Rebecca Caudill 2023

Interest Level:  Grades 5 to 8

Author Interview

Donte Ellison and his brother Trey both attend Middlefield Prep, but their experiences are very different. Trey's blond hair and Norwegian build mimic that of their father, while Donte's black dreads and brown skin visibly show their mother's African descent. Donte is quickly named "Black Brother" by a student at the school, and Donte is from that point on continually targeted as a problem student by both teachers and students. 

When he's bullied and framed by the captain of the fencing team, "King" Alan, he's suspended from school and arrested. Now Donte must confront his bullies, racism, and the corrupt systems of power that led to his arrest.