So many people have been raving about this one and I was really pleased when I loved it as much as all of you! That doesn't always happen, as most of us know. Delphine is such an amazing character...realistic, driven, and bold. A fantastic role model for kids. She speaks her mind, but knows when to hold her tongue, keeps her sisters in line, and really just wants her mother to love her, despite Cecile's resistance to anything that has to do with her daughters.

And touching on the typically untouched subject of The Black Panthers was what made Rita Williams-Garcia's novel truly fantastic. We learn something about this group that definitely does not have a whole lot of middle grade fiction written about it, yet takes up a whole lot of our not-so-distant history. You won't even notice the educational aspects, as they're blended so seamlessly into this family drama.

Writing doesn't get much better than this and I would certainly expect this book to be winning some awards come next year. I was beyond impressed with the characters, notably Delphine, as well as the hard shell of a mother in Cecile. A huge recommendation to librarians, educators, kids, and adults alike.