By Jacqueline Woodson

Written in prose-poem form, Jacqueline Woodson’s newest book should not be missed. The book tells the story of Sage, growing up in the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn, also known as “The Matchbox”. The summer the story starts shows a neighborhood that seems to be constantly on fire and the sounds of fire sirens sounding on the night air. It’s also the summer Sage gets to know the new kid, Freddy. Sage spends most summer days playing basketball in the park with the boys with aspirations of going pro someday on an NBA team. That is until someone questions her identity and she does a really stupid thing that gets her grounded. It’s a year of change, of finding out who she really is, and remembering what she loves about this Brooklyn neighborhood. A beautiful book with poetic language that just flows. A little bit of basketball for the sports-lovers, but not so much that it will turn off those non-sporty readers. And while I love a long book, especially if it’s good (& this is!), I think it’s the perfect length for the readers who will be interested in the topic – not too long, not too short. A must get for any middle & high school library.