Lila Quintero Weaver's autobiographical novel tackles the subject of segregation. In 1970 Alabama, schools have recently been desegregated, and many folks are not happy. Lu, who is of Argentinian descent, literally sits in the middle row of her sixth grade class. This row of three or four students divides the white and black students in the class. Meanwhile, George Wallace is trying to become re-elected as Georgia's governor, and he wants to re-segregate the schools. Will Lu's friends and family vote for Wallace? Also, many of Lu's friends are changing: they are wearing lipstick; changing hairstyles; and talking a lot about boys. But Lu is changing in a different way; she has discovered that she has a special talent for running. And through running, Lu has made some new friends on the other side of the middle.
As you can see, this book cover brings to mind another realistic fiction story:
Half and Half by Lensey Namioka. I find there is something captivating about these graphic covers. Yet, the topics covered are far fro black and white. Lila Weaver has added some interesting features that relate to her book on her website (visit lilaweaver.com). I love her "playlist" of all the songs mentioned in the story. And teachers, there is a great discussion guide to offer further exploration of this interesting topic. Readers who love this book looking for something similar should try
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine.
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