THE ONLY BLACK GIRLS IN TOWN

With youthful sincerity, Jeanette Illidge narrates the story of Alberta, an easygoing surfer girl who's unprepared for the shifting ground of middle school friendship. For her whole life, Alberta and her dads have been the only black people on their street in cozy Ewing Beach, California. So she's thrilled when new neighbor Edie, a black girl just her age, moves in. However, her growing friendship with Edie complicates things with her best friend, Laramie, especially after Edie and Alberta start investigating a decades-old local mystery. Illidge's gentle tones convey the range of Alberta's emotions. Other characters are well portrayed, but it's Illidge's open and authentic-sounding portrayal of Alberta that will engross middle-grade listeners. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2020]