ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Watson, Renée

Ways to Grow Love

192 pp. | Bloomsbury | April, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-5476-0058-8 $16.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-5476-0059-5 $11.89
(2) 4-6 Ryan Hart series. Illustrated by Nina Mata. Ryan Hart (Ways to Make Sunshine, rev. 3/20) is back, now a rising fifth grader and ready for summer adventures. Despite obstacles--her father works nights, her mother is pregnant and can't do as much with her, older brother Ray is as annoying as ever--she still manages to have fun. She continues to bring her own style and wit to each day, whether tackling her library's summer reading challenge or mediating a family argument (the solution involving an excessive amount of pickle juice). As she prepares for her first time at an overnight camp, Ryan, who is Black, is apprehensive about being reunited with Red, a white acquaintance who once made fun of her hair. Her grandmother encourages Ryan to "be a rose"--use her voice to protect her beauty, without being unkind; when she is tested, it will take her grandmother's words and the story of the Good Samaritan for her to remember who she is. An expert at creating complex characters, Watson ensures that no one will be two-dimensional. While Ryan is an optimist, she also expresses concern over the family's finances, the health of her unborn sister, and poverty in her community; big brother Ray has his times of generosity; and even Red gets a moment of revelation. With each chapter serving as its own short story, this second installment about Ryan is every bit as enjoyable as the first.
Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2021

RELATED 

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

The Republic of Birds
by Miller, Jessica
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Atlantis
by Mone, Gregory
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

It Doesn't Take a Genius
by Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls
by Rivera, Kaela
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Soul Lanterns
by Kuzki, Shaw
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?