It was validating to have facts back up what my heart knew. The report confirmed with statistics and personal stories what I already felt in my own schooling experiences and what I witnessed as a mentor. One major barrier was the pervasiveness of stereotypes that adversely impact the educational experiences of African American girls. I was also deeply moved by the 2014 NAACP report “ Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls: A Call to Action for Educational Equity.” The report explored the barriers African American girls face. I drew from several of these relationships to write Piecing Me Together. From being a daughter, a friend, a mentee, a mentor, a teacher-I’ve had such meaningful and complicated relationships. What inspired you to write Jade’s story? I was inspired by all of the friendships I’ve had with women. SLJ chats with Watson about her stirring YA novel.

14, 2017) explores the strong relationships among Black women, poverty and privilege, and the power of art. (Feb.The acclaimed author Renée Watson’s Piecing Me Together (Bloomsbury Feb. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. Teeming with compassion and insight, Watson’s story trumpets the power of artistic expression to re-envision and change the world. Tonight I am taking ugly and making beautiful.” Jade’s narrative voice offers compelling reflections on the complexities of race and gender, class and privilege, and fear and courage, while conveying the conflicted emotions of an ambitious, loyal girl. Rearranging reality, redefining, covering, disguising. In short, poetic chapters, Jade ponders her family, school, and neighborhood relationships, wondering where she fits in: “How I am someone’s answered prayer but also someone’s deferred dream.” Watson ( This Side of Home) weaves collage imagery throughout the story as Jade ruminates over historical figures such as York, the slave who traveled with Lewis and Clark, and distressing current events, including police violence against a neighborhood girl: “I am ripping and cutting.

Jade Butler, an African-American artist-in-the-making, lives with her mother in Portland, Ore., and travels by bus to private school, where she is both grateful for and resentful of the opportunities presented to her.

Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson