Get Your Hands on Torrey Maldonado

There's something about Torrey Maldonado's writing that sneaks up on you. His prose feels conversational—like he's sitting across from your students, talking them through the messy, complicated business of growing up. With Hands, his latest middle grade novel, Maldonado once again proves he has an uncanny ability to tackle weighty topics with the kind of authentic voice that makes kids lean in rather than tune out.

What Makes Hands Special

Hands follows Trevor, a sixth-grader caught between two worlds: the expectations of an urban community and the pull of his conscience. When an act of domestic violence rocks his world, Trevor must navigate questions that no kid should have to face—but many do. What does it mean to be a man? How do you help someone you love? And perhaps most importantly, who do you want to become when the easy answers aren't there?

If you've read Maldonado's previous works like Tight or What Lane?, you'll recognize his signature style. The language is deceptively simple—modern, accessible, and free of the kind of literary flourishes that can sometimes feel performative or intimidating to middle grade readers. But underneath that straightforward prose are emotional currents that run deep. Maldonado doesn't talk down to his readers; he trusts them to handle complexity, and they rise to meet that trust.

A Word of Caution (And Care)

Before diving in, it's important to note that Hands centers around an incident of domestic violence. Early in the book, Trevor's stepdad hits his mom. Trevor's "Ma" - a model of strength, courage, and kindness - calls the police and the stepdad lands in jail. But the incident, and it's emotional ramifications, weigh heavility on Trevor and become the central conflict in the book.

Maldonado handles this subject matter with remarkable sensitivity, never exploiting trauma for dramatic effect. Still, given the nature of the content, you'll want to consider your specific students and classroom context. Some readers may find elements of the story triggering, and having support resources available is wise.

That said, difficult doesn't mean unsuitable. Sometimes the books that challenge us most are the ones we need most. Hands offers students a chance to wrestle with real-world issues in a safe literary space, building both critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence along the way.

Making It Work in Your Classroom

Speaking of making things work—let's be honest, we're all juggling approximately seventeen thousand things on any given Tuesday. That's why I've created a no-prep Novel Study unit for Hands that you can find in my Story Trekker store at Teachers Pay Teachers. (Yes, I'm shamelessly plugging my own resource, but hear me out!)

The unit includes editable pages for differentiation because not every student learns the same way, answer keys for comprehension questions and extension activities because life's too short to grade everything from scratch, and chapter summaries for those ays when you barely have time to remember your own name, let alone reread Chapter Seven. Plus, there's a wide variety of hands-on creative activities designed to help students think critically about the text—because sometimes the best discussions happen when kids are moving, creating, and connecting ideas in unexpected ways. Ready to stick it on your Wishlist? Check out the resource here.

The Bigger Picture

Here's the thing about books like Hands: they do more than entertain. They expand worldviews. They build empathy. They help young readers understand that their own struggles aren't unique, and that other people's struggles are worth caring about. In a world that often feels increasingly divided, stories like Maldonado's remind us of our shared humanity.

As teachers, we have the incredible privilege (and responsibility) of introducing students to voices and experiences that might otherwise remain invisible to them. When we expose our students to a wide variety of writing—stories that challenge, comfort, and complicate their understanding of the world—we're not just teaching reading skills or strategies. We're helping them become more thoughtful, more empathetic, more engaged citizens.

And honestly? In a world that could use more thoughtful, empathetic, engaged citizens, that feels like pretty important work.

So consider adding Hands to your classroom library. Your students might just surprise you with how ready they are to grapple with the big questions. After all, they're living in the real world too—they deserve stories that honor that reality.

Find a No-Prep Novel Study at TpT

Check out this no-prep bundle!