Blended by Sharon M. Draper

Reviewed by Saria Lum

 

Imagine being in a world where people look at you as if you are different, only because of your skin color. When you walk by, you feel uncomfortable and insecure because people subconsciously clutch their purses ever so tightly to themselves. Some may even try to avoid eye contact or hide from you. You might say that that world is a nightmare. Well, that is what Isabella Thornton has to deal with every single day. 

In Blended by Sharon M. Draper, eleven-year-old Isabella Thornton is a normal girl who loves to play the piano. She is half white and half black, which makes her feel blended, just like the black and white keys on her piano. When she is constantly being split between her white mom and her black dad, Isabella feels as if she must choose a specific race she wants to be. Her divorced parents are always fighting, and her piano seems to be the only thing they both agree on. She is quite the player, and appears to be a stellar prodigy. When her teacher signs her up for a competition called Pianopalooza, she is elated and can’t wait for her opportunity to shine. The big day finally comes and her brother drives her to the competition. They take a quick stop for ice cream, but on the way back, the police stop both of them. The next thing Isabella knows, she is on the ground, unconscious! What will happen next? 

I loved this book because it is a vivid representation of what life is like for a person of color. When Isabella is shopping at Lush for bath bombs with her best friends, Imani and Heather, they get eyed extra carefully by a guard. The shopkeeper  eventually loses all composure, and tells them to get out of the store as he suspects they will steal something. This example is spot on but is also just one of the many examples of how people of color are often treated. People of color are always the ones spotted by security guards or the first to be kicked out of a store just for trying to do their everyday shopping because they look “suspicious.”

I think that this book can also serve as an encouragement to people of color.  In the beginning, Isabella feels like she is being judged on her looks. She is proud of being the amazing person she is, but at the same time, is trying to figure out who she is, a white person, or a black person. Throughout the book, she faces much racism, such as being held up by cops and getting eyed by a guard, all because of her black looks. People in this situation can learn from Isabella’s story and her attitude, stay positive, and accept who they are regardless of their skin color. 

Out of ten, I think I would rate this book a 10/10. It is well written and really shows the discrimination against people of color. As an extra, it even provides a lovely piano piece that Isabella actually plays in the novel! If you like books about anti-racism, or a funny book about a spirited girl, then you will like Blended by Sharon M. Draper. Make sure to check out this amazing book at your nearest library!

Simon and Schuster Children Publishing Division, 320 pages