I have been a fan of Gordon Korman since he wrote "This Can't Be Happening at McDonald Hall" in 1978! I was so excited to see that he had a book on the Red Maple list for 2022.
Linked is the story of a small town with a racist past that nobody wants to discuss. When Michael finds a swastika spray painted at the school, he is worried everyone will think it is him who drew it. But it remains a mystery as to who would draw it and why they would do that. For Dana, it really hits close to home because she comes from the only Jewish family in town. When more and more swastika's start to appear, the school chooses to combat hate with an act of love and bringing the school together instead of tearing them apart. As people are trying to discover which of the students has been vandalizing the school, they start to learn about the history of their town and the connection with the Klu Klux Klan. Both past and present experiences leave the town exploring their own bias and how racism plays out in everyday life.
I thought that Linked was a great story, with so many entry points for discussions with kids. I am looking forward to talking to students about it. I also think it would make a great read aloud for a class.
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