Ola Shakes It Up

Joanne Hyppolite

Warren Chang (Illustrator)

9780375895098

Moving? When Ola Benson’s family leaves Roxbury in Boston to a house in the suburbs, Ola is sure her parents have made a big mistake.  What on Earth are they doing in Walcott–a historic, stuck-up town where the Bensons are the only black family?

True, there are a few good things about the move: Mama and Daddy have better jobs.  They have a bigger house, big enough to offer a home to Lillian, a Haitian refugee.  But the house is in a “cooperative community” with a million rules: No kids outside after dark.  No playing in the street.  No jumping in the leaves.  No fun.

Well, if Ola’s stuck in Walcott, she’ll make it a place where she can feel at home.  Ola the undaunted comes up with plan after plan, including Operation Pretend I Belong Here and Operation Smile If It Kills You.  Finally she hits upon the superspecial can’t miss plan: Operation Shake It Up.

Joanne Hyppolite celebrates community, cooperation, and family life in a warm and realistic story with an irrepressible heroine.