Mingling in a mostly Black society for the first time in her life, Minni feels very, very white.  While she struggles to define her own Blackness, she also bristles at her grandmother's constant criticism of Keira.  As the sisters each experience racism, prejudice, and confusion about their mixed ethnicities, they will both learn valuable lessons about identity, understanding, sisterhood, and family.  

As the white adoptive mother of a bi-racial child, I'm always glad to find books like The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier (who is the daughter of a Black father and a white mother).  They open my eyes to issues my daughter will likely face in her life and aid me in knowing how to help her through them.  While The Other Half of My Heart tackles issues like race and identity in a blunt, straightforward way, the story is also funny and entertaining enough to keep middle graders reading.  The plot's a bit loosey-goosey, but the story moves fast enough to prevent it from getting dull.  While the tale is predictable, I still found it enjoyable overall.  I listened to this one as an audiobook and especially liked the narrator, Bahni Turpin. 

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other novels about being Black (or bi-racial) in a white world, including The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods; Black Boy, White School by Brian F. Walker; Sell-Out by Ebony Joy Wilkins; SLAY by Brittney Morris; etc.)

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