On the Block: Stories of Home

Gr 4-7–The third middle grade anthology from We Need Diverse Books opens as Lila and her parents, newly arrived from Trinidad, move into the Entrada, a six-story apartment building whose name translates to both “entrance” and “the beginning.” Lila’s parents promise things will be better now that they have their own home, yet Lila is unsure. When she sets off to explore the building, she encounters other kids who live there (and one who does not) who will be her classmates at Octavia Butler Middle School. Their stories and others unfold and connect in the book’s subsequent chapters, each penned by a different author, including Adam Gidwitz, Erin Entrada Kelly, and Andrea Yang. Seemingly unlikely friendships form as the kids plan an international potluck to try to put an end to a cranky neighbor’s complaints about their “stinky” cooking. The mantra “we are all immigrants” persists from one chapter to the next, as families from Cuba, India, Japan, Nigeria, and beyond share their stories and their food. Oh aptly sets the tone for the book by recognizing buildings like the Entrada for providing new immigrants with friendship, support, stability, and safety as they find their way in a new home.