From the Desk of Zoe Washington

So I've actually had this one on my to read list for at least a year now and was really excited to get the opportunity to read it for this talk.

Zoe Washington receives a letter from her father, who she hasn't heard from ever before. But she doesn't know how to respond: What does a girl say to the father she's never met, hadn't heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who's been in prison for a terrible crime?

The thing is, he says he didn't commit this crime. Zoe isn't sure what to believe, but she stops prepping for entry to the Food Network's Kid Bake Challenge to figure it out. This middle grade novel handles the complex topic of mass incarceration and wrongful convictions with a deftness that will have readers absolutely endeared to Zoe. Marks even gets to bring up the Innocence Project. It's really an amazing story; it reminded me of a similar young adult novel called “This is My America” by Kim Johnson. This is definitely more appropriate for middle grade readers. I highly recommend it. It's realistic fiction, but it also has adventure, serious moral issues, family and friend drama - and, I don't want to spoil it for you, but I think the ending is very classic, heart warming middle grade - y. Definitely read this one.