Just Family

Bolden, T (1996). Just Family. New York: Cobblehill books.

Plot Description: Randy and Beryl have planned a wonderful anniversary dinner for their parents.  The dinner is going great until Beryl finds out her parents have only been married for twelve years which wouldn’t normally be cause for alarm but her older sister Randy is thirteen.  She later finds out that her father is not Randy’s real dad and her mother had her out of wedlock.  Beryl becomes very confused and upset.  She has a million questions and doesn’t quite understand everything.  Beryl is also worried that Randy is going to leave them to go live with her biological father.  After going down south to a family reunion and talking to more family about her concerns Beryl finally is okay with the situation and comes to accept the fact that a person does not need to be a blood relative in order to be family.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Group: This is appropriate for grades 6-8.

Similar Books: Finding Family by Tonya Bolden

Personal Thought: This is a good book that deals with issues surrounding step parents and siblings. 

Subject/Themes: Family, New York City, Blended Families, African Americans

Reviews: School Library Journal and Booklist

Character Description: Randy is thirteen years old.  She loves writing and poetry.

Beryl is ten years old.  She is very curious and always has a lot of questions.  Her best friend is Linda.

Linda is also ten years old.  She lives in an apartment near Beryl with only her mom.  She does not see her dad very frequently.

Mr. Nelson is the father of Randy and Beryl.  He works hard to provide for his family.

Mrs. Nelson is the mother of Randy and Beryl.  She has a hard time talking about her past and Randy’s father.

Russell is Randy’s biological father.

Annotation: When Beryl finds out that Mr. Nelson isn’t Randy’s real dad she is upset, scared, and confused.  Read along to see how this story unfolds.