The House on Rondo

Gr 7–Set in 1963, this historical fiction novel follows 13-year-old Black girl Zenobia and her family as her grandparents’ house and neighborhood are bulldozed to make way for I-94 highway in St. Paul. Sent to spend the summer with her grandparents while her mother recovers from a stroke, Zenobia grapples with the changing neighborhood as friends are evicted and her own grandparents struggle to find a new house. While this book covers an important piece of American history that is often overlooked, it reads more like a series of fictionalized anecdotes drawn from the author’s childhood than a cohesive narrative. The third-person perspective jumps frequently between characters, including the adults, and the story is very much slice-of-life instead of plot-driven. The large cast of characters, combined with the short page count, leads to little character development. Zenobia reads young, which would appeal to upper elementary schoolers, but instances of swearing, drinking (by adults and children), teen pregnancy, abuse, and racial violence make this more suitable for older readers. The language used by the characters is dated, though accurate to the setting. A handful of black-and-white photos add some context to the time and place. The author’s note explains the semiautobiographical feel, while the reference section includes academic monographs.