Blended by Sharon M. Draper - ESSENTIAL

Blended by Sharon M. Draper, 308 pages.  Atheneum (Simon), 2018.  $17.  

Content: PG (does mention a noose, a shooting).

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Isabella, 11yo, is never quite sure where she fits in.  She goes to the same school every day, but one week she lives at Dad’s and the next week she is at Mom’s – neither place feels like home.  Also, she is one of those “mixed” kids – a blend that feels neither black nor white.  Drama at school and anger between her parents make it hard for her to find her footing.

Draper saves the most dramatic, heart-wrenching, and unfortunately too common, scene for the very end.  Isabella’s story can easily read up, at least to middle school.  Students all over will connect with Draper’s look at divorce, blended families, blended kids, and life while not white, and will not forget it any time soon.  Easily a classroom novel and /or read aloud for lots of great discussion.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS