Kizzy Ann Stamps
Gr 5-8-During the summer of 1963,12-year-old Kizzy Ann Stamps writes letters to the teacher who will instruct her at the new, integrated school. Kizzy is forthright in her first letter; she does not want to go to a school with white children. Miss Anderson is understanding, and as Kizzy begins to trust her, she shares stories about Shag, the stray border collie her family adopted. Through her love of Shag, Kizzy reveals what she understands about integrated life. When classmates tell her that blacks can't participate in dog shows, she writes, "I made a mistake and let down my guard. I let them in, and now I feel a fool." Kizzy is sensitive yet sassy, and she bounces back with fierce determination. Her brother, on the other hand, suffers from discrimination at the upper school. When he causes trouble, a neighboring white boy fixes the problem, and Kizzy learns to see each person as an individual. Yes, there are whites who hate her, but she learns to trust herself and her feelings. Some passages go on about border collie herding, but they don't overwhelm the novel. This is a touching story with a sharp and insightful protagonist. One hopes that it will find its way into the hands of feisty girls looking for a strong role model.-Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, NYα(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.