Finding My Place

May 31, 2010
Fourteen-year-old Tiphanie Baker's parents, former civil rights activists, are "big on doing their part to uplift the race" and firmly expect Tiphanie to do the same. In the fall of 1975, she leaves her comfortable neighborhood and moves to a nearly all-white school in Denver's suburbs, where she "never felt so Black—and so friendless—in my entire life." While her parents revel in their prestigious new jobs, Tiphanie becomes an object of curiosity and animosity at school, until another outcast, Jackie Sue (self-described "walking talking trailer trash") befriends her. The tension of the story comes from a bigoted and threatening classmate who preys on both girls and the growing mountain of secrets that Jackie Sue seems to be keeping about her alcoholic, depressed mother. Jones (Standing Against the Wind) does well to keep the story focused on Jackie Sue and Tiphanie's complicated friendship, while subtly showcasing the equally complex intersections of race and class. It's a straightforward, welltold story with characters that ring true, and the bittersweet ending will remind readers that friendships sometimes come at a cost. Ages 12–up.

June 1, 2010
Gr 5-9-Tiphanie Baker respects her parents' participation in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and lives up to their expectations, which include always "uplifting her race" by working extra hard and by following the rules. But when she finds out that she must start her freshman year as the only black girl at an affluent, predominantly white school, she wonders if she has the strength. Set in Denver in 1975, the book portrays the mood and perceptions of the time. People of differing ethnicities and races are still becoming accustomed to living, working, and going to school together, as demonstrated by the awkwardness and uncertainty with which Tiphanie and her fellow students regard each other. The issues of class and racial identity are exacerbated when Tiphanie, who is working through her own feelings of isolation and uncertainty, befriends a white girl who is ostracized because she is poor and lives in a trailer park. As the protagonist starts to feel more comfortable and accepted by her classmates, she struggles with the idea that by liking them she is not being true to her former friends, who begin to question her commitment. The story, with its accurate portrayal of the period and realistic depictions of friendships and family issues, is interesting and enjoyable. The well-developed characters confront their own stereotypes and perceptions of race, learning something about one another and about themselves."Margaret Auguste, Franklin Middle School, Somerset, NJ"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2010
Grades 5-8 Instead of the typical speech most kids get on their first day of school, Tiphanie receives the talented tenth lecture. Her parents, veterans of the civil rights movement, remind her that DuBois was speaking specifically about her, and she must uphold the race while attending her predominantly white high school, even now, in 1975. Tiphanie is refreshingly witty and open-minded. She begins her freshman year seeing racism everywhere but quickly recognizes the fault in that viewpoint and starts to engage with the other kids. Thats not to say that no one is racist, but for the most part, her classmates are curious and kind. She makes friends with Jackie Sue, a poor white hippie chick and fellow outsider. But her new bestie has a secret, and Tiphanie wonders if keeping it is in her best interest. Jones handles the intricacies of race relations splendidly and excels in the frankness of her prose, which is devoid of the ham-fisted, chip-on-the-shoulder tone that other books of this nature often default to. This immediate, engaging novel will appeal to readers of all backgrounds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)