Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring SOME PLACES MORE THAN OTHERS by Renée Watson.
With a new baby sister due to arrive in a few weeks and a mom who is still trying to force her to wear dresses, almost twelve-year-old Amara struggles to be seen and heard for who she really is inside. She also desperately longs for family connections outside of her small one-kid, two-parent world in Oregon. When Dad has an upcoming business trip to New York City during her birthday week, Amara begs to go too. It’s where her mom and dad met and fell in love. It’s where her dad grew up with Grandma Grace, who died before Amara could meet her, and Grandpa Earl, who hasn’t spoken with Dad in twelve years. Plus, being around family, learning about Harlem, and visiting Dad’s old haunts are exactly what she needs to complete a “suitcase project” for school.
The hustle and bustle of New York City is very different from Oregon, but Amara loves learning about the African American history of Harlem. It’s everywhere––statues, history museums, historic areas. Even the roads and foods on restaurant menus pay tribute to famous and heroic African Americans. But even more importantly, Amara finds out things about her dad. He was a poet and a dreamer, even from a young age, but he hasn’t written any poetry in over twelve years. As Amara learns why, she’s determined to bring back her poet dad and to heal the rift between him and her grandpa.
In her journey to bring her extended family back into her life in a more meaningful way, Amara discovers that even though she’s never been with them, they’ve always been a part of her.
Some books are like hugs you don’t want to end, and this is one of them. With masterful character development and immersive setting and historical details, this story about personal identity and family is one of my favorite reads this year. Amara’s family members become fully real to us, flaws bared for all of us to examine and reflect upon in our own selves. Renée Watson brings New York City to us through a young girl’s fresh eyes, which is beautiful and exciting. The scene where Amara feels her connection to the history of Harlem was a stop-and-catch-my-breath moment for me. Gorgeously written and evocative, this is a book that stirs you up deep inside and makes you long for stronger family connections in your own life.
SOME PLACES MORE THAN OTHERS is highly recommended for all readers ages 8 and up and should be on the must-purchase list for schools and libraries. This beautiful book, perfect for classroom and family discussions, releases on 9/3/19.
Thank you to KidLit Exchange for providing me with a copy for review. All opinions are my own.
Renée Watson grew up in Portland, Oregon and now lives in New York City where she teaches writing and champions exploration of social justice through the arts. Her books include Watch Us Rise, Betty Before X, Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen, What Momma Left Me, and Piecing Me Together, a Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Honor book.
