For Black Girls Like Me
Publisher
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Year
2019
ISBN
9780374308049
Pages
336 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Makeda June Kirkland is eleven years old, adopted, and black. Her parents and big sister are white, and even though she loves her family very much, Makeda often feels left out. When Makeda's family moves from Maryland to New Mexico, she leaves behind her best friend, Lena― the only other adopted black girl she knows― for a new life. In New Mexico, everything is different. At home, Makeda’s sister is too cool to hang out with her anymore and at school, she can’t seem to find one real friend. Through it all, Makeda can’t help but wonder: What would it feel like to grow up with a family that looks like me? Through singing, dreaming, and writing secret messages back and forth with Lena, Makeda might just carve a small place for herself in the world. For Black Girls Like Me is for anyone who has ever asked themselves: How do you figure out where you are going if you don’t know where you came from?
Grade Level
6-8; 9-12
Lexile Measure
HL500L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Health & Disability; Race & Culture; Adoption; Mental illness; Race discrimination; adopted child; racism; prejudice; bipolar disorder; depression; self harm; suicidal thoughts and/or tendencies
Main Character
female child
Race/Ethnicities
Black / African-American / Brown-skinned
Awards
Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children, 2020, Recommended
Cybils Awards, 2019, Nominee, Middle Grade Fiction
YouPer (Young Person) Award, 2020, Short List
Keywords
acceptance; white family adopting black girl; change; homeschool; musician
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Lockington, Mariama, "For Black Girls Like Me" (2019). Diverse Families. 2267.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/2267