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This book was picked for our battle of the books. I found it be a very eye opening book about Mississippi back in the day of Jim Crow laws and just plain horror. It‘s a book that reminds me how far we have come and that we can‘t stop. Beautifully written book.

This book packs in a lot. Addressing family violence, colorism, the Great Migration and a host of other issues against the backdrop of the Emmitt Till Murder & trial, it‘s a pretty heavy read for middle grade. It‘s honest and necessary. An adult putting this in the hands of a child may want to prepare to discuss some difficult history and issues. I‘m looking forward to the sequel.
#MiddleGradeMarch book 6

#MiddleGradeMarch

This hit a rough patch near the end, turning overly didactic and jolting me with author-voice suddenly coming out of characters, most egregiously when Rose makes a long flowery speech and then literally says "I don't know why I said that."
It's great to see a book dealing with racism, Jim Crow, etc. that isn't focused on white people inside or outside the story.
The language is complex enough that I'd call it an older middle grade read.

Went to find another geocached Lord Huron track in NYC, got a lot of reading done on the train!

Going beyond segregation and hate crime and getting into Black politics and colorism is WAY more advanced than the kind of reading I did about the subject when I was a middle grade reader. Which shows improvement! After all, books about race shouldn't be written just (or even mostly) for white children, but also for the Black children most affected by the issues, and I think that this book is definitely reaching out to that audience.

Rose is a sharp and opinionated girl, starting right off with a strong voice. It's easy to see how her character would be engaging and likeable to middle grade readers, and I'm enjoying it myself.

I haven't read any middle grade in quite a while since I haven't been working in the kids' section at Large Bookstore Chain and have let myself run free a bit. This has been on my list a while.

Today, libby doesn't want to show me the cover.

This is not turning out to be the break I needed from hard books. It's been sitting in my TBR pile for so long that I forgot what it was about.
I'm gonna need some book candy after this one.

This is the most #graceful book cover in my collection at work. #yeavember17

This book about a young girl growing up in 1950s Mississippi reminds me that middle grade fiction is some of the best work out there. The sequel comes out in January.

This was a hard prompt! Finally found a book in my library with cursive! Maybe it's a sign I should read it next. #fallintoreading #cursive #somanyunreadbooks

Another juvenile fiction book that felt more like a history lesson. Set in Mississippi around the time of Emmett till, this story of a young girl talked about learning not to just accept the world around you.

Rose Lee lives with her grandparents when her mother leaves for a better life in Chicago. (Her mother is a jerk and her grandmother is just frightening.) I hurt for Rose Lee, I was scared of her grandmother, and I worried for their safety. The characters, the content, and the story were all strong. [some mature themes] This is a wonderful junior book that tells a accessible story while unspooling some important moments in history.

The clock is ticking for our diversity project at work. So if I can read several of these this weekend I'll be ecstatic. Then I just need to pull together my reviews, some quotes, and make posters. Fingers crossed. 🤞. Harper, one of the #catsoflitsy. #24in48.

My favorite debut novels of 2017. (so far)
#junebookbugs

#readingstats for May! I was pleased with my #middlegrademay reading! For a full recap of my #middlegrademay reads, check out my blog: http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2017/05/middlegrademay-recap.html

Great for fans of historical fiction and civil rights stories. I LOVED Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry when I was a kid and I would have loved this one, too. #middlegrademay #howiereads

Howie and I have our ocean sounds on and we're pretending like we're on vacation at the beach today. 🌊☀️😂 #middlegrademay #howiereads

What an emotional story, based on a black girl in Mississippi living through the Emmett Till tragedy and surviving in the south during Jim Crow. This book made me sad for the way the world use to be and sometimes still very much is. I loved the mc Rosa Carter and her fight for education, her fight for freedom in a very strict family. I loved the church snippets because I'm a southern baptist and somethings don't change. I loved this book!

#BooksAndBooze 🍀

I just learned about this book yesterday, bought it today and now I hope to finish my other books very soon so I can start this one!

Happy #feistyfeb everyone! I don't plan a solid #tbr for the month but these are some I have from the library/up soon on my shelf. I am also hoping to have a good dose of diverse picks that give me a much-needed boost. Happy reading everyone!

And in more book mail news, my first physical book order of the year (I'm trying so hard!).

It's always the best feeling when you start your new reading year with a book that is a 5 star read that you know will be a beloved book for years to come. This book gave me that. The writing is excellent, the characters real, the setting comes alive. Set against Emmet Till's murder in Mississippi in the summer of 1955, the plot is gripping. Everyone should read this.

The snowy weather has given me a weekend full of reading some great new tween novels.

Love this voice & imagery.