This graphic memoir was impactful, well-drawn, and definitely will find its audience soon enough since it is so well-done.

This is told in varying styles. Sometimes the chapter is written traditionally, sometimes in verse, sometimes in choppy sentences. And the book also felt like it was telling two very heavy stories. The story of Makeda trying to find herself in the world and not really feeling like she fits in anywhere as an adopted black child in a family of white people is really powerful. But the story of her mother's mental health breakdown weighed the book down, in my opinion.

Keda is a black girl adopted into a white family. Her older sister is white and looks just like her parents but she always get funny looks. She has to introduce herself all over again when they move to New Mexico and start a new school. Her sister Eve has an easy time but Keda struggles with a lot of things, especially some racist girls at the school.

When their mom pulls them out of school because of a racist incident, we start to see that Keda's adoption isn't the only thing the family is struggling with. Mom may have some sort of mental issues--it's hard to tell for awhile. Keda finds ways to soothe herself, she also definitely acts her age or younger as she tries to find a path in this new place.

There's a very distinct writing style here that adds to the urgency and feeling that things are currently happening to Keda. But it's not so distinct as to make the reading impossible. I loved watching the relationship between the sisters grow and change. Eve in is in high school and Keda is still young. The adoption versus biological, white versus black issues also make things iffy but in the end, the family finds a way and the sisters definitely do.

Makeda is an appealing eleven year old girl, trying to figure out her identity as an African-American in a white family, at the same time adjusting to a new school in New Mexico. This would have been enough for a good story. For me, the added issues of her mother's depression felt like too much. I don't see this appealing to many of the kids I work with.

Oh wow! Incredibly powerful read. Adoption. Racism. Mixed race families. Bipolar disorder. Moving. Family. Fitting in. Learning to love yourself.

This book is a necessary addition to any school library. It goes into the complexities of race and identity. It is beautifully written with lyrical prose that will keep you interested.

Timely book about a black girl adopted by a white family. Once she gets older, she notices all of the cultural things she's missing out by not having a black family. Shines a light on adoption, cultural differences among races, and love no matter the race. Loved it, and I think a lot of my students will love it too.

This was such a great book. Yes, it covers a number of heavy topics -- mental illness, bullying, race -- but it ends with hope. We need middle grade stories that address these tough topics.

FIVE STARS. LET ME REPEAT FIVE STARS! I had tears streaming down my face so many times during this novel, and that was just the least of it. As an adoptee, I felt her struggle for her identity so deep in my bones it hurt some times. This novel opened my eyes to issues and truths that I probably would not have otherwise encountered. The issues are heavy, real and superbly done. The entire story is told through an a young girl's eyes and using narrative, poetry and social media type posts. I will be ordering many copies for my students, and this will bea book that I do not easily forget about.

For Black Girls Like Me, shines a light on Makeda, a black girl adopted by a white family. I was not adopted but I felt Makeda's anxiety. It must have been so frustrating and isolating to live and be loved by people who don't look like you. It's a noble thing for white families to want to adopt black children but those children need to know their culture. Simple things like hair care and getting the right moisturizers for Makeda were small things but make a world of difference in a black girl's life. I felt frustrated for Makeda when her mother said she didn't "see color" or only having one black friend who was also adopted by a white family.

This is was a good book and any family that has adopted a child of a different race needs to read this book. I found the book refreshing in that it shed a light on how these children feel being raised in adoptive households.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book is very powerful for those students who are struggling to find an identity. I will recommend this book to 5-8 students.

Eleven-year-old Makeda June Kirkland has a lot going against her. She just moved from Maryland to New Mexico and has no friends. Her older sister no longer seems as close, and no one understands what it’s like being a black girl raised by a white family.

The one person who does understand, her best friend Lena, has suddenly gone silent as well. All of those things would make life hard to handle, but Makeda fears something even worse. Her mom can’t seem to get a grip and starts making all sorts of odd decisions.

Middle-grade students (and their parents and teachers) will love this book for Makeda’s lyrical voice as she struggles with all of the problems in her life. She’s felt a little left out all her life, but the kids at her new school seem to highlight her differences. When her dad, a symphony musician, goes on tour overseas, Makeda and Eve struggle to know what to do about their mom and her increasingly bizarre behavior.

Lockington weaves both the pathos of being different with the fear and uncertainty of a daughter dealing with a parent’s mental illness. As a narrator, Makeda makes the reader reconsider behavior and beliefs without shaming or chastising.

As an adult reader, I found the spelling errors and alternate spellings for some words cumbersome. I confess, the English teacher in me wanted to pull out a pen and help Makeda with her spelling and grammar. But as a writer, I understand how those same mistakes help bring authenticity to Makeda’s voice.

This book is about the life of a young black girl who was adopted by a white family. She is in middle school. He home life has been wonderful; she feels completely loved by her family. She has one other back friend who has also been adopted by a while family and they share much together that their white families cannot understand. But now things are changing. Her older sister no longer wants to spend time with her. Something is wrong with her parents. She is suffering from inconsiderate comments (to include deliberately hurtful racial comments) from others at school.

Mekeda is coming of age. She is struggling to find out exactly what her place is in her family and society. What is she responsible for? How should she react to situations?

When the family is working properly, it is a joy to behold. When things aren't going well, one's heart goes out to her. It is painful to watch.

While this book is specifically about a young black girl, I believe the idea behind it - how a child of one ethnicity fits into a different family - could work with any cross cultural adoption. Many facts would be different, but some of the questions would be the same. The story also contains the problem of bi-polar disorder which can afflict any family regardless of race.

This book would be helpful for middle-schoolers of all ethnicities to help them understand why some of their seemingly harmless comments might cause real hurt to another.

This beautifully written story deals with big themes of belonging, racial identification, family, friendship, as well as poetry, music, and dance. Makeda is trying to find her voice in a family that doesn't look like her. I really loved this one and I can't wait to give it to my students!

Beautifully written, this is a story that needs to be told. So many young people will relate to what it feels like to be an outsider in their own family and their own skin. Lockington's voice sings in this relatable, lyrical story!

This is a strong #ownvoices book. Keda is a young Black girl adopted into a fairly dysfunctional white family, and she struggles with who she is when she knows her family isn’t her people. Keda’s family travels cross-country for her dad’s orchestra job, but he soon leaves for an Asian trip for work, leaving Keda and her older sister with their unstable mom for the summer. All the signs of impending doom are there, and Keda soon learns how strong she has to be to help her mom while also learning to stand up for herself.

Thank you netgalley for giving me a copy of For Black Girls Like Me to review. I love the format of this book. I use verse novels to hook my reluctant readers so I love that this has both verse and paragraphs. The content is what my students can relate to do I will definitely recommend this book and try to purchase it once it's available.

This is a stunning and brilliant debut novel about family, race, mental health, and the often painful process of becoming yourself. Makeda—sensitive and intuitive, creative and hope-filled, adolescent-awkward and so strong—is written with such honesty and complexity. And the writing—told in lyrical prose, in song, in poetry, in Tumblr posts and letters, I found line after line that I wanted to repeat out loud, wanted to remember. Readers will feel seen and inspired by this moving and truth-filled story that I will be recommending again and again.

Interest Level: 3-6

Have you ever felt like you don't belong or fit in? Makeda feels like this almost everywhere she goes - at home, at school, at the mall, at a restaurant - everywhere. This is because Makeda is adopted. Her parents and older sister are white so everywhere they go she gets stared at. Her only solace is her best friend, Lena, and this is because she is adopted also. Makeda and Lena used to do everything together before Makeda's family moved from Maryland to New Mexico. Now Makeda feels even more alone and isolated. At home things are not good. Her older sister makes friends right away and even gets a job. She doesn't have time for Makeda anymore. Her dad has left for a three month concert tour out of the country so that just leaves Makeda and her mother at home. Makeda never knows if it is going to be a good day or a bad day with her mother so most days she just stays clear of her. School is not so good either. Makeda just doesn't fit in and when a child makes some very ugly, racist remarks to Makeda her mom flips out and pulls her and her sister out of school to be homeschool. This means even more isolation for Makeda. Once again, her only solace is Lena, but now that it is summer Lena is busy with her gymnastic competitions and even she doesn't have time for Makeda. One day when Makeda's mom takes her and her sister on a spur of the moment vacation, Makeda begins to think everything will be alright. Her mom is in a good mood, maybe too good of a mood. She takes the girls shopping and spends way too much money, but Makeda doesn't care because she finally has her mom and sister's attention. However, this good feeling doesn't last very long when Makeda's mom starts to spiral out of control. An ambulance is called, Makeda and her sister have to go to their aunt's house, and their dad has to leave the tour early to come home. Makeda's sister is so mad that she lashes out at everyone and even refuses to speak to Makeda. Will Makeda's life every stop spinning out of control? Will the decisions that her mom made change her life forever? Will Makeda every feel like she fits in with her family and her new home? Read this new 2019 book to find out if Makeda ever finds her own self amid chaos.

This book is absolutely amazing! It will take you through almost every emotion imaginable. Mariama J. Lockington does a fantastic job of pulling the reader into Makeda's life and feeling her heartache, her happiness, her loneliness, and her desperate desire to fit in. She also does a great job of addressing when a parent has a mental illness called bipolar disorder. Do not miss this incredible book!!

As the parent of an adopted black daughter, I was looking for more insight into what her thoughts would be growing up with white parents. The mother's mental health issues took over the book when they easily could have been their own complete story.