Blended

Timely and genuine, this novel chronicles a biracial girl's struggle to define her identity and find her voice amid personal and societal expectations. After her parents' divorce, competitive pianist Isabella, 11, divides her time between her white diner-waitress mother and her wealthy black father. The constant back and forth and her family's tense weekly exchanges cause her intense stress, as do the microaggressions Isabella experiences regularly. When a history class discussion about student protests and the history of lynching ends with a noose being placed in a black classmate's locker, Isabella's awareness of racist behavior skyrockets, as does her need to define who she is for herself. Draper (Out of My Mind) doesn't shy away from challenging or uncomfortable topics; police aggression, gun violence, the complicated nature of divorce, and socioeconomic imbalances are all candidly addressed as real and important parts of Isabella's experience. Readers will identify with Isabella's journey to stand up for herself, especially to her parents, whose constant arguing and clear dislike for each other often overshadow her needs: "Chocolate family meets vanilla family in the artificial reality that is a mall," Isabella says. "Caramel daughter caught helplessly between the two." Ages 8-12. (Oct.)

Gr 4-7—Eleven-year-old Isabella is biracial; her mother is white and her father is black. Other people sometimes describe her as "exotic," but she doesn't think of herself that way. Isabella is also from a blended family. Her mother, a waitress at Waffle House, has a serious boyfriend, a white guy who drives a truck, manages a bowling alley, and has dozens of interesting tattoos. Her father is a successful corporate attorney who drives a Mercedes and has a serious girlfriend, who is black, an interior decorator with a son that Isabella is looking forward to having for a big brother. Her parents share custody and each Sunday they meet at the mall and do "the exchange." Mostly, it's done curtly, without talking, so Isabella "hates, hates, hates it." She finds solace in playing the piano and practicing for a big recital. Shifting between two sets of parents, no matter how much she cares about them and how different their lifestyles are, is hard. As new tensions begin to rise, Isabella works to find her place in the world. Draper has a way of speaking to the heart of tween concerns. The dialogue is realistic and the alternating chapters between Isabella's time with her mom and dad underscores the protagonist's discomfort moving back and forth between them. The story could have ended there and worked well as a frank, honest portrait of a modern, blended family. But a dangerous, racially biased event near the end of the novel offers a deeper exploration of the unique struggles faced by young people of color. While the event is disturbing, Draper writes with grace, compassion, and respect for the intelligence and emotional lives of young readers. VERDICT This is Draper at her best, penning a current and ultimately uplifting story. It deserves a place on library shelves along with her other outstanding works.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH