As a writer and teacher, I have often wondered if my middle school students feel connected to characters in books because of gender, race, or cultural background. Here is what I found out:

1. & 2. Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

“I am strong-willed, so I loved Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.”—Nick

“I am an introvert, so I loved Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.”—Seby

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3. & 4. Divergent by Veronica Roth

“I am confident, so I loved Divergent.”—Zara

“I am unique, so I loved Divergent.”—Swarnika

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5. Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

“I am unique, so I love Counting by 7s.”—Chloe

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6. Goodnight Punpun by Inio Asano

“I am abstract, so I loved Oyasumi Punpun. (Goodnight Punpun in English!)”—Nazareth

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7. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

“I am extroversive, so I love Beautiful Creatures.”—Emily

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8. Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

“I am loyal, so I loved Heroes of Olympus.”—Mauricio

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9. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

“I am adventurous, so I loved Maze Runner.”—Riley

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10. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

“I am adventurous, brave, and helpful so I loved The Lord of the Rings.”—Eleanor

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11. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

“I am strong, so I loved Okay for Now.”—Amar

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12. Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz

“I am adventurous, so I love Alex Rider.”—Demetri

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13. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

“I am whimsical, so I loved The Lunar Chronicles.”—Ashley

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14. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

“I am adaptable, so I loved Little Women.”—Keren

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15. Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

“I am a person who does different things, but doesn’t know exactly what my ’thing’ is, so I loved Absolutely Almost. ”—Nina

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