ARMSTRONG & CHARLIE by Steven B. Frank.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.  298p. ISBN: 9780544826083 hc. $16.99     Gr. 5-9     J FIC

The boys meet when Armstrong's parents enroll him in Opportunity Busing to Charlie's school for a voluntary integration program.  Suspicions and conflicts during their sixth grade year eventually shift to understanding and friendship, not only with the boys, but with their families and friends.  Though set during turbulent times in the 1970's, the novel is very accessible to preteen readers.  The wording is such that it could very well be set in the present day.
Janet Edwards, Library Aide, Bothwell Middle School Library, Marquette, MI