ENCHANTED STORIES: From the Desk of Zoe Washington

By Janae Marks

New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2020. Fiction.

On her 12th birthday, aspiring baker Zoe Washington receives a surprise letter from Marcus - her biological father who's been imprisoned for murder since before Zoe was born. Against her mother and stepfather's wishes, Zoe secretly begins writing to Marcus with the help of her maternal grandmother. As Zoe gets to know Marcus, she has a hard time believing the kind, basketball loving, R & B music listening, recipe-sharing man could actually be guilty. Zoe learns that the evidence used to convict Marcus was circumstantial and inconclusive, which prompts her to learn more about inequality in the criminal justice system and how black people like her and Marcus are more likely to be wrongfully convicted of crimes.

This incredible debut novel is perfect for facilitating conversations about racial profiling with middle grade readers. Though the subject matter may seem heavy at first, Janae Marks keeps the story age-appropriate and well-paced. Zoe is a wonderfully well-rounded character dealing with lots of twelve-year-old issues like friendship, family, doing what's right, and, of course, her dream of competing on Kids Bake Challenge. This is a powerful and hopeful story about a difficult topic, but its timely message is a great starting point for parents wanting to discuss race with their children.

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

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Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages. Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

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