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This is an autobiography in free-verse vignettes that presents the author’s family and her childhood in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York City. It presents a child’s first-hand view of larger events such as the civil rights activism occurring across America in the 60s and 70s. But also details her personal growth in making friends, bonding with relatives, learning to read, and learning to love writing. I’m from the same generation as Woodson, so the child’s perspective on the cultural events she described resonated perfectly with me. I also recognize the magic of visiting grandparents in the country, enjoying summer nights, home grown vegetables, and neighborly interactions. The book is a lovely mix of recollections of moments both national and individual that shaped the author. While it’s marketed for middle schoolers, probably because of the age of the narrator, the story would be appealing to adult readers, too.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and voluntary review.

This is a sweet and well plotted fantasy tale about a musician, a scholar, and a tree spirit who become friends during a series of catastrophic, mythologically driven earthquakes. The culture of the region is well constructed, including travel by subterranean river rafting, a believable system of spirits and shrines, and an intricate music guild. The story nicely balances the different characters’ worries and skills. Major events include a fraught music competition, a quest for historical interpretations of catastrophes in folktales, and multiple layers of new and rekindled relationships. It’s a light and enjoyable tale with compelling characters. I’ll keep an eye out for more of the saga.

So fun! The lead character has a sustained, hilarious voice. The story playfully swirls together gaming, multiverses, linguistics, and politics. It offered a much more enticing case for anarchy than Doctorow’s pendantic Walkaway. By the time I finished this, my throat hurt, even while I longed to try out power morphemes.

Engaging and disturbing, with a heck of a one-two punch at the end. Not only a good semi-autobiographical family saga, but fascinating coverage of several strands of Native American history in the U.S.

A fine collection of stories that are various flavors of clever and creepy.