Partly Cloudy

by Tanita S. Davis

Overview

From a Coretta Scott King Honor author, a “delightful” novel about the microaggressions of middle school and what one girl learns about community (Lisa Moore Ramée, author of A Good Kind of Trouble).

Lightning couldn’t strike twice, could it? After a terrible year, Madalyn needs clear skies desperately. Moving in with her great-uncle, Papa Lobo, and switching to a new school is just the first step.

It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, though. Madalyn discovers she’s the only Black girl in her class, and while most of her classmates are friendly, assumptions lead to some serious storms.

Papa Lobo’s long-running feud with neighbor Mrs. Baylor brings wild weather of its own, and Madalyn wonders just how far things will go. But when fire threatens their California community, Madalyn discovers that being neighborly means more than just staying on your side of the street— it means weathering tough conversations and finding that together a family can pull through anything.

“Feel-good realistic fiction . . . reminds young readers that families and friendships alike require honesty, compromise, and understanding—especially when the forecast is partly cloudy.” —Booklist (starred review)

“In this gentle multigenerational narrative, Davis explores race, tough conversations, and climate change as her endearing protagonist learns to face conflict and embrace community.” —Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062937025
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/21/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	235
Sales rank:	601,388
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	1 - 12 Years

About the Author

Tanita S. Davis is the award-winning author of six novels for middle grade and young adult readers, including Serena Says, Peas and Carrots, Happy Families, and Mare’s War, which was a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and earned her a nomination for the NAACP Image Award. She grew up in California and was so chatty as a kid that her mother begged her to “just write it down.” Now she’s back in California, doing her best to keep writing it all down. Visit her at tanitasdavis.com.

Editorial Reviews

09/27/2021

Last year, Madalyn Thomas weathered myriad storms: her best friend moved away, her own family moved across town due to her father’s being laid off, and there was a shooting scare at the school she transferred to. Understandably, rising seventh grader Madalyn doesn’t want to return—so her parents institute a plan that will accommodate her wish, as well as their new working situations. To attend Kingsbridge Junior High, Madalyn must live with her eccentric great uncle Papa Lobo in Sheldon, Calif. But despite being the only Black girl in her class, having a larger bedroom, new friends, and proximity to a nice library persuades Madalyn to endure. Things seem to be looking up, until Madalyn discovers that one of her new friends suffered a bullying experience and may now discriminate against Black boys. To make matters worse, fire season sweeps through the state. With the help of her elders, Madalyn must recognize that “you don’t have to be friends with someone to help them.” In this gentle multigenerational narrative, Davis (Serena Says) explores race, tough conversations, and climate change as her endearing protagonist learns to face conflict and embrace community. Ages 8–12. Agent: Steve Chudney, Chudney Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Being the new kid in seventh grade isn’t easy, and [neither is] being Black in a sea of white and brown faces. Davis suggests alternate paths for her protagonist—and by extension, readers—through Madalyn’s challenge: assess whether the friendship is worth pursuing and, if so, insist on the difficult and honest conversations necessary to lay its foundation; or accept the permanence of disaffection, while acting with dignity and respect. Madalyn and Natalie’s . . . mutual courage in reaching for reconciliation offers readers much to ponder."

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Relatable, honest, wise and witty: Serena Says is an essential read for all of us learning to find our voice.

Lisa Greenwald

"This deeply relatable novel about changing friendships and finding your voice is one I desperately needed as a kid. Serena's voice is pitch-perfect and Davis's portrayal of middle school struggles is both captivating and heartfelt."

Janae Marks

"Timely and original. A tender, honest look at friendship, family and the changing nature of both. I so related with Madalyn grappling with the big and small storms life threw her way and cheered when she learned she had the strength to weather just about anything. A delightful, inspiring read."

Lisa Moore Ramee

"Davis captures the often glossed over tenderness of preadolescence, the space between blossoming independence and a lingering desire for the comfort and support of caregivers. As feel-good realistic fiction, this title reminds young readers that families and friendships alike require honesty, compromise, and understanding—especially when the forecast is partly cloudy."

Booklist (starred review)

"Being the new kid in seventh grade isn’t easy, and [neither is] being Black in a sea of white and brown faces. Davis suggests alternate paths for her protagonist—and by extension, readers—through Madalyn’s challenge: assess whether the friendship is worth pursuing and, if so, insist on the difficult and honest conversations necessary to lay its foundation; or accept the permanence of disaffection, while acting with dignity and respect. Madalyn and Natalie’s . . . mutual courage in reaching for reconciliation offers readers much to ponder."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Timely and original. A tender, honest look at friendship, family and the changing nature of both. I so related with Madalyn grappling with the big and small storms life threw her way and cheered when she learned she had the strength to weather just about anything. A delightful, inspiring read." %COMM_CONTRIB%Lisa Moore Ramee

2021-07-27
After weathering several storms during her sixth grade year, Madalyn Thomas seeks better opportunities for seventh grade.

Attending Kingsbridge Junior High seems like a better option than Madalyn’s old school, but there’s a catch: During the week she must live in another town with Papa Lobo, her great-uncle, a Louisiana native who moved to California but still peppers his speech with Creole. Her father’s new job has taken him to the East Coast, and her mom is away, spending long hours at work. However, Madalyn is the only Black girl in her class. She befriends Latinx Aria but navigates stares and intrusive questions from classmates who are cued as White—and when a new White friend demonstrates that she may hold prejudiced feelings against Black males, Madalyn must decide if this is a friendship worth pursuing. A subplot involving a neighbor also helps to establish the novel’s central themes around responding to mistreatment of others and adhering to one’s own values. Young readers will grapple with different interpretations and come to their own conclusions about how not to let the bad actions of others allow one to compromise one’s core principles and the sticky question of whether any part of the burden for making peace rests with those who are the victims of discrimination. The California setting, amid the reality of the state’s wildfires, will resonate with readers who live with climate-related threats.

A timely novel full of thought-provoking questions. (Fiction. 10-13)

Kirkus Reviews