Unstoppable Octobia May

Gr 3–6—Young Octobia May and her best friend, Jonah, set out to uncover a complex, multilayered mystery in their small Southern town. More than anything in the world, Octobia wants to uncover secrets. She constantly questions the state of things, coming to her own conclusions and, more often than not, gets into trouble because of it. However, as Octobia discovers, some mysteries are so big, no one really has any idea what to do with them. Set in 1953, this story tackles some tough topics, including McCarthyism and patriotism, Jim Crow and segregation, feminism and adolescence, murder, and even vampires. Flake weaves together friendship, history, and truth—a mix of Harriet the Spy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham—in a tale that will challenge listeners to question what freedom really is. Bahni Turpin narrates with just the right tone to capture Octobia's liveliness and insightful musings.—Jennifer Mann, Ann Arbor, MI