Blended

Blended
Sharon Draper
Atheneum, 2018 320 pages
Grades 4-7
Realistic Fiction

First-person narration relates the story of eleven-year-old Isabella, who feels very split down the middle. Her divorced parents share custody of her, forcing her to sit through uncomfortable exchanges with them and alternate weeks between homes. Luckily, both of her step-parents are kind and loving, but still she fantasizes about her parents reuniting. Also, being biracial makes her feel torn and she is unsure which race to identify with and often feels judged and exposed based on her skin color. Support comes from her two best friends and awesome teenage stepbrother, who always has her back. Escape comes from the piano in which she is gifted and is able to lose herself in the playing. A racial incident at school brings her uncomfortable feelings to a head and forces her to confront what she is experiencing in her own life. Finally, a terrible tragedy occurs on the way to her piano recital which brings some of these issues even closer to home and into the public eye. The silver lining is that her torn family discovers what is truly important and stops squabbling and starts loving.

Sharon Draper is one of my favorite authors. Out of My Mind makes me cry every time I read it. She knows how to get to the heart of the matter and express issues in an approachable and believable way to young people. This new title seems torn from the headlines, supporting the “Black Lives Matter” movement and shining a light on racial profiling and general racism as perceived by the American public. The Hate You Give light, this is an age appropriate title that would work well as a conversation starter at home or in the classroom. It is also an enjoyable read with a likable main character who readers will identify with. The adults are flawed, yet loving, and their worst offenses stem from loving Isabella too much. The teenage stepbrother is a little too perfect, but that is an indication of who he is as reflected in Isabella's eyes. Biracial kids will appreciate the representation, kids from sometimes hostile blended families will also relate, and the rest of the readers will grow from the experience of spending time in Isabella's shoes. I love how the power of music is a source of solace and a binding element between households. Hopefully, young readers will be encouraged to find their own passion that can be a real life-saver. The pink cover may put off male readers, but the story will grab them if they give it a chance. A timely book that will appeal to the target audience.