Dive

This was an exceptionally well done and thoughtful middle grade read. Dive follows Kass, a middle school student who has recently transferred to a private Catholic School so she can join their dive team. She's grateful for the opportunity, but she really misses her old run down public school, her best friend, and fitting in. She's an outsider, and a poor one at that. Her new classmates probably never have to hear their parents whisper arguing at night about money and worrying about business. Her parents own a restaurant and money is tight, she feels guilty that her parents are sacrificing so much to send her to a school she doesn't love. One day while waiting at the bus stop she meets, Miles. A high school drop out digging through the dumpster. The two form an unlikely friendship and soon he is showing her the ropes on scavenging and helping her realize, that there is someone always worse off then she is. Kass is convinced that no one will understand her relationship with Miles so she keeps him a secret and starts lying to her parents and skipping dive practice to hang out with him and dumpster dive. Sooner or later though, the truth will come out. Dive touches on a lot of timely topics and is a great read for kids!