Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston. 304 p. Bloomsbury, January 16, 2024. Review of finished purchased copy.
Middle Grade Monday features Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston. Seventh-grader Sharkita, "Kita" Lloyd is reliable, dependable and devoted to her two younger siblings. Her eight-year-old brother, Lamar has special needs due to having fetal alcohol syndrome and her five-year-old sister, Lilli is spirited and curious. Even though her mother seems to be doing fine, it is Kita who gets her siblings ready for school, who makes sure there's food in the house and that the bills are paid on time. Kita never wants to be separated by the foster care system from her brother and sister again. Kita's mom even gives her permission to join the twirl team and Kita begins to feel like a normal seventh grader. But then, her mom begins to party again.
This emotionally intense, character-driven novel authentically depicts the experience of a child who assumes the role of parent and can't or won't reach out. It received many starred reviews, was named a Kirkus Prize Finalist and a Schneider Family Book Honor for Middle Grade Fiction.
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