Jason Reynolds is the undisputed king of modern middle-grade fiction for a reason. Sunny isn't just a book about a kid on a track team; it's a rhythmic, soulful exploration of what it looks like to stop living for other people's expectations and start finding your own 'sound.'

If you have a kid who feels like they have to be one thing (the athlete, the student, the 'good' kid) but secretly wants to be another, this will hit home. It’s short, punchy, and emotionally resonant without ever feeling like a lecture. It’s essentially mandatory reading for the middle school years.