Janae Marks

Independent Reading Level: Years 8-12
Awards: Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Middle Grade — 2022)
Edgar Award (Nominee — Juvenile — 2021)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Children's — 2022)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Triple Crown Awards (Nominee — 2023)
Georgia Children's Book Award (Finalist — 2022)
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Anthony Award (Nominee — 2021)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2022)
Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Junior — 2023)
Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2021)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2023)
Agatha Award (Nominee — 2020)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2022)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — Fiction — 2024)
Nevada Young Readers' Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2023)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — Middle Readers — 2022)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Almost Made It — 2022)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2025)
Iowa Children's Choice Award (Nominee — 2022)
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2023)
North Carolina Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (Elementary — 2022)
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Nominee — 2022)
Lectio Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Three Stars Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2021)
CYBILS Awards (Winner — 2020)
CSMCL Best Multicultural Book (2020)
Maine Student Book Award (Reading List — 2022)
New England Book Award (Finalist — 2020)… (mere)

Gr 4 Up—Zoe's life is dominated by her dream of competing on her favorite cooking show—until she receives a
letter from the dad she has never met, who is incarcerated for committing a horrific crime. He tells her he is innocent,
so Zoe begins a journey to uncover the truth about her dad, about her world, and especially about herself. Marks's
recipe of discovery and mystery—mixed with adventure and seasoned with excellent discussions on wrongful
conviction, racism, and blended families—produces quite a treat for readers.… (mere)

Zoe Washington is pretty naive about the criminal justice system. She believes everyone in prison is guilty, including her father. He was incarcerated before Zoe was born so she has never interacted with him at all. Her life is full and happy; she likes baking and hanging out with friends. It’s not until she unexpectedly comes into contact with him that she starts to feel the absence of her biological dad.

This story will be very approachable for most kids, even though it’s about a heavy topic, namely the failings of our criminal justice system. (There is discussion of a murder which could be intense for some young readers.) Overall I was impressed by the engaging writing and how the plot unfolded.

Mild spoiler:

It’s all neatly done, ending with reassurances that feel a little too good to be true, but fit within the tradition of kid heroes and happy endings in children’s literature.… (mere)