Watson, Renée. All the Blues in the Sky. Bloomsbury, 02/2025. 182pp. Fiction. Trade $17.99. 978-1-5476-0589-7. GRADES 5–8. OUTSTANDING.
Thirteen-year-old aspiring pilot Sage is reeling from the recent and sudden loss of her best friend. Watson’s latest novel in verse skillfully traverses the uneven path of a teenager navigating grief without shying away from the messy moments. Convincing and authentic, the reader is transported to Sage’s tight-knit Harlem community, where members present as Black. A plot twist at the end leaves the audience with a deep faith in Sage’s resiliency, as well as hope that Sage’s story continues in a future volume.
Beth Gousman—Montclair Elementary School / Oakland Unified School District