Jacqueline Woodson

This 2002 National Book Award finalist is reissued with a new look. When Toswiah Green's policeman father testifies against a fellow officer, the family members must change their identities and move to a different city. Now Toswiah is Evie Thomas--and that's the least of the changes.

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Twelve-year-old Toswiah finds her life changed when her family enters the witness protection program.

Mahasin S Ameen

Toswiah (Tos Wee Ah) Green is a 13-year-old girl from Denver, Colorado. She and her older sister Cameron live with their parents in a nice neighborhood. The only problem is Toswiah Green doesn’t exist anymore. After her father witnesses the shooting of an unarmed African-American boy by two fellow police officers her life changes forever. Whisked away by the District Attorney Toswiah and her family are now in the witness protection program. Now called Evie, Toswiah has to adjust to life as not only the new girl but an entirely new person.

Woodson is one of my favorite authors for young adults, this is actually the third book by her that I’ve read for this blog (which considering that I’m not that far into it is quite a large percentage) however this book as always was masterful. Woodson does an excellent job in conveying how difficult the adjustment is for the entire family, with Cameron/Anna throwing herself into books, her mother becoming a devout “Joho” (Jehovah’s Witness) and her father slowly losing his grip on reality. This came across as a very realistic depiction of what a young girl who thought she knew herself would go through when forced to be someone else.

Hush

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