Piecing Me Together
by Renee Watson
I have no idea how this book got on my desk, but I read it
as the rain continued to come down during this vacation…oh well. Piecing
Me Together by Renee Watson is another young-adult book but could be read
by anyone looking to better understand the power of prejudice and the significance
of skin color in the world today. Jade,
a poor black teen growing up in Portland, Oregon, receives a scholarship to a
predominantly white private high school and is forced to leave behind some of
her best friends, who are also black.
Her mother reminds her that her education will help her escape the
socio-economic challenges that her family faces. Jade’s journey includes joining a young women’s
empowerment program though her school, which ultimately leaves her with a
scholarship to college. Her assigned
mentor, an alum of the school and a black woman with financial means, faces
significant challenges as a result of her disparate life experience. The book provides a terrific learning
opportunity for readers on: difference within race; paying attention to the
subtext of messages; and the complexities of race/socio-economic
differences. Watson hits the mark in
this easy-to-read tale aimed at young adults, but it is a valuable read for all
who care about changing the narrative of this generation.
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