Description

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 she can’t understand. When the Bed and Breakfast next door finally finds new owners, Alberta is ecstatic to learn the new 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 her dads are quick to warn her, “all skinfolk ain’t kinfolk”. While Alberta is an upbeat sporty beach lover, Edie is a moody Wednesday Addams come to life. She wears black dresses and lipstick and doesn’t get any of Alberta’s jokes.

When the girls discover a collection of secret journals in Edie’s attic, their curiosity gets the best of them and they put their differences aside. Soon they discover shocking and painful secrets and the role the unrelenting violence of racism played in it.

Publisher Review

*"A heartfelt tale with classy, indelible characters."--Kirkus, starred review "The Only Black Girls in Town is a tender, humorous, and suspenseful story about navigating the turbulent waters of middle school friendship. Alberta and Edie prove that Blackness is not a monolith and remind us that if you keep looking, there's always more to see and learn about the people and places we love. Colbert's middle grade debut is an unputdownable tale. Readers will want to hang out with Alberta and Edie long after the story ends."-- Renee Watson, author of Some Places More Than Others "Exploring growing-up issues and historical secrets with empathy, insight, and grace, Colbert creates a stunning tale of family, friendship, and racial identity. An engaging, must read for everyone."--Jewell Parker Rhodes, bestselling author of Ghost Boys *"Colbert employs a compulsively readable style to convey the sometimes difficult experience of young friendship, and the power and peril of claiming one's identity out loud."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "Colbert capably combines a familiar tale of middle-school friendships under pressure with details about ongoing racial microaggressions."--BCCB *"A remarkable middle-grade debut from YA powerhouse Colbert...a sweet story featuring children of color trying to find their place in a society that tells them they do not fit. Strongly recommended."--Booklist, starred review *"Colbert's well-articulated prose captures the difficulties of tween years without skirting around tough topics like racism, menstruation and bullying."--Shelf Awareness, starred review *"A nuanced novel that skillfully depicts the ways friendships can be shaped by common experience and racial proximity."--School Library Journal, starred review *Equal parts mystery, coming-of-age narrative and coastal California travelogue, The Only Black Girls in Town is an affectionate tribute to friends, both new and old, and the ways they enrich our lives.--Bookpage, starred review