Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2015 Gr 3–6—After a tragic accident leaves her younger sister Robin hospitalized, 12-year-old Sarah must move in with her grandparents. Miss Irene is Granny's neighbor and friend, and her granddaughter Ruby Lee has been Sarah's best friend since she can remember. The trouble is, Sarah is white and Ruby Lee is black—and it's 1969 in North Carolina. The local school will be integrated this year, and the first black teacher has been hired. Tension is high in the tiny town of Shady Creek. Forced to leave her home and start over on her grandparents' farm, Sarah must come to grips with her guilt about her sister, her anger and confusion about Ruby Lee, and the uncertainty of relationships among whites and blacks in the rural South. Balancing the heavier topics are home-style recipes, strong storytelling, and Southern charm, which will engage younger middle grade readers. The characters are well developed and the historical setting realistic. VERDICT Tenderly told, this appealing story explores racial tensions during a key moment of the civil rights movement.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/15/2015 *Starred Review* Twelve-year-old Sarah Beth was in charge of watching her little sister Robin when a car hit the six-year-old, and now everything is uncertain. Will Robin walk again? How can Sarah Beth admit her guilt when her family may blame her? Sarah Beth must go stay with her grandparents while her parents guide Robin through the healing process, and with the integration of her new school, life takes on even more challenging questions. This endearing story set in 1969 is reminiscent of the charming friendship seen in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Faith, Hope, and Ivy June (2009) but with a feel similar to that of the Little House books. As in The Ballad of Jessie Pearl (2013), Hitchcock deftly weaves her narrative through history to gently bring important past events to light. Excellently written, the novel’s characters avoid stereotyping and are well developed, and Hitchcock perfectly captures Sarah Beth’s voice as she wrestles with big questions. The somber themes of race relations and personal guilt are handled sensitively and with a good dose of flour, courtesy of Sarah Beth’s grandmother’s baking lessons, and hope for racial healing is offered. A heartening and important offering for younger readers. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.