Weekend Pick March 17, 2023

Weekend Pick March 17, 2023

Looking for something to read? 
​Check out our weekly suggestions!
Are your students looking for book recommendations?
Send them to browse through the picks for this or past years.
​
For the picks from 2022 click here
For the picks from 2021 click here
For the picks from 2020 click here.
For older picks click from 2019 click here.
For the even older picks click here.

As we make our way toward the middle of March, for this week’s weekend pick I’d like to recommend one of my new favorite middle grade novels, I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day. 

Day’s debut novel, I Can Make This Promise is inspired by her own family’s history. The story begins with twelve year old Edie, who has known her whole life that her mother was adopted by a white couple. So, though Edie remains curious about her Native American heritage, she is sure her family doesn’t have any answers to quell her questions. Until, Edie and friends discover a hidden box in the attic while preparing for a film project. Full of letters signed “Love, Edith,” accompanied by a photograph of a woman who looks just like Edie, she begins to wonder how her and this woman who shares her name are connected. Edie asks herself: Could this woman belong to the Native family I’ve never met? Why wouldn’t my mom tell me the truth? Can I trust my parents to tell me the truth now? 

---

Full of historical truths and compassion, I Can Make This Promise brings readers into accessible conversations about the very real consequences of Indigenous child separation and the ways that connection to Native community matters for intergenerational healing. Edie’s journey, while situated within the mystery of finding who Edith is, also develops important themes throughout about identity development, bullying, and the friendships worth keeping. Edie’s curiosity, empathy, and passion certainly captured my heart. All of Day’s novels are exceptional, but my children’s literature students agree, I Can Make This Promise remains vital for our current times. 

If you want to learn more about Christine Day, I highly recommend visiting her website where she has provided insightful educator guides with discussion questions, reading activities, and additional historical context for the novel. 

​Until next week, keep reading!
Cammie ​

---