Reading Metrics
Description
Digger is keeping a diary about the things that matter to him. But it's 1967, and bigger things keep getting in the way. Digger is finding out who he is, what he believes, and what's worth fighting for. The story includes slurs.
Quick Summary
Digger is a kid in 1967 keeping a diary, and what starts as writing about everyday stuff gradually becomes something way more serious as he starts figuring out who he is and what he believes in. The story has this raw, honest quality because you're right there in his head watching him wrestle with big questions while also dealing with regular middle school stuff. I think readers who liked "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" or books that tackle tough history while still feeling like a kid's story will really connect with this one. Parents should know the book doesn't soft-pedal the ugly parts of the 1960s it includes period-appropriate slurs and realistic dialogue from that era, which makes the story honest but might be intense for some kids. That said, it's handled in a way that feels educational rather than gratuitous, and it gives kids a real window into what kids Digger's age were dealing with during the civil rights movement. There's humor and heart mixed in too, so it never feels like a lecture. At around 20,000 words with an AR level of 4.8, it's a quick but meaningful read that works equally well as classroom reading or a book kids pick up on their own.