Mariama J. Lockington

Keda is struggling with her identity as a Black adoptee of a white family, in a new place, while her mother's mental health is spiraling out of control. There's a lot going on, but I found it hard to put down -- Keda is such a bright, emerging spark of a girl: shy, but willing to stick up for herself. Often feeling like an outsider, but finding comfort in the pieces of Black culture that are available to her. It's a powerful book. I had an ebook version and I can't tell if the whole thing is meant to be in verse, but in any case, the verse sections weave well into the whole.… (más)

Sweet, sad, and hopeful. Andi is dealing with the grief of losing a parent while trying to fit into a new family dynamic, Zora is struggling with self-harm and high, mismatched parental expectations, and both are working hard to understand their creative needs and to express themselves artistically, as one of a very few Black kids attending a prestigious music camp. This is just a small number of the many pretty heavy topics covered in this book, but all the issues in the novel appear and are covered organically and with love and care, and at a level totally accessible to middle grade readers.… (más)