How High the Moon

Karyn Parsons' "How High the Moon" is a compelling historical fiction novel set in the Jim Crow South of 1944. It follows 12-year-old Ella, who lives in Alcolu, South Carolina, facing bullying for her light skin and longing for her jazz singer mother in Boston. An invitation to visit her mother for Christmas leads Ella on a journey of self-discovery, uncovering surprising truths about her family, including the father she never knew. Upon her return, she's confronted with the harsh realities of racial injustice when a schoolmate is falsely accused of murder. This book is perfect for middle-grade readers, offering a nuanced exploration of identity, family bonds, and the resilience needed to navigate a world determined to hold one down, echoing themes found in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "One Crazy Summer."

To Kill a Mockingbird meets One Crazy Summer in this powerful, bittersweet debut about one girl's journey to reconnect with her mother and learn the truth about her father in the tumultuous times of the Jim Crow South. "Timely, captivating, and lovely. So glad this book is in the world." --Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming In the small town of Alcolu, South Carolina, in 1944, 12-year-old Ella spends her days fishing and running around with her best friend Henry and cousin Myrna. But life is not always so sunny for Ella, who gets bullied for her light skin tone and whose mother is away pursuing a jazz singer dream in Boston. So Ella is ecstatic when her mother invites her to visit for Christmas. Little does she expect the truths she will discover about her mother, the father she never knew and her family's most unlikely history. And after a life-changing month, she returns South and is shocked by the news that her schoolmate George has been arrested for the murder of two local white girls. Bittersweet and eye-opening, How High the Moon is a timeless novel about a girl finding herself in a world all but determined to hold her down.