Things Too Huge To Fix by Saying Sorry

Gr 5–8—Dani Bean is a middle school girl with typical middle school interests. Her focus is on friends, the impending summer break, and the boy who may like her. But lately the most important thing on her mind has been her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's disease and seems to be disappearing before Dani's eyes. It is difficult to watch her vibrant, intelligent grandmother fade, and her family is under immense stress caring for her. However, they are bonded together to make sure her grandmother's last moments are loving and peaceful. It is the need for her grandmother to be at peace that begins Dani's quest to solve a historical mystery that took place during the integration of Mississippi University. As Dani slowly links together clues, she uncovers the fear, violence, and anger that her grandmother knew as a black woman during the racial unrest at the beginning of the civil rights movement. Dani's story is interspersed with excerpts from a book written by her grandmother's former best friend. The novel based on her grandmother's life and struggle is the reason the women have not spoken in years. As Dani learns about her family history and the truth is uncovered, she begins to understand that Mississippi is still grappling with racial discrimination, memories of brutality, violence, and echoes of battles fought. Readers will be drawn to the parallel stories and will relate to Dani and her search for answers. Some background knowledge about the civil rights movement will help young readers understand the full historical context.