PIECING ME TOGETHER by Renee Watson

 




Watson, R. (2017). PIECING ME TOGETHER. Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books. ISBN 9781681191058

Jade, who is also the book's narrator, is a sixteen-year-old African American student attending a mostly white private school in Portland, Oregon on a scholarship. Jade is from a poor neighborhood and is different from the rest of her school. Heeding her mother's advice, Jade works to take advantage of every opportunity presented to her. Hoping to be afforded the opportunity to study abroad so she can utilize her fluent Spanish Skills, Jade is instead offered the chance to be paired with a mentor in the Women to Women program by her school's guidance counselor. Paired with Maxine, Jade initially has high hopes for this mentorship, hopes which are dashed when Maxine proves unreliable, and Jade begins to wonder if it is she or Maxine who is getting more out of the program. Jade grows through the program and begins to act on the realization that she needs to make her own opportunities. She gives suggestions to the Women to Women group about workshops they can hold. She makes up with her best friend, Sam. She sees the value in herself and her artistic abilities.

 This story is all about cultural markers. Jade is the poor Black girl that lives on the other side of town and has to take the city bus to school every day.  Her mother is a housekeeper, and they live in a small apartment in “the hood”.  The majority of the students at her private school are white, rich, and privileged. They live in huge mansions and drive expensive cars. There is a third dimension to the culture in this book. Sam is one of Jade’s best friends. She is one of the “ in-between” characters. She is not rich but is not poor like Jade. She lives halfway between Jade’s neighborhood and the school, just on the outskirts of what is considered the bad part of town. Oh, and she is white. Then there is Maxine, Jade’s mentor for the Women to Women program and another “in-between” character. Her family is rich, her mother being a surgeon. They live in one of those mansions. She drives a nice car, has nice clothes, and lives in a nice apartment. Oh, and she is black.

  The book mentions other cultures as well. On Thanksgiving, E.J. Jade, Lee Lee, and mom have dinner. They begin to discuss how one of Lee Lee’s teachers does not celebrate Thanksgiving. She says instead it should be a national day of mourning. E.J. explains “Basically, we’re sitting here feasting and celebration that our nation was stolen from indigenous people.”  (Watson, 2017) The Europeans stole America from the Native Americans. There are many other cultural markers, but I have chosen these few to mention.

 

2018 Coretta Scott King Author and Book Award

2018 Newbery Honor Book

2018 Josette Frank Award

Kirkus: “Through Jade’s insightful and fresh narration, Watson presents a powerful story that challenges stereotypes about girls with “coal skin and hula-hoop hips” who must contend with the realities of racial profiling and police brutality. Jade’s passion for collage and photography helps her to find her voice and advocate not only for herself, but for her community."

School Library Journal: “Most young people will relate to Jade’s search to find her voice and learn to advocate for herself in appropriate ways. The lack of a romantic lead may leave some young teen readers disappointed, but there is a real, refreshing strength in a fully fleshed-out female character whose story is her own. This is a memorable novel that demonstrates that a happy ending doesn’t require a romantic subplot.”  Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

 

Other books similar to PIECING ME TOGETHER:

LONG WAY DOWN, by Jason Reynolds  ISBN 9781481438254

DEAR MARTIN, by Nic Stone ISBN 9781101939499

THE HATE YOU GIVE, by Angie Thomas ISBN 9780062498533

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