Piecing me Together- Renée Watson

Wow. Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson is a must-read. It is both a Newbery Honor Book and a Coretta Scott Kind Award winner. The protagonist of this novel, Jade, lives in the Northside of Portland, Oregon. And though her neighborhood is very poor, she attends a private high school where she struggles to relate to her much wealthier classmates.

I like this novel so much because though it does a wonderful job of connecting to adolescents who are unsure of themselves or insecure about certain parts of who they are, Jade also demonstrates a subtle but unwavering sense of worth and strong understanding of her values. This juxtaposition of doubt and strength makes Jade a complex character who readers can grow with and admire. This novel is accessible to students from seventh grade through high school. #realisticfiction #urban #race #comingofage #awardwinnerBuy the book here!

Maturity: 2/4

This novel is rated a two on my maturity scale not because it contains any content that could be considered inappropriate, but simply because I think this book requires a more mature reader. The protagonist struggles with many typical coming-of-age hurdles, but she also grapples with her race and size frequently throughout the novel.  A less mature audience may not fully understand or appreciate her perspective.

Pages: 288

Lexile: 680L

Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel's themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!Check us out on Instagram! #rileyreadsya