Review by Booklist Review
Indigo, a biracial Minnesotan eighth-grader and aspiring journalist, deliberately vandalizes school property to get detention in this moving and inspiring debut that champions fighting against injustice. Her best friends, Abbie and Manning, have ditched her for the school's popular group, and Indigo hopes that they'll be so impressed with her getting detention, they'll want to be friends again. But then Indigo finds a book about Ida B. Wells in detention that includes letters with Wells' personal notes written in the book's margins, and she's inspired to investigate her school's unfair disciplinary policies when it comes to BIPOC students: only students of color, like her, are being sent to detention. Indigo also runs for student council president even though she's furious that Manning is running against her. In a secondary story line, community protests begin at the Minneapolis hospital where her doctor parents work after a Black man with mental health issues is denied treatment by a white doctor--a friend of Indigo's family. The book provides well-rounded glimpses into the lives of other characters, like Indigo's neurodivergent little brother and Abbie's nonbinary younger sibling. Indigo is a relatable and sympathetic character, and the social justice issues she champions at her school are timely and ring true. Readers will be inspired by Indigo's passion and compelled to read more about Wells, too. An author's note and discussion questions round things out.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Capps's endearing debut, biracial (white and Black) eighth grader Indigo Fitzgerald faces scrutiny and microaggressions from her peers during her campaign for class president. When Indigo, an investigative vlogger, intentionally lands herself in detention to interrogate her school's detention policy, which she believes is disproportionately harsh against students of color, she borrows a copy of the autobiography of journalist and activist Ida B. Wells (1862--1931), which contains letters between the pages written by Wells to an unnamed friend. Inspired by Wells's drive and determined to better her own school, Indigo decides to run for class president. But when she posts a vlog about her detention policy findings ("No white students are being sent to after-school prison," she says), her initially supportive classmates accuse her of disregarding "important issues" such as a no-homework mandate, claiming that "not everything is about race." Wells's fictional letters--created by Capps, who "used real stories from Ida's life to shape them," as outlined in an author's note--appear throughout, focusing on historical aspects of the story. In particular, they shed light on the figure's accomplishments and explore how her legacy bolsters contemporary advocacy pursuits. Forthright conversations surrounding privilege between Indigo and her white mother further elevate this complex depiction of race and discrimination. Ages 10--13. Agent: Shannon Hassan, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A middle schooler learns important lessons while running for office. Eighth grader Indigo Fitzgerald is willing to try anything to get her old friends back. An aspiring investigative journalist whose exposé videos get a lot of views, she attempts to change her squeaky-clean reputation by spray-painting a wall at school--which only lands her in detention. There, she encounters the autobiography of trailblazing Black journalist Ida B. Wells. While reading it and observing racial disparities between the student body as a whole and those present in detention, Indigo decides to expand her platform by running for student council president. Other issues in her family and community claim her attention as well. As her campaign progresses, she realizes she is being judged as intense, militant, and unlikable rather than as a crusader for justice. Indigo becomes more aware of how race impacts the way she is perceived and has a brave and honest conversation with her White mother about whether she can truly understand what Indigo, her brother, and her Black father experience. This lively middle-grade novel successfully captures the turmoil of finding one's place while navigating the various demands of growing up. The fictional letters informed by research on Wells' life show how learning about real-life figures can inform a young person's development. Indigo is an intriguing character surrounded by a realistic supporting cast of peers and adults. A satisfying story that demonstrates how the past can shed light on the present. (author's note, discussion questions) (Fiction. 10-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
