About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the heavy weight of 'good' news that comes with a catch, particularly regarding family loyalty versus personal ambition. Part of the Cruisers series, this story follows LaShonda, a talented young designer at a gifted arts academy who is offered a life-changing scholarship that would require her to leave her group home and her autistic brother, Tyree. It is a nuanced look at the sacrifices inherent in talent and the complex reality of kinship care. Walter Dean Myers masterfully navigates the intersection of creative passion and familial responsibility. For children ages 9 to 13, it provides a realistic look at how young people in non-traditional family structures manage high-stakes decisions. Parents will appreciate the book's refusal to offer easy answers, instead modeling how a supportive community of friends can help a child find their own path through guilt and opportunity.
