Belle Teal is a children's historical fiction novel by Ann M. Martin about Belle Teal Harper, a fifth-grade girl living in the American South during the early 1960s. Belle's life changes when African-American students attend her previously segregated school for the first time. As she witnesses prejudice, discrimination, and conflict within her community, Belle struggles to maintain her friendsh…
Yours Truly, Shirley is a children's novel by Ann M. Martin about Shirley Basini, a fourth-grade girl who struggles with dyslexia and feelings of inferiority. She compares herself with her academically gifted older brother and faces new challenges when her family adopts a Vietnamese girl named Jacki. Shirley initially feels jealous and threatened when Jacki performs well at school. Through her …