Review: "A Good Kind of Trouble," by Lisa Moore Ramee
- Jennifer Denney
- Jul 19, 2020
- 1 min read
Shayla is starting 7th grade with her two best friends by her side. They call themselves the United Nations because Shayla is Black, Isabelle is Latinx, and Julia is Asian American. They've been best friends since elementary school, but as their interests start to change, so do their friend groups. Julia hangs out with the basketball girls, Isabelle hangs out with the art students, and Shayla joins the track team. But, really they're just going through what so many middle school girls go through - they're growing into their own personalities and sometimes old friendships don't survive that. Shayla also has conflicting feelings about not having any Black friends. Her older sister gives her so much grief about it, but Shayla tries to not let it get to her. This novel feels like the perfect book for kids who may not quite be ready for Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give. It puts Shayla in the midst of learning about activism and participating in the Black Lives Matter movement, but it isn't as gritty and violent as THUG. I loved this book for middle school ages and think that it is a poignant story that is so important to the current times we're living in.
Mrs. Denney's Rating: ****
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