RENÉE WATSON is the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award-winning author of the novels Some Places More Than Others, Watch Us Rise, co-written with Ellen Hagan, Piecing Me Together, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, co-written with Ilyasah Shabazz, and two picture books: Harlem's Little Blackbird and A Place Where Hurricanes Happen. Renée is the founder of I, Too, Arts Collective, a nonprofit committed to nurturing underrepresented voices in the creative arts. She lives in New York City.www.reneewatson.net; @harlemportland (Instagram); @reneewauthor (Twitter)

Without ever shying away from difficult topics such as racism and financial hardship, this is a positive, optimistic story. For readers who are going through tough or troubling times, this book will be a welcome dose of happiness

RENÉE WATSON is the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award-winning author of the novels Some Places More Than Others, Watch Us Rise, co-written with Ellen Hagan, Piecing Me Together, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, co-written with Ilyasah Shabazz, and two picture books: Harlem's Little Blackbird and A Place Where Hurricanes Happen. Renée is the founder of I, Too, Arts Collective, a nonprofit committed to nurturing underrepresented voices in the creative arts. She lives in New York City.www.reneewatson.net; @harlemportland (Instagram); @reneewauthor (Twitter)

Without ever shying away from difficult topics such as racism and financial hardship, this is a positive, optimistic story. For readers who are going through tough or troubling times, this book will be a welcome dose of happiness