SOME PLACES MORE THAN OTHERS

Narrator Bahni Turpin brings her inimitable style to this captivating middle-grade adventure, which follows a suburban Oregon tween as she takes her first trip to New York City. While there have been video calls on birthdays and holidays, Amara has never met her grandfather and cousins who live in Harlem in person. Her father hasn't even spoken to her grandfather since her birth. She schemes to change that by joining her dad, a Nike executive, on a business trip as her birthday present. Turpin's earnest, youthful tone expertly evokes almost-12-year-old Amara's yearning to learn more about her distant family and her roots. Turpin's characterizations vividly bring to life the family members who show her the cultural gems of Harlem, teaching her that being a family is harder but even more worthwhile than she imagined. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]