heartfelt middle grade contemporary

I haven't read a middle grade book in a while, but this story was so compelling that i had to read and what i found was a heartfelt coming of age that is perfect for children of this age. A lot of children in middle school feel the change from being a child to growing up and life throws so many hardships at once so i feel like it resonates well. Ariel, being a Jewish girl, has to deal with her sister leaving, her learning disability, and a bully. It deals well with racism, bullying, and political strife of that time. It definitely is able to tackle tough subjects while not being too pushy. The second person narrative is very foreign to me and it took me a second to really become accustomed to it, however, once i was able to get passed that, it didn't detract from the story. Ariel is so likable and personable that even with the hard hitting subjects, the story is a good read.