My Year In The Middle by Lila Quintero Weaver

  I loved this book.  Turns out the author used her life experiences to create this story.  I was 5 years old in the 1970s when this story takes place and there is a lot that came back to me when I read this story.  Of course I lived in California and watched in the news.  This story works well for looking at history of the 1970s in the US.  A good read.  Enjoy.