From the Desk of Zoe Washington audiobook

I know I've said this a million times already this year, but wow, I really love middle grade. This was SO GOOD.

4 starsFrom the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks reminded me how great middle-grade can be. I rarely read it, and I’m not sure why. I enjoyed this one so much. With one letter, Zoe Washington’s life changes on her twelfth birthday. Though she has her dad, Paul, she’s never met her father, Marcus. He’s been in prison her entire life. Then one day, she gets a letter from him. Marcus is in prison for a crime he never committed and Zoe is determined on clearing his name. On top of that, she’s working on her baking skills. She’s got a lot going on for a twelve year old. This was such a sweet and heartwarming story, but it also showcased some important topics. I loved Zoe and this book! Audio book source: Libby (library borrow)Story Rating: 4 starsNarrators: Bahni Turpin Narration Rating: 4.5 starsGenre: Contemporary Fiction (Middle Grade)Length: 6 hours 10 minutes

4.5 stars! I think this book is such a fantastic middle grade novel! I loved the character of Zoe and her dreams of being a baking star, but also a young girl who wants to connect with her absent father. I thought this book was written really well and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I would definitely read more by Janae Marks in the future.

I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to read this pitch perfect debut, by Janae Marks. Zoe is the kind of protagonist I love in middle grade books—ambitious, curious, strong—what I would describe as a take-charge kinda gal. She loves baking, which, hello, makes her the kind of kid I would have loved to be friends with in middle school. Not only does she love to bake, but she dreams of joining a junior baking competition, so that one day she can become a professional pastry chef. But her dreams get placed on the back burner when she discovers a letter in her mailbox from her biological father, who has been convicted of murder. At first, she doesn't want to have anything to do with him. But her curiosity starts gnawing on her, so she decides to write him back. That letter is the first of many, and as she gets to know him, she discovers that he's been wrongly convicted. Zoe makes it her mission, to find the evidence needed to set her biological father free. In the process, we get to know other members of her family, especially her grandmother, who is sympathetic to her plight, as well as her neighbor and friend, Trevor, who she enlists to help her. While reading, I found myself cheering Zoe on, as she investigated the crime, and also in her quest to create her very own original cupcake recipe, which by the way, sounds totally delicious. I know my own kid would love to gobble up a Fruit Loops cereal cupcake. If you love headstrong middle grade protagonists, contemporary stories dealing with real-life issues such as racism, wrongful conviction, mixed race blended families, and anything to do with baking, then I would definitely recommend you pick up, FROM THE DESK OF ZOE WASHINGTON.

This one was a solid read but i felt the ending didn't give me the punch I got from other middle grade novels. This one had a storyline I never thought would be possible in middle grade and that's exactly why people need to read this genre more.

Loved this one! Zoe is a great, strong character with a spot-on voice. The pacing kept me turning pages the whole time. There is a lot of intrigue to keep the reader interested. The way her relationship develops with her dad is so sweet, and the ending is really satisfying. Grandma might’ve been my favorite character 😁Also, the food descriptions were scrumptious. Can someone please make me a fruit loops cupcake?

Never underestimate what children can teach you - or books about children!

LOVE LOVE LOVE. MORE TO COME.Review on 14/01/20. Thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel.From the Desk of Zoe Washington is a moving, true-to-life middle-grade novel that highlights just how potent perseverance can be — even when you’re just twelve. This book is one of those middle-grade novels that tackles issues without taking away the joy of the mundane.Debut author Janae Marks explores parental incarceration, wrongful imprisonment, friendship missteps, and more in this novel. I couldn’t help but think of Alicia D. Williams’s Genesis Begins Again . Zoe jumps off the page as much as Genesis does. I highly — oh so highly — recommend this novel.Read my full review on the blog.

I made the mistake of starting this in the evening, and then I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish! Couldn’t put this page-turner down until I knew how it ended.The tasty cupcake descriptions weren’t the only sweet thing about this book—I loved Zoe’s whole family (especially Grandma

5 HUMUNGOUS UGLY CRY STARSOn her twelfth birthday, Zoe receives a letter from her imprisoned father, whom she’s never met which begins an odyssey to figure out whether he’s wrongly convicted, or a lying murderer.I couldn’t help falling in love with Zoe, her passion for baking and her quest to figure out the truth about her father. Her stubborn charm and earnest pursuit of her goals was authentic and endearing. FROM THE DESK OF ZOE WASHINGTON tackles tough topics in a middle grade age appropriate matter, friendship, family, race and social justice. Adults and kids of all ages will champion Zoe and her relationships.

Every now and then, I read a middle grade book that is engaging, well-written, and fun to read, AND deals with issues so unique and important that I wish I could shove it into the hands of everyone I know. FROM THE DESK OF ZOE WASHINGTON is exactly that kind of book. Much of Zoe's life is pretty normal—she loves to bake and is thrilled to land a summer internship at a real bakery; she's on the outs with her best friend after an incident earlier in the summer; she longs for more responsibility and freedom now that she's twelve years old.But one thing about Zoe's life is very, very different from most middle grade characters: Zoe's biological father, Marcus, has spent twelve years in prison for murder. And on her twelfth birthday, Zoe gets a letter from him—and with that letter, realizes just how much more there is to Marcus's story than she has ever known.Mass incarceration of Black and brown men, and wrongful convictions, are issues that are extremely relevant in the U.S. right now. FROM THE DESK OF ZOE WASHINGTON takes these topics on with grace, courage, and an enormous amount of compassion. Janae Marks deftly adds layer after layer of nuance to Marcus's case, as well as to his relationship with Zoe; the book tackles big issues without ever feeling either heavy-handed or depressing. Zoe's irrepressible spirit and determination to get to the bottom of Marcus's story is inspiring and uplifting. FROM THE DESK OF ZOE WASHINGTON is an absolutely perfect way to introduce the issue of mass incarceration to young readers. Five enthusiastic stars!

Wow. Wow.I LOVED this book!Budding 12-year-old pastry chef Zoe Washington receives a letter on her birthday from her incarcerated father, Marcus... and it's the first time she's ever heard from him. He's in jail for a violent crime, but as Zoe continues to correspond with him, she starts to wonder if he might actually be innocent after all.This book is about love, the highs and lows of friendship, baking (be ready to have intense cupcake cravings), complex family relationships, and the importance of taking a stand. The masterful way the author weaves in themes of social justice throughout Zoe's very personal journey will allow kids to come to conclusions about racism within our judicial and prison systems *themselves,* which is a powerful tool to give a child. Zoe is such an proactive protagonist, and I can see kids reading this in classrooms across the country, galvanized to take a stand--because Zoe shows us that you're never too young to make a big difference.5/5 stars!