Earth Girl, by Janet Edwards

On the surface, none of that seemed to have the slightest connection to my unknown parents, but of course it did. Everything did. Everything in my life was because of them and their decision. Everything kept coming back to the shadowy figures who'd handed their ape kid over to Hospital Earth and walked away. If they hadn't done that, my entire life would have been different, and I wouldn't be telling a bunch of lies to an off-world class.

Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza smiled and reached over and gently pulled the yarn, unraveling the uneven stitches. Then she looked into Isabel's trusting eyes and said, "Do not ever be afraid to start over."

The Fire Horse Girl, by Kay Honeyman

I was lost and trapped inside the story at the same time. I wanted my own story. Why didn't they believe that if I had left my home and traveled over the ocean, I needed to be here? Why couldn't I tell them how hard it was to live in China, how people broke off pieces of you to make you fit? Why didn't they want to know what it was like being a Fire Horse, full of a strength and power that only destroyed everything I touched?

Bamboo People, by Mitali Perkins

"A man full of hatred is like a gun, my son," Peh says. "He can be used for only one purpose--to kill."