The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen

 312 pages / 8 hrs, 42 mins

"It’s the summer of 1955. For Ethan Harper, a biracial kid raised mostly by his white father, race has always been a distant conversation. When he’s sent to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in small-town Alabama, his Blackness is suddenly front and center, and no one is shy about making it known he’s not welcome there. Except for Juniper Jones. The town’s resident oddball and free spirit, she’s everything the townspeople aren’t―open, kind, and full of acceptance.

"Armed with two bikes and an unlimited supply of root beer floats, Ethan and Juniper set out to find their place in a town that’s bent on rejecting them. As Ethan is confronted for the first time by what it means to be Black in America, Juniper tries to help him see the beauty in even the ugliest reality, and that even the darkest days can give rise to an invincible summer.

"Daven McQueen’s Juniper Jones is a character for all ages in this sweet coming of age story set in 1950s Alabama."  --from the publisher

Excellent! Great characters and insight into racism with a mix of happy adventures. I won't soon forget Ethan or Juniper. I give it four out of five stars.