The Revolution of Birdie Randolph

Gr 8 Up–Sixteen-year-old Dove “Birdie” Randolph faces challenges during the summer before her junior year of high school. She is expected to spend the summer taking SAT prep classes and helping at her mom’s beauty salon, but what she really wants to do is spend time with Booker. Unfortunately, because Booker has been in trouble with the law, Birdie knows her strict parents won’t approve of the relationship, so she sees him behind their backs. In the meantime, her aunt Carlene comes to live with the Randolph family after completing rehab. The troubled relationship between Carlene and Birdie’s mother adds a layer of complexity to Birdie’s summer plans; Carlene also provides Birdie with an ally to figure out how to convince her parents that Booker has dealt with his legal issues and is on the right path. In the midst of all this, a long-kept family secret surfaces and Birdie has to redefine the way she sees her family. This is a lovely portrait of a close-knit urban African American family that offers insight into the push from within for black excellence. In addition, it portrays a family struggling with addiction and helps illustrate what recovery can look like. Also, big cheers for a darker-skinned African American teen on the cover.