It is 1970 in Red Grove, Alabama, and at Lu Olivera's school the white kids and black kids sit on different sides of the classroom. Six-grader Lu just wants to get along with everyone, but growing racial tensions will not let Lu stay neutral about the racial divide in school. Her old friends have been changing lately--acting boy crazy and making snide remarks about Lu's newfound talent for running track. Lu's secret hope for a new friend is fellow runner Belinda Gresham, but blacks and whites don't mix. Will Lu find the gumption to stand up for what's right? And find friends who will stand with her?
School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2018 July
Gr 4â6âSixth grader Lu Olivera is born to run, but worries that her parents, immigrants from Argentina, will not allow her to pursue sports. Undeterred, she starts to pal up with talented African American runner Belinda. Lu's world starts to shift away from old friends like Phyllis and Abigail, whose eyes are firmly planted on teen fashion magazines portraying mostly blue-eyed and blonde girls and whose families are against racial integration. Instead, the tween is drawn to the more socially conscious world of her older sister Marina and her crush Sam, who are both working on the campaign to defeat George Wallace's 1970 reelection. Her awareness of the racism against brown and black people and the personal and political efforts to fight it start to garner more of her attention and spur her to action. Young first-generation immigrants will see themselves reflected in Lu when she translates for a Cuban neighbor, and again when she finds herself "in the middle" and must either stand with her friends Belinda and Spider or side against them with her silence. Colloquial language and pop references abound, with detailed pencil illustrations at the onset of each chapter. VERDICT A well-drawn depiction of an immigrant experience with a social justice lens. A solid addition for public and school libraries.âSara Lissa Paulson, City-As-School High School, New York City