The True Definition of Neva Beane

September 1, 2020
Twelve-year-old Neva Beane loves words and consults her dictionary to help find the right ones for any situation. But lately, with the changes that come with puberty, Neva hasn't been quite herself, and the dictionary is getting a workout. Neva and her older brother, Clayton, live with their grandparents; their musician parents are on tour for the summer. At sixteen, Clay has become politically active and is spending a lot of time with their neighbor Michelle, whose father is a community organizer. Neva begins to admire the sophisticated and confident Michelle as well and finds herself wanting to prove she is aware of what is going on around her. But when she discovers that Michelle has "volunteered" her to be on the frontlines of a march for justice without her permission, Neva realizes she might be moving too quickly. Kendall (Riding Chance) paints a sympathetic portrait of a thoughtful and smart young woman negotiating change, whether it be in her family, her friendships, or her own body. Many young readers will relate to Neva's newfound understanding of inequality and injustice in her community and the world beyond. Nicholl Denice Montgomery

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2020
Twelve-year-old Neva Beane loves words and consults her dictionary to help find the right ones for any situation. But lately, with the changes that come with puberty, Neva hasn't been quite herself, and the dictionary is getting a workout. Neva and her older brother, Clayton, live with their grandparents; their musician parents are on tour for the summer. At sixteen, Clay has become politically active and is spending a lot of time with their neighbor Michelle, whose father is a community organizer. Neva begins to admire the sophisticated and confident Michelle as well and finds herself wanting to prove she is aware of what is going on around her. But when she discovers that Michelle has "volunteered" her to be on the frontlines of a march for justice without her permission, Neva realizes she might be moving too quickly. Kendall (Riding Chance) paints a sympathetic portrait of a thoughtful and smart young woman negotiating change, whether it be in her family, her friendships, or her own body. Many young readers will relate to Neva's newfound understanding of inequality and injustice in her community and the world beyond.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

June 15, 2020
The NAACP Image Award-nominated author of Riding Chance (2016) cultivates another tale of blossoming blackness in the soil of her hometown of Philadelphia. Geneva "Neva" Beane, 12, uses her Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and its definitions to help her describe and navigate the world as much as the author uses the vocabulary words to frame each chapter. Neva's world is filled with the increasingly agitating presence of her 16-year-old lifeguard brother, Clayton, and her lovingly well-intentioned, sometimes brusque grandparents Nana and Granddad, who are rearing the siblings while their parents pursue their musical dreams in Europe. It shifts when she reassesses her developing body, her familial relationships, and her friendship with her bestie, Jamila, through the upending presence of Michelle Overton, the 13-year-old across-the-street neighbor whom Neva describes as "hot and happening" and whom Granddad and Nana suspect of being "trouble" by involving Clayton in social activism, which they eschew for quieter forms of community service. Soon, Michelle's friendship with Clayton leads to her befriending Neva, creating escalating tension between Neva and Jamila as well as Neva and her guardians. Will Neva's belief in words help her believe in herself, her body, her family and friends, and her place in her politically expanding world? Through Neva's intelligent narration, Kendall explores contemporary debates to young readers, making them plain and personal. A quietly affecting portrait of an aspiring activist logophile as a black Philly girl. (Fiction. 10-12)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.