Sincerely Sicily
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
From debut author Tamika Burgess comes the captivating and empowering story of Sicily Jordan—a Black Panamanian fashionista who rocks her braids with pride—who learns to use her voice and take pride in who she is while confronting prejudice in the most unexpected of places.
Sicily Jordan’s worst nightmare has come true! She’s been enrolled in a new school, with zero of her friends and stuck wearing a fashion catastrophe of a uniform. But however bad Sicily thought sixth grade was going to be, it only gets worse when she does her class presentation.
While all her classmates breezed through theirs, Sicily is bombarded with questions on how she can be both Black and Panamanian. She wants people to understand, but it doesn’t feel like anyone is ready to listen—first at school and then at home. Because when her abuela starts talking mess about her braids, Sicily’s the only one whose heart is being crumpled for a second time.
Staying quiet may no longer be an option, but that doesn’t mean Sicily has the words to show the world just what it means to be a proud Black Panamanian either. Even though she hasn’t written in her journal since her abuelo passed, it’s time to pick up her pen again—but will it be enough to prove to herself and everyone else exactly who she is?
Finding Your Voice: When classmates and even family question who she is, Sicily picks up the journal her abuelo gave her to find the words to stand up for herself.Complex Family Relationships: At home, the person she loves most—her abuela—criticizes her braids, leaving Sicily feeling heartbroken and misunderstood in her own family.Starting Middle School: A new school, a terrible uniform, and a class presentation that goes horribly wrong. Sixth grade is not off to a good start for Sicily.Afro-Latinx Pride: An empowering story that celebrates the joy and complexity of being a proud Black Panamanian girl in a world that doesn’t always understand.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sicily Jordan, who is Panamanian American, is excited to start sixth grade at Ravenswood Middle School with her three best friends, until new zoning results in her no longer being eligible to attend, and she's forced to enroll at local Shirley Chisholm Middle School instead. On her first day of class, Sicily gets a flyer for the school's magazine club, for which she hopes to channel her passion for writing. She also reconnects with Filipina classmate Reyna, with whom she was friends in kindergarten. During a presentation in which Sicily is tasked with educating her classmates about her heritage, a student asks, "If your family is from Panama and they speak Spanish, why are you Black?" When she tries to talk to her family about her frustrations surrounding the classmate's remarks, her abuela makes an anti-Black comment about Sicily's hair that leaves her feeling betrayed. Despite her strained relationships, Sicily stays focused on learning more about her Black and Latina roots; her research inspires her to stand up to her bullies, including her beloved abuela. Timely and refreshing, Burgess's vulnerably rendered debut empathetically tackles colorism and highlights the courage it takes to confront the hurtful words of strangers and loved ones alike. Ages 8–12.
