Sharing Black Stories: The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert

Audiobooks have become a staple for me over the last couple of years. I first discovered them when I was traveling all over as a substitute teacher. I think my first audiobook (CD) was Hamilton…and it was a long listen! Now you can find at least 3 audiobooks downloaded on my phone, ready to listen whenever I am shopping, driving, crocheting, doing housework, drawing, etc.

I recently discovered Libro.fm and how they give audiobooks each month to teachers for FREE! Can’t beat that right? Well, The Only Black Girls in Town was one such book and I was beyond excited. I had seen the cover cross my Twitter feed frequently and I was a follower of Brandy. I had discovered her after reading a short piece by her in Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World and read in the short bio at the back that her and I had a connection. Anyway, anything by her, I will pick up and I was excited to see this new one by her ready for me!

I DEVOURED this audiobook. I have always had audiobooks as a way to help pass the time, like when I drive. But this one was a book that I wanted to listen to all the time. I would carry my phone and earbuds with me all through the house and snatch up minutes at a time!

Alright, so you get the point right? But, I haven’t even told you what I love about this book or what it is about!

Here is a summary:

Award-winning YA author Brandy Colbert’s debut middle-grade novel about the only two black girls in town who discover a collection of hidden journals revealing shocking secrets of the past.

Beach-loving surfer Alberta has been the only black girl in town for years. Alberta’s best friend, Laramie, is the closest thing she has to a sister, but there are some things even Laramie can’t understand. When the bed and breakfast across the street finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the family is black-and they have a 12-year-old daughter just like her.

Alberta is positive she and the new girl, Edie, will be fast friends. But while Alberta loves being a California girl, Edie misses her native Brooklyn and finds it hard to adapt to small-town living.

When the girls discover a box of old journals in Edie’s attic, they team up to figure out exactly who’s behind them and why they got left behind. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets of the past and learn that nothing is quite what it seems.

Goodreads Summary

And what did I love about this book? I loved the balance of the two characters-how they were so different, yet so alike. I enjoyed the mystery so much and the journal aspect. I do love books that have pieces of journals that have been discovered and when I got to that point in the book, I was so excited! I also really loved the themes covered in the book-racism, friendship, family, embracing “differences”, speaking up to name a few. Also, surfing! I have never surfed and honestly have not been to the beach very often, so reading about the Cali life and surfing was a lot of fun.

I highly recommend this book! Happy reading.