Love Letters to the Dead

Loud Awake and Lost

The Lucy Variations

Kiss & Make Up

19 Love Songs

Friend Is Not a Verb

My One Hundred Adventures

Love and Other Foreign Words

In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira is a novel that tells a multi-generational story about the power of love and the bonds between mothers and daughters. The narrative alternates between two perspectives: Marilyn, a white woman in the 1990s, and Angie, her biracial daughter in the present day. Marilyn dreams of escaping her mother's strict expectations and becoming a movie star, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in love with James, an African-American boy. Despite the racial tensions of the time, they share a deep connection. However, their relationship faces challenges, and Marilyn ultimately raises her daughter alone. Angie, unaware of her full heritage and believing her father is dead, embarks on a journey to find out more about him after discovering a photograph that suggests he might still be alive. As Angie searches for the truth about her past, she uncovers secrets about her family's history and comes to understand her mother's sacrifices. The novel explores themes of identity, race, and the enduring impact of first love.

Discover Your Child's Next Read

Love Letters to the Dead

Ava Dellaira, 2014

Loud Awake and Lost

Adele Griffin, 2013

The Lucy Variations

Sara Zarr, 2013

Kiss & Make Up

Erson, Katie D., Katie D. Anderson, 2012

19 Love Songs

David Levithan, 2012

Friend Is Not a Verb

Daniel Ehrenhaft, 2010

My One Hundred Adventures

Polly Horvath, 2008

Love and Other Foreign Words

Erin Mccahan, 2014