The Other Half of My Heart

Frazier, Sundee T. 2010. THE OTHER HALF OF MY HEART. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780385734400 [Suggested Grade Levels 4-8]

REVIEW
One day, when the sun and the moon were both shining in the sky, biracial twins, Minni and Keira, were born looking as different as night and day. Quiet and smart Minni wishes she were more like her sister Keira since she “with her dark curly hair and cinnamon-brown skin, was black, like their mama, while Minni, with her reddish blond hair and milky pale skin, was white, like their daddy.” And while their mother tells them that “of the millions of genes that make them all human, only seven or eight told their skin what color to be” Minni worries that the color of their skin probably matters more than she would like to think.

When their grandmother insists the sisters visit North Carolina for the summer in order to compete in the Miss Black Pearl National Achievement Program, the girls are forced to leave their insulated community and experience the sting of prejudice from some very unexpected sources. Minni’s voice rings true as she worries about where she fits in with friends, family and the world.

CONNECTIONS
Use THE OTHER HALF OF MY HEART to launch a discussion on what it means to be “black” and “white” and other perceptions of race.

RELATED BOOKS
Other books exploring biracial identity by the same author:
BRENDAN BUCKLEY’S UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT. ISBN 9780385734394

By Marianne Follis