This isn’t the first book I’ve picked up at TLA that focused on things like prejudice and bigotry, and yet these topics seem increasingly relevant these days.

Argentinian immigrant Lu Olivera is in sixth grade and is facing new and interesting challenges, such as “my friends have discovered boys and makeup and I don’t see the appeal” and “I’m really good at this sport but the others mock me for it” and “I want to be friends with this girl, but she’s black and people will talk”.

Okay, that last one is only a problem if you’re in 1970s Alabama…which happens to be the case here. We’ve achieved integration here, but already like half of the white parents are transferring their kids to a fancy all-white private school across town.

Belinda is an African-American girl in Lu’s class, is a great runner, great friend, and gels excellently with Lu; even better than Lu’s current best friend, Abigail. Sadly, the problem is Alabama. In the 70s. Here, the black and white kids sit on opposite sides of the classroom, with Lu and a few others right in the middle. For those of us who are fully installed in the 21st century, the attitudes portrayed in the book are mind-boggling.

And Weaver does an excellent job establishing these historical attitudes. We are treated to a scene of Abigail dragging Lu along to a rally for George Wallace, who is running for re-election. They only wanted to go for the cakewalk, because cake, but then Wallace comes out, Confederate flags a-blazin’ with racist rhetoric and ad hominem attacks on the current governor. The more Lu listens, the more unnerved she feels because she knows this isn’t right.

That’s the heart of the story- finding the courage to stand up for what’s right and finding friends that will stand with her. Which side will she choose? Should she keep her head down and stick with the friends she has, even though they’re starting to buy into the white supremacist rhetoric? Or should she take the leap to the other side, with friends who want to change the status quo no matter what pushback they get?

I absolutely loved this book, couldn’t put it down, and it’s one I definitely want to share with my students.

My Year in the Middle - Likewise Book Reviews

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