From the Desk of Zoe Washington (Zoe Washington #1)

by Janae Marks (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Series: Zoe Washington
  • An Amazon Best Book of the Month
  • #1 Kids Indie Next List
  • A Junior Library Guild Selection
  • Four Starred Reviews

From debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating story full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right--even in the face of great opposition.

Zoe Washington isn't sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she's never met, hadn't heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who's been in prison for a terrible crime?

A crime he says he never committed.

Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. Everyone else thinks Zoe's worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she's worthy of auditioning for Food Network's Kids Bake Challenge.

But with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcus's conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesn't know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies.

When Marcus tells Zoe he is innocent, and her grandmother agrees, Zoe begins to learn about inequality in the criminal justice system, and she sets out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence.

(Publishers Weekly, An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List)--School Library Journal (starred review)

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

On her 12th birthday, Zoe Washington receives a letter from Marcus, the biological father she's never met, who has been serving time for murder since just before Zoe's birth. Zoe's mother and stepfather don't want her in touch with Marcus, but Zoe, curious, strikes up a correspondence with the help of her maternal grandmother, who believes Marcus to be "a good person at heart." Aspiring pastry chef Zoe grows busy as she makes up with her best friend Trevor, writes to Marcus, and interns at a family friend's bakery, where she hopes to prove to her parents that she could compete on Food Network's Kids Bake Challenge. When Marcus tells Zoe he is innocent, and her grandmother agrees, Zoe begins to learn about inequality in the criminal justice system, and she and Trevor set out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence. Debut author Marks seamlessly weaves timely discussions about institutionalized racism into this uplifting and engaging story that packs an emotional punch. Zoe is a relatable tween, with friendship and familial frustrations that will resonate with readers. Ages 8-12. Agent: Alexander Slater, Trident Media Group. (Jan.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up—On her 12th birthday, Zoe Washington receives a letter from her birth father, Marcus, who has been in prison her entire life. He wants to get to know her, and even though she knows her mom won't like it, she writes back. In their letters they bond over a shared love of baking—Zoe is interning at a Boston-area bakery over the summer and dreams of becoming a pastry chef—and music. When Marcus dodges Zoe's questions about the crime he committed, she Googles him and is horrified to discover that he was accused of murdering a college classmate. But Marcus also claims he's innocent and that there's even a witness out there who could prove it. Zoe doesn't know what to believe—can innocent people really go to prison? In the course of researching wrongful convictions, she learns about racial bias in the prison system (Zoe and her biological parents are black, a stepfather is white) and decides to search for the alibi witness herself, even though Marcus doesn't want her to get involved. But keeping secrets from her mom quickly gets Zoe in over her head, jeopardizing her chances of obtaining the information she needs to save Marcus. This is one of only a small handful of middle grade novels to explore the experience of having a parent in prison, and the subject is handled with grace and sensitivity. It also exposes the important and timely issue of racial bias in the prison system in a way that is approachable to a middle grade audience. Zoe is a bright, compassionate protagonist for whom readers will root. She is supported by a loving family whose viewpoints differ yet who all want the best for her. The baking subplot will have readers itching to try out Zoe's recipes. VERDICT A smart, necessary, and hopeful middle grade debut that expertly balances a gentle, heartwarming tone with searing insight into systemic racism. Hand to readers who enjoyed Lisa Ramee's A Good Kind of Trouble or Kekla Magoon's The Season of Styx Malone.—Elizabeth Giles, Lubuto Library Partners, Zambia

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A smart, necessary, and hopeful middle grade debut that expertly balances a gentle, heartwarming tone with searing insight into systemic racism."—School Library Journal (starred review)

One of my favs from 2020!

This is a must read for anyone who likes baking, mysteries, and finding out what it means to fight for what you believe to be important!

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062875853
Lexile Measure
660
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date
January 20, 2020
Series
Zoe Washington
BISAC categories
JUV021000 - Juvenile Fiction | Law & Crime
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JUV028000 - Juvenile Fiction | Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
JUV013090 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Alternative Family
JUV050000 - Juvenile Fiction | Cooking & Food
Library of Congress categories
African Americans
Families
Family life
Fathers and daughters
Bakers and bakeries
Prisoners families

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