Sincerely Sicily

Gr 5 Up–It’s incredibly difficult for authors to faithfully write adolescent voices, to give weight to their struggles and concerns without coming across as condescending. Thankfully, Burgess completely embodies sixth-grader Sicily, making her fears and concerns spot-on for a new middle schooler. She’s not an outcast or nerd. Sicily is popular, adorable, and smart. Her struggles with family and friends are not catastrophic, but feel true to life. Will she be able to make lasting friendships with her new classmates? Will she return to her writing roots after her biggest cheerleader, Abuelo, passes away? Will she mend fences with her grandmother even after Abeula’s microaggressions towards Sicily boil over and burn her soul? The curiosity and growth reflect preteen angst perfectly—trials aren’t astounding, but they’re groundbreaking and still matter. Alongside the story of Sicily starting a new school without her elementary crew, Burgess weaves in an exploration of Sicily’s cultural identity as a Black Panamanian. There’s a natural progression of questioning about race and culture. Again, there’s lovely lightness in how the questions are handled. There’s no trauma depicted, just discomfort that sparks Sicily towards action.