“PRIDE”

AUTHOR: Ibi Zoboi

GENRE: Middle-Grade Contemporary

AGES: 11+

RATING: 5 stars

SYNOPSIS: Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.

When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.

But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape or lose it all.

In a timely update of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE FROM THIS BOOK: “I have always thought of Bushwick as home, but in that moment, I realize that home is where people I love are, wherever that is.”

MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS: How it explores ideas about community and family. I haven’t read many books that depict the bonds and conflicts between loved ones as realistically as this one.

MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK IS: Definitely Zuri! She is such a well written character and has so much emotional depth it feels like she could step right out of the pages of this book.

FANS OF THIS BOOK MAY ALSO LIKE:

“Clap When You Land” by Elizabeth Acevedo, “So Many Beginnings” by Bethany C. Morrow, and

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas

 

Avery Finley, 16, is an avid reader and book reviewer. When not reading, you can find her playing volleyball, hanging out with friends, or with one of her pets! Follow her on Instagram and TikTok at @readbyfin.Avery Finley, 16, is an avid reader and book reviewer. When not reading, you can find her playing volleyball, hanging out with friends, or with one of her pets! Follow her on Instagram and TikTok at @readbyfin.

 

 

THREE MORE BOOKS TO TRY

 

EDIBLE CRAFTS KIDS’ COOKBOOK

AUTHOR: Charity Mathews

AGES: 4 – 8

SYNNOPSIS: What’s cooler than making a masterpiece you can eat? “The Edible Crafts Kids’ Cookbook” will get little Picassos swishing, swirling, mixing, and molding in the kitchen as they create super fun art projects they’ll delight in and devour when they’re done.

 

INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN

AUTHOR:  Thanhhà Lai

AGES: 6 – 12

SYNOPSIS: Inspired by the author’s childhood experience as a refugee—fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama—this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child’s-eye view of family and immigration.

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL: WINTER BLUNDERLAND

AUTHOR: James Patterson and Brian Sitts

AGES: 13 +

SYNOPSIS: Things heat up at Hills Village Middle School when Rafe gets an invitation from Dr. Daria Deerwin to join a research study on polar bears. How many times in life do you get a chance to come face‑to‑face with a real polar bear in the wild? Rafe is ready to find out!