! Before long though it becomes clear to Danny that there is more to Nai Nai than meets the eye, and that they have more in common that he thought possible.

Forgotten your homework and need to WING it? Wish you could talk your way out of DETENTION? Want to SQUASH your bullies and RISE to the top? Join Kamal as he attempts to go from PUKE BOY to POPULAR! Kamal is better than anyone else in his school at fading into the background. When you're a refugee and you've started a new school three times in as many years, you learn to keep your head down. But, after a major puke incident in front of the whole school, being invisible is no longer an option. And when Kamal finds a mysterious CHEAT BOOK in the library that promises to help him gain popularity, he sees a chance to finally make his mark.

Mina, Reema and Mobeen can't wait to go on their school trip, an overnight stay at Shiremoor Oaks Adventure Centre - until somebody spooks them with stories about Bertie Blackteeth: who haunts the woods, who sharpens her toenails with twigs, who is waiting to skewer her next unfortunate victim all over with cheese-and-onion crisps! With Bertie Blackteeth lurking and the school bully seeming to have become the teacher's pet - this trip will test their friendship, courage and love of potato chips to the limit.

Separated when they were 6 months old, twins Ani and Riri couldn't be more different. Loud and adventurous Ani wants to be a sleuth when she grows up. Shy and quiet Riri prefers books to people, and just wants a safe, germ free job when she grows up. When they're forced to spend the summer together, Ani is convinced it's going to be another Great Twin War like the last time they tried family bonding. But this summer is different - there's a murder, and their dad is arrested as the prime suspect. Can they work together to protect their family and solve the mystery?

Omar and his brother Hassan, two Somali boys, have spent a long time in the Dadaab refugee camp. Separated from their mother, they are looked after by a friendly stranger. Life in the camp isn't always easy. The hunger is constant, but there's football to look forward to - and now there's a chance Omar will get to go to school. With a heart-wrenching fairytale ending, this incredible true story depicts life in a refugee camp.

Anzu has just moved to a new town during Obon, a time for families to remember and celebrate their ancestors. Ever since her grandmother Obaachan died, though, Obon has lost its magic for Anzu. She doesn't feel like celebrating. Escaping the festivities, Anzu chases after a stray dog. She slips and falls down a ridge - to find herself in the Shinto underworld known as Yomi, a place she's heard about in Obaachan's stories. The stray dog, she finds out, is actually the Gatekeeper of Yomi, and he warns her to return to the human realm before it's too late. Only, getting home is not simple. Faced with the nefarious Queen Izanami and a realm of creatures, Anzu is in a race against the clock. Can she break a curse, free the spirits of other lost children and reach the gate home before sunrise? Or will she be stuck in Yomi for ever?

Josie is a future-focused, internet-loving eleven-year-old who is desperate to explore the world. When she learns about Josephine Holloway - a woman who started the first Girl Scout Troop for Black girls in America - she's certain she must start her own. Enlisting her friends Margot and Wesley, the trio begin their quest for their Camping badge. Drawn to an abandoned factory nearby, they stumble across something strange.

How do you fit in and stand out when you feel different to everyone around you? 12-year-old Frankie knows she's not like anyone else in her class: she's different, but she can't quite figure out why. Is it the new freckle on her nose, or the fact she's small for her age? Or that she has to go to the hospital sometimes? Everyone else seems to think she's weird too, and they make fun of her at school. Frankie's dad left when she was a baby - maybe he was different too? It would explain why she always feels like an alien. So she and her best-friend Sam, embark on a mission to track him down.

This memoir of growing up deaf is also a deeply perceptive memoir of growing up, about all the pain, awkwardness and longing of being a kid, especially one watching the world from a 'fortress of solitude'.

People think that because Tally's autistic, she doesn't realise what they're thinking, but Tally sees and hears - and notices - all of it. Endearing, insightful and warmly uplifting, this is a story of autism, empathy and kindness that will touch readers of all ages.