Sincerely Sicily by Tamika Burgess

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Reviewed by: Sincerely Sicily by Tamika Burgess Ally Byerly Burgess, Tamika Sincerely Sicily. Harper, 2023 [304p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063159600 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063159624 $8.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr 4-6 With the first day of middle school looming, Sicily Jordan will reluctantly be attending a newly-constructed middle school without her stalwart friend squad at her side. Meanwhile, her beloved Abuela is sounding off in new and hurtful ways, denouncing the way Sicily wears her natural hair in braids as “low-class.” Sicily finds herself called out to justify her identity and lived experience, not only to her grandmother but also to her classmates. During a presentation about her family’s Panamanian heritage, her classmates demand to know why Sicily is Black if her family comes from a Spanish-speaking, Latin American country. She finds her voice when she begins to fill her journal with daily facts about Panama, educating herself about her family’s culture and African heritage in a poignant journey of self-discovery. On the surface, Sicily’s story is a classic tale of the trials and tribulations of early adolescence—contending with bratty upperclassmen and first flirtations will be familiar territory for most middle-grade readers. At a deeper level, however, Burgess shines with her satisfying exploration of culture and identity: Sicily’s journal [End Page 116] entries and her own ignorance about her heritage invite readers to educate themselves alongside her without becoming tiresomely didactic. The novel ultimately coalesces as an enlightening and hopeful reflection on an individual’s power to combat our nation’s monolithic view of race and culture—one story at a time. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois