Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

Published 2018

Available at the Richland County Library in print and ebook formats.

Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she’s ever going to succeed. Her mother tells her to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. And Jade has: every day she rides the bus away from her friends and to the private school where she feels like an outsider, but where she has plenty of opportunities. But some opportunities she doesn’t really welcome, like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls. Just because her mentor is black and graduated from the same high school doesn’t mean she understands where Jade is coming from. She’s tired of being singled out as someone who needs help, someone people want to fix. Jade wants to speak, to create, to express her joys and sorrows, her pain and her hope. Maybe there are some things she could show other women about understanding the world and finding ways to be real, to make a difference.

Piecing Me Together is a powerful story that highlights the struggles of a young woman navigating the complexities of race, class, and gender in pursuit of her dreams. Through Jade’s journey, readers can learn valuable lessons about the importance of finding their own voice, standing up for themselves, and advocating for their rights as future leaders and change-makers in their communities.