Some Places More Than Others - Renee Watson

From New York Times bestselling and multi award-winning author Renée Watson comes a heartwarming and inspiring middle grade novel about finding deep roots and exploring the past, the present, and the places that make us who we are. ''Some of the places I am still getting to know, some of these places I have known all my life. All of these places made me, are making me.'' All Amara wants for her birthday is to visit her father’s family in New York City – Harlem. She can’t wait to finally meet her Grandpa Earl and cousins in person, and to stay in the brownstone where her father grew up. Maybe this will help her understand her family – and herself – in a new way. But New York City is not exactly what Amara thought it would be. It’s noisy, crowded, confusing, and her cousins can be mean. Plus her father is too busy working to spend time with her and too angry to fix his relationship with Grandpa Earl. Amara can''t help wondering, even if she does discover more about where she came from, will it help her know where she belongs?