The Only Black Girls in Town

What a phenomenal book!! This book included so many intricate pieces and touched on so many important topics that I wasn't 100% sure how it would come across. But Colbert is phenomenal and has such talent. I love how she was able to discuss race, LGBT, and self-identity in ways that weren't over the top or too vague. I feel like she had the perfect amount of detail while still keeping some details absent from the storyline. In this book, our main character is Alberta, an African-American 7th grader with two dads. Edie, another African-American 7th grader, moves in next door and she finally feels like she might have someone around who will understand what she goes through being one of the few black people in their small town. But this book goes far beyond just Alberta's journey. Colbert discusses the trials and tribulations of teenagers and typical middle-school antics. She delves into how a child feels after a divorce and a far move. She delves into Alberta's family and spending time with her birth mother. But the biggest journey readers take is the discussion of race and finding the ways to be proud of who you are inside and out. Through journals found in Edie's new bedroom, Alberta and Edie embark on a journey to not only understand themselves but to understand what it means to be Black in any place and any situation. Being proud of yourself goes beyond just race and I was amazed by just how powerful a story could be told in such an elegant way. A definite read for everyone!

Middle grade book.
Loved the representation.
Loved the story.
Loved the characters.
Some chapters did run a little long but that is more my issue than anything.

Worth a read!