Brass Ankle Blues

This is a book that I would gravitate to at the bookstore. I'm drawn to books that deal with psychological issues, family issues, emotional issues. This is a book I would definitely pick up, buy, and read.

That said, I wished I could see Nellie's mother more clearly. At times, it felt like there were so many cousins and friends that it was tough to keep each one straight. I liked Nellie and Jess and her dad a lot. Nellie's relationship with the two boys seemed to go back and forth without much rhyme or reason. By the end, I could see that Jess had grown, but I was less sure about Nellie. The story never really reached a big climax, but that was okay with me; I liked the main characters enough to stick with them despite the lack of a strong driving plot.

Because I am a librarian in a large school system with a very diverse population, I will enjoy telling others about this book. The biracial issues Nellie faced are issues faced by many Americans; I can see that teens as well as adults might like this book a lot.