Sharon M Draper

After their counselor told them a story about spirits in the woods near their campsite, Ziggy and his friends get lost in that very place. Ziggy and his Black Dinosaur pals are excited about their overnight camping trip to Caesar's Creek State Park -- it was named after an ex-slave who later became a Shawnee chief! Their camping counselor is descended from Caesar, and she fills the campers' imaginations with intriguing but sometimes spooky stories...

After the neighborhood basketball court is vandalized, Ziggy and his friends decide to form a club called the Black Dinosaurs and build their clubhouse in Ziggy's backyard.

From a map Ziggy and his friends discover an old tunnel that was once used as a safe haven by escaped slaves. While checking out the tunnel, the trap door gets stuck and the boys are forced to use the old, dark, damp tunnels that just may be haunted.

In 1957, Sylvia Patterson's life--that of a normal African American teenager--is disrupted by the impending integration of Little Rock's Central High when she is selected to be one of the first black students to attend the previously all white school. Includes author's note and related websites.

"Needed now more than ever: a guide that includes 500 diverse contemporary fiction and memoir recommendations for preteens and teens with the goal of inspiring greater empathy for themselves, their peers, and the world around them. As young people are diagnosed with anxiety and depression in increasing numbers, or dealing with other issues that can isolate them from family and friends-such as bullying, learning disabilities, racism, or homophobia-characters...