Some Places More Than Others, by Renee Watson. Bloomsbury, Raincoast. 2019. $22.99 ages 9 and up

"This has been the longest week of my life. We leave for New York tomorrow night, and it's been torture having to wait. Mom's been fussing at me all week because every free moment I have, I've been on my phone or laptop looking up things to do and making lists of places I want to go. I have all the things Titus suggested, plus seeing a Broadway play. But more than going to any of those other places, I want to sit on the stoop of Dad's childhood home."

Amara's interest in knowing more about her father's family grows insistent when her teacher assigns The Suitcase Project. Her wish for her 12th birthday is to travel to Harlem and meet her father's family. Her mother has been refusing to consider it. 

Amara wants to meet her paternal grandfather, a man she knows only through the phone calls they have and the cards he sends. Her father rarely seldom speaks about his family and rarely visits even though he often travels to New York for his work. Amara wants to accompany him on his upcoming trip, and meet the family she does not know. Her parents' reluctance to let her go is met with persistence on her part; finally they agree.

Her father has not seen his father in twelve years. Amara makes it her business to find out why that is. Her mother has asked her to try to get the two of them to spend some time together.They are only going to be in Harlem for one week. It means she has a lot of work to do if she wants to help heal the rift. It is not an easy task she sets for herself. No matter how much love they share, there is not a lot of room for forgiveness. Still, Amara is a pretty determined young lady. As she spends time with them, she learns a lot about her father she did not know.

Being in Harlem is an eye-opening and unforgettable experience. It is as different as day and night from Beaverton, Oregon where her family lives. As she wanders its streets she visits many places of great importance in the history of African-Americans. She has never seen anything like it. Both Harlem and New York City become unmistakable characters on a list that is powerful and endearing. She loves the neighborhood and her explorations there. Visiting some of her father's favorite places, as well as her grandmother's grave, leads to better understanding of the flaws that are a part of every family's history.

The Suitcase Project is a fascinating one. Amara is tasked with filling her case with poems, objects and written entries concerning family. As she works to complete her assignment she begins to understand that she and her father had expectations placed upon them that made both  uncomfortable. As she narrates this heartwarming, often humorous, and humbling tale, readers are sure to feel that they are a part of the trip of discovery Amara is making. It is an exceptional read for a family during the holiday season, or in any middle grade classroom when students return for the winter term.

Amara's final poem makes me wish I were still teaching and in a middle grade classroom, where could use the ideas inherent in The Suitcase Project. Here's a small part of it:

'My Suitcase Carries

Grandma's recipes;
a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
Ginger for tea, brown sugar for oatmeal.
A deep pot for stews and soups, an iron skillet for
everything else.
Instructions for stretching a little bit into a whole lot."

She goes on to write about her grandpa, her mother, her dad, and her two homes. A wondrous tale, beautifully told.