Caprice

From the groundbreaking author of Tyrell, an astonishing middle-grade novel about a girl overcoming the secrets and abuse of her past.
This should be an exciting time for Caprice. She has been offered a place at the school of her dreams, where she's just had a fantastic summer. But this great opportunity coincides with a lot of internal doubt and the disturbing news that her long-estranged grandmother has fallen ill and may be near death. As Caprice tries to figure out her future, she is pulled back toward her past, and the abuse she endured from her uncle when she was little -- an abuse she's never told anyone about.
With extreme sensitivity and honesty for middle-grade readers, Coe Booth has written a painful but ultimately healing novel about finding support from your parents and friends, articulating your truth, and choosing your own path.
From School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up-Soon-to-be eighth grader Caprice has just finished up a summer leadership program at a boarding school and is faced with a choice: take a spot in the yearlong program at that school, or spend her eighth grade year in Newark with her best friend Nicole. However, when her grandmother falls ill, Caprice, who is Black, must go back to Baltimore and face a deep secret she's suppressed. When she was young, Caprice's uncle abused her in her grandmother's home. In this tale of pain and reclaiming the power of one's story, Caprice has to find her voice to face not only her past, but her future as well. Booth's novel uses a mix of verse poetry, flashbacks, and time-stamped present-day narrative. The chapters are short and maintain the book's quick pace. Told with unflinching honesty and an accessible way for the intended audience, Caprice's story can be hard to read at times but offers hope to survivors of abuse while educating readers about what survivors experience. Also included are resources for national organizations dedicated to supporting children like Caprice. VERDICT A worthy purchase for collections with a need for survivor stories for middle graders.-Molly Dettmannα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.