I have my friend Meryl to thank for putting this read on my radar. I’m making a point to read more middle grade fiction, partly because I enjoy it, and partly because I want to be able to recommend middle grade books to the teachers I work with who teach middle grade students.

Jason Reynolds said something, once, about trusting readers with reality. I think that Yang did a fabulous job at trusting readers in a way that a 10-year-old can understand. Especially in current times (June 2020), it’s hard to shy away from the truth of the world.