What Momma Left Me

What Momma Left Me follows thirteen-year-old Serenity and her brother as they move in with their grandparents following their mother's death. Set in Portland, Oregon, this middle-grade novel chronicles Serenity's journey through grief, family changes, and growing up. Serenity finds comfort in her grandmother's home cooking, her church community, and writing poetry. She faces challenges at her new school while trying to protect her younger brother and understand the truth about her parents. Her grandparents provide stability as she navigates these changes. Through first-person narration in verse and prose, the story explores themes of healing, faith, and family bonds. The narrative addresses serious topics including domestic violence and loss, while maintaining hope and emphasizing the power of community support and personal resilience.

Readers appreciate the honest portrayal of grief, family bonds, and coming-of-age themes. Many note the book handles heavy topics like domestic violence and loss in an age-appropriate way for middle-grade readers. Parents and teachers mention the book's value for opening discussions with young people about difficult subjects. Specific praise focuses on the main character Serenity's authentic voice and her relationship with her grandmother. Multiple reviews highlight the poetry scattered throughout the narrative as powerful and moving. Common criticisms include a slow-moving first third of the book and some readers feeling certain plot elements were underdeveloped. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (115+ ratings) Common Sense Media: 4/5 (parent reviews) Notable reader comment: "This book tackles hard topics with grace and hope. The main character's journey through grief feels real without being overwhelming." - Goodreads reviewer

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson A memoir in verse chronicles a young girl's journey through family challenges and racial identity in the 1960s and 1970s.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia Three sisters travel to Oakland to meet their estranged mother and become involved with the Black Panthers movement during the summer of 1968.

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams A thirteen-year-old girl confronts colorism, self-worth, and family instability while living with her grandmother in Detroit.

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson Six students form bonds and share personal stories about race, immigration, and loss during weekly meetings in their school's ARTT (A Room to Talk) room.

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson A girl discovers letters that reveal her grandmother's past and uncovers a mystery involving racial injustice in her small South Carolina town.

📚 Author Renée Watson grew up in Portland, Oregon, and many of her books explore themes of identity and growing up as a young Black girl in a predominantly white city. 🏆 "What Momma Left Me" earned multiple accolades, including being named a 2011 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year. 🖋️ The book tackles difficult subjects like domestic violence and loss through the healing power of poetry, which the main character Serenity uses to process her grief. 🎭 Watson is not only an author but also a performer and educator who uses writing to help young people deal with trauma and find their voice. 📖 The story's structure weaves together prose and poetry, with each chapter title being a lesson or gift that Serenity's mother left behind for her.