What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson, 240 pages. Bloomsbury, 2019. $18.
Language: G; Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Serenity’s mom is dead, her dad is nowhere to be found, and now she and her younger brother Danny are living with their mom’s parents – not their dad’s momma. Starting at a new school isn’t easy, but Serenity makes a friend and is kind of interested in a boy. But does she want to go down the same path that her Momma took? Can she stop an angry Danny from trying out the same shortcuts as Daddy? Scan she be a good friend when Maria needs her?
Watson leaves the reader with plenty of space to speculate as she ushers Serenity hopefully towards a better future. Nothing is wrapped up in a tidy bow, but there is optimism. Watson tackles many difficult issues, but infers the harsher behaviors, leaving it up to the reader to decide how graphic to paint the pictures. This means that the book is open to a younger audience as well as story that can be appreciated by older students.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
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