This is the story of twelve year old Rosemary Patterson's first year as the only African American student in the newly desegregated schools of Missouri. Rosemary must face the constant scrutiny of both members of her African American community, proud of the achievement, and the racial bias of her classmates. To make matters worse, her parent's marriage is crumbling, and her closest friend is struggling for life with polio. Based in part on the childhood experiences of Patricia McKissack, this coming of age story illustrates that friendships are fragile and sometimes forged with the most unlikely people. This is a California Young Reader Medal Nominee for 2009-2010.