Some Places More Than Others - by Renée Watson

About the Book

Amara visits her father's family in Harlem for her twelfth birthday, hoping to better understand her family and herself, but New York City is not what she expected.

Book Synopsis

From Newbery Honor- and Coretta Scott King Author Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Renée Watson comes a heartwarming and inspiring novel for middle schoolers about finding deep roots and exploring the past, the present, and the places that make us who we are.

All Amara wants for her birthday is to visit her father's family in New York City-Harlem, to be exact. 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 new way. But New York City is not exactly what Amara thought it would be. It's crowded, with confusing subways, suffocating sidewalks, and her father is too busy with work to spend time with her and too angry to spend time with Grandpa Earl. As she explores, asks questions, and learns more and more about Harlem and about her father and his family history, she realizes how, in some ways more than others, she connects with him, her home, and her family.

Acclaim for Piecing Me Together
Newbery Honor Book
Coretta Scott King Author Award
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Young Adult Finalist
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
A Chicago Public Library Best Book, Teen Fiction
An ALA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults
An NPR Best Book
A Kirkus Reviews' Best Teen Book
A Refinery29 Best Book

Review Quotes

"A meaningful opportunity for students-particularly those in underrepresented communities-to celebrate themselves and their identities." --School Library Connection, starred review

"Watson is a master of structure and character development. . . . Amara's search for her roots is tender and empowering." --School Library Journal, starred review

"A much-needed novel about the importance of roots and family connections." --Foreword Reviews, starred review

"Captures a young person's growing enlightenment as she experiences one of the world's most culturally rich neighborhoods. . . . Very relatable. . . . Quietly powerful.
" --The New York Times Book Review

"The book excels at the delicate nuance of family dynamics. . . . This is the kind of special family trip many kids would love to make, and they'll get vicarious satisfaction from traveling with Amara." --BCCB

"Watson proves her deftness in depicting settings; while the two places are as different as can be, the reader comes away with an appreciation of both Oregon and New York." --Horn Book Magazine

"Renée Watson is a gifted storyteller who brings vibrant new meaning to time and place. In this beautiful blend of family, history, and culture, Watson lets us discover that one's true home is rooted in the heart and soul." --Andrea Davis Pinkney, New York Times bestselling author of THE RED PENCIL

"Renée Watson's storytelling mastery is on full display in Some Places More Than Others, which is so thematically vibrant and emotionally rich as to defy description. A magnificent book." --Mike Jung, author of UNIDENTIFIED SUBURBAN OBJECT

"Watson creates characters that pop. . . . Satisfying in many ways." --Booklist

"I love the way Amara's voice and spirit shine in this story. Some Places More Than Others is a beautiful novel about family and forgiveness, about the memories we carry with us wherever we go, and the places our hearts call home." --Kate Messner, award-winning author of BREAKOUT

"Watson is a master at character development . . . she seamlessly explores issues of identity, self, and family acceptance. . . A moving exploration of the places we come from and the people who shape us-not to be missed." --Kirkus Reviews

"A deep and emotionally rich coming-of-age story about reuniting severed ties and exploring history, ancestry and selfhood." --Shelf Awareness

"Watson's Harlem comes alive on the page, lovingly viewed by flawed but lovable characters whose story underscores themes of family, history, and forgiveness." --Publishers Weekly

"Timely and timeless." --Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award winning author of BROWN GIRL DREAMING on PIECING ME TOGETHER

"Watson, with rhythm and style, somehow gets at . . . the life-changing power of voice and opportunity, all wrapped up in Jade." --Jason Reynolds, author of ALL AMERICAN BOYS on PIECING ME TOGETHER

"An important and deeply moving novel." --John Green, bestselling and award-winning author of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS on PIECING ME TOGETHER

"Teeming with compassion and insight." --Publishers Weekly, starred review, on PIECING ME TOGETHER

"A timely, nuanced, and unforgettable story." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on PIECING ME TOGETHER

"A nuanced meditation on race, privilege, and intersectionality." --SLJ, starred review, on PIECING ME TOGETHER

"Will resonate with many readers." --BCCB, starred review, on PIECING ME TOGETHER

About the Author

Renée Watson is a New York Times bestselling author. Her novel, Piecing Me Together, received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books include Ways to Make Sunshine, Some Places More Than Others, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, cowritten with Ilyasah Shabazz, and Watch Us Rise, cowritten with Ellen Hagan, as well as two acclaimed picture books: A Place Where Hurricanes Happen and Harlem's Little Blackbird, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Renée grew up in Portland, Oregon, and splits her time between Portland and New York City.

www.reneewatson.net; @harlemportland (Instagram); @reneewauthor (Twitter)