Scan barcode
A review by meghan111
The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert
5.0
Quite a thoughtful and emotionally intelligent realistic middle-grade novel about friendship. I didn't think I was still capable as an adult of being so immersed in a book written for this age group, but I thought this was spectacular and I really enjoyed the audiobook.
Alberta is the only Black girl in her grade in her small surfing and tourist town in California. She has two dads, both involved in the art world, and a subplot of the novel features her biological mother coming to visit while pregnant with another child. Alberta's family is one of the few Black families in her community. When she learns that a new family moving in as the owners of the B&B across the street are Black and have a daughter the same age as her, she is really happy. Alberta has a best friend, Laramie, but she and the new girl Edie quickly form a friendship. Edie is from Brooklyn and goth, and she and Alberta discover a cache of old diaries in the B&B. Meanwhile Alberta's best friend Laramie has started to hang out with a new popular crowd, including a slightly older girl who has said racist things to Alberta for years and acted like a bully.
The way race and racial prejudice is handled in this book is skillful. The way friendships are observed is also skillful - the friendship aspects reminded me of [b: Just as long as we're together|37731|Just as Long as We're Together|Judy Blume|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348783177l/37731._SY75_.jpg|3231118] by Judy Blume.
Alberta is the only Black girl in her grade in her small surfing and tourist town in California. She has two dads, both involved in the art world, and a subplot of the novel features her biological mother coming to visit while pregnant with another child. Alberta's family is one of the few Black families in her community. When she learns that a new family moving in as the owners of the B&B across the street are Black and have a daughter the same age as her, she is really happy. Alberta has a best friend, Laramie, but she and the new girl Edie quickly form a friendship. Edie is from Brooklyn and goth, and she and Alberta discover a cache of old diaries in the B&B. Meanwhile Alberta's best friend Laramie has started to hang out with a new popular crowd, including a slightly older girl who has said racist things to Alberta for years and acted like a bully.
The way race and racial prejudice is handled in this book is skillful. The way friendships are observed is also skillful - the friendship aspects reminded me of [b: Just as long as we're together|37731|Just as Long as We're Together|Judy Blume|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348783177l/37731._SY75_.jpg|3231118] by Judy Blume.