Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Each month LibraryReads posts a list of 10 recommended titles; this post and some subsequent ones will be an opportunity to comment on several of the those recommendations. The favorite overall was RED AT THE BONE by Jacqueline Woodson, a new coming of age novel set mostly in Brooklyn about several generations in one family. Melody is the youngest, now sixteen which is basically the same age as her mother Iris when she found out she was unexpectedly pregnant. Those two share narration duties with Melody’s father, Aubrey, and her grandmother, Sabe, married to Po’Boy. Woodson is adept at exploring the idea of fate: “Knowing that there’s so much in this great big world that you don’t have a single ounce of control over. Guess the sooner you learn that, the sooner you’ll have one less heartbreak in your life.” Personally, I found the story to be well-written, but mostly descriptive. I think students would look for more action. RED AT THE BONE received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

Where We Come From by Oscar Cásares

WHERE WE COME FROM by Oscar Cásares is a powerful novel.  It is a well-written story for our times, but it does much more than mirror headlines.  As Cásares noted in a recent interview, he began this work in order to explore the idea of cultural immigration and what happens to people as they become more assimilated. Strong emotions – love, fear, hope, shame, disappointment - are associated with WHERE WE COME FROM which tells the story of many characters, including:

• Orly, who is a twelve-year-old boy whose mother has recently died and who is sent to spend the summer near the border in Brownsville, Texas with his godmother, la madrina. She is named
• Nina, who is a retired school teacher and now cares for her ailing mother and for Chivito, another young boy, just becoming a teen. He is named
• Daniel, who is on a quest to avoid capture and to meet his father (who emigrated from Veracruz, Mexico) in Chicago

Cásares deftly explores misunderstandings, manipulations, and internal tensions as each faces questions of bravery and trust. As Cásares develops the relationships between characters, he also intersperses italicized vignettes containing the stories of otherwise almost invisible, minor characters like a local policeman who is the son of an unauthorized immigrant or an inspirational teacher facing deportation due to an expired work permit.

For a sense of the writing style and story line, see Texas Monthly’s recently published short excerpt here. Booklist says “Teens will be moved by this heartfelt story about an intensely timely subject that demands attention.” We will definitely be booktalking this title and encouraging classes like Global Voices and other Senior electives to consider adding it to the curriculum. WHERE WE COME FROM received a starred review from Kirkus.