Recently, the public outcry after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police revealed a disconnect among some Americans between historical events (slavery, the Civil Rights movement) and the present day. That is, many Americans--particularly White Americans--had believed racism to be a mostly historical construct and failed to understand the ways in which past societal structures continue to influence racial inequities today. This article explores the use of historical and modern novel pairs to bridge gaps in understanding for middle grade readers. Reading high-quality, culturally authentic books such as "Esperanza Rising" (Ryan, 2000) and "Return to Sender" (Alvarez, 2009) can help students recognize the systemic nature of racism and critically consider ways in which they can use their own voices to disrupt it. Included in this piece are instructional ideas and multiple novel pair suggestions.