Point of View

This novel is told from the first-person point of view of the main character twelve-year-old Shayla Willows. Shayla’s first sentence lets the reader know that she is narrating from her point of view: “I’m allergic to trouble. It makes my hands itch” (1). Shayla refers to herself as “I” (1). The use of this pronoun specifies that the first-person point of view is being used. Shayla’s point of view is one that young readers can relate to since Shayla is interested in and struggles with the same things they do. Shayla presents a story about racism and injustice that is age-appropriate for young teens and older children.

Shayla has little experience with racism so she relies on her older sister and her parents for information about what is happening in the world and why it is happening. Shayla, and her reader, learn about the...