  | Caprice Author: Booth, Coe | |
| Price: $22.58 | ||
Summary:
After seven weeks at Ainsley International School, twelve-year-old Caprice has been offered a full scholarship and she should be delighted, but instead she is full of doubts because what happened at the dance last night has brought back the memory of being sexually abused by her uncle as a four-year-old; worse, her maternal grandmother is ill, and that means going back to the house in Baltimore where it all happened--Caprice has never told anybody but tries to find the words to tell someone.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.00 Points: 8.0 Quiz: 514292 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (03/15/22)
School Library Journal (06/01/22)
Booklist (05/01/22)
The Hornbook (+) (00/11/22)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 06/01/2022 Gr 5 Up—Soon-to-be eighth grader Caprice has just finished up a summer leadership program at a boarding school and is faced with a choice: take a spot in the yearlong program at that school, or spend her eighth grade year in Newark with her best friend Nicole. However, when her grandmother falls ill, Caprice, who is Black, must go back to Baltimore and face a deep secret she's suppressed. When she was young, Caprice's uncle abused her in her grandmother's home. In this tale of pain and reclaiming the power of one's story, Caprice has to find her voice to face not only her past, but her future as well. Booth's novel uses a mix of verse poetry, flashbacks, and time-stamped present-day narrative. The chapters are short and maintain the book's quick pace. Told with unflinching honesty and an accessible way for the intended audience, Caprice's story can be hard to read at times but offers hope to survivors of abuse while educating readers about what survivors experience. Also included are resources for national organizations dedicated to supporting children like Caprice. VERDICT A worthy purchase for collections with a need for survivor stories for middle graders.—Molly Dettmann - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 05/01/2022 Caprice should be over the moon; she recently finished an academic summer camp at the prestigious Ainsley International School, and now she is being offered a full scholarship to attend the school not only for the rest of middle school but for high school as well. Caprice knows that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but she is torn; she doesn’t want to leave behind her family and friends in Newark, but she also has a secret that haunts her, and going to Ainsley could help her to run from her past. When Caprice’s grandmother becomes ill, Caprice finds that her secrets will come back to swallow her whole. Booth’s novel takes on sexual abuse, a topic that has been seen as a taboo but is nonetheless necessary in middle-grade novels. Caprice’s character is startlingly realistic, and her moving journey ends with the reclaiming of her power and her voice. This novel is a heartbreaking tribute to the young Black victims of sexual abuse who often get overlooked and forgotten. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
