How High the Moon is an impressive piece of middle-grade historical fiction that pulls no punches with race and family. Middle grade literature is known for ending on hope, even when things get dark, but How High the Moon keeps that hope uncomfortably realistic. It's there, but it's subtle. Recommended for grades 5-8 and strongly recommended for school and family discussions.

This story reminded me of one of my all-time favorites, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The main character, Ella, is being raised by her grandparents in Jim Crow-era South Carolina while her mother pursues a career as a jazz singer in Boston. The contrast in treatment of African Americans is glaring when Ella spends a few weeks visiting her mother. As Ella struggles to discover the identity of her real father and the possibility that he may be white, the boy her cousin likes is falsely accused of murder. Even though it's recommended for grades 3-7, I feel like it's awfully heavy subject matter for third grade. I kind of feel like perhaps the author took on two major things when one of those plotlines alone could have been enough to develop fully. So the ending feels slightly less developed than the beginning. Overall, however, it's a solid choice for upper elementary and middle school students.