A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE

With youthful immediacy, Imani Parks narrates this slice-of-life story about a smart, well-behaved seventh-grader named Shayla. Shay hopes to avoid trouble as she navigates typical middle school rites of passage such as first crushes and shifting social dynamics. But after attending a Black Lives Matter protest with her family, she begins to consider her African-American identity in new ways, prompting her to risk the consequences of challenging an unjust school rule. By imbuing all of Shay's experiences with equal and unaffected sincerity, Parks ensures that listeners understand how deeply the personal and political intersect in Shay's life. She can be stressing about Snapchat pics one minute and confronting institutional racism the next. Tweens and families alike will be drawn into this affirming, thought-provoking audiobook. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2019]