The Benefits of Mentorships. This article relates to Piecing Me Together. Renee Watson's excellent Young Adult novel Piecing Me Together follows the life of a high school junior. Jade, who is African American, receives a scholarship to a new, predominantly white school, and finds herself feeling alone. Though Piecing Me Together doesn’t mention the Black Lives Matter movement specifically, it nevertheless looms large over the novel. The movement rose up in response to the 2014 killing of Michael Brown, a black teen, by a white police officer in Mississippi, and it campaigns against violence and systemic racism against black people in the U.S.

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1

español
Spanish language

I am learning to speak.
To give myself a way out. A way in.

2

tener éxito
to succeed

When I learned the Spanish word for succeed, I thought it was kind of ironic that the word exit is embedded in it. Like the universe was telling me that in order for me to make something of this life, I'd have to leave home, my neighborhood, my friends.
And maybe I've already started. For the past two years I've attended St. Francis High School on the other side of town, away from everything and everyone I love. Tomorrow is the first day of junior year, and you'd think it was my first day as a freshman, the way my stomach is turning. I don't think I'll ever get used to being at St. Francis while the rest of my friends are at Northside. I begged Mom to let me go to my neighborhood high school, but she just kept telling me, 'Jade, honey, this is a good opportunity.' One I couldn't pass up. It's the best private school in Portland, which means it's mostly white, which means it's expensive. I didn't want to get my hopes up. What was the point of applying if, once I got accepted, Mom wouldn't be able to afford for me to go?
But Mom had done her research. She knew St. Francis offered financial aid. So I applied, and once I got accepted, I received a full scholarship, so I kind of had to go.
So here I am, trying to pick out something to wear that doesn't look like I'm trying too hard to impress or that I don't care about how I look. St. Francis doesn't have uniforms, and even though everyone says it doesn't matter how you look on the outside, it does. Especially at St. Francis. I bought clothes with the money I made from working as a tutor at the rec center over the summer. I offered Mom some of the money I earned, to help with the bills or at least the groceries, but she wasn't having any of that. She told me to spend it on my school clothes and supplies. I saved some of it, though. Just in case.
Mom comes into my room without knocking, like always. 'I won't be here tomorrow morning when you leave for school,' she says. She seems sad about this, but I don't think it's a big deal. 'You won't see much of me this week. I'm working extra hours.'
Mom used to work as a housekeeper at Emanuel Hospital, but she got fired because she was caught stealing supplies. She sometimes brought home blankets and the small lotions that are given to patients. Snacks, too, like saltine crackers, juice boxes. Then one of her coworkers reported her. Now Mom works for her friend's mother, Ms. Louise, a rich old lady who can't do much for herself. Mom makes Ms. Louise breakfast, lunch, and dinner, gives her baths, and takes her to doctors' appointments. She cleans up the accidents Ms. Louise sometimes has when she can't make it to the bathroom. Ms. Louise's daughter comes at night, but sometimes she has a business trip to go on, so Mom stays.
I know Mom isn't here just to tell me her schedule for the week, because it's posted on the fridge. That's how we communicate. We write our schedules on the dry-erase board and use it to let each other know what we're up to. I close my closet, turn around, look at her, and wait. I know what's coming. Every year since I started at St. Francis, Mom comes to my room the night before school and starts to give me the Talk. Tonight she's taking a while to get to it, but I know it's coming. She asks questions she already knows the answers to—have I registered to take the SATs yet, and am I still going to tutor at the rec, now that school has started?—and then she says, 'Jade, are you going to make some friends this year?'

Piecing Me Together Chapter 26 Summary

Excerpted from Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson. Copyright © 2017 by Renee Watson. Excerpted by permission of Bloomsbury USA. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Title:Piecing Me Together
Author:Renée Watson
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 272
Genre: Contemporary
Review copy: Library
Availability: On shelves now

Summary: Jade believes she must get out of her neighborhood if she’s ever going to succeed. Her mother says she has to take every opportunity. She has. She accepted a scholarship to a mostly-white private school and even Saturday morning test prep opportunities. But some opportunities feel more demeaning than helpful. Like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls. Except really, it’s for black girls. From “bad” neighborhoods.

But Jade doesn’t need support. And just because her mentor is black doesn’t mean she understands Jade. And maybe there are some things Jade could show these successful women about the real world and finding ways to make a real difference.

Friendships, race, privilege, identity—this compelling and thoughtful story explores the issues young women face.

Review: Jade creates stunning collages. She’s an artist turning bits and pieces of color, texture and shapes together. Art has often been one of the ways people explore what they think about the world and sometimes it’s a way to find healing. Jade creates these amazing collages and they are a way she processes what’s going on in her life. It seems like the people who love her make her whole and the world takes her apart. “Sometimes it feels like I leave home a whole person, sent off with kisses from Mom, who is hanging her every hope on my future. By the time I get home I feel like my soul has been shattered into a million pieces.”

Piecing Me Together Renee Watson Summary

This is an introspective book. Jade is a thinker and I loved seeing through her eyes. She puzzles things out and though sometimes she’s hesitant to advocate for herself, Jade has clear ideas about how things should be. She’s also willing to listen to other perspectives. I really appreciated the chapter titled agradecido/thankful. Her friend and uncle have a conversation about a teacher at the local high school who doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Her uncle E.J. explains that they’re celebrating our nation being stolen from indigenous people and how “Columbus didn’t discover nothing.” Jade realizes she’s never given this a thought. She thinks it through and comes to the conclusion, “I think the US has a lot to be thankful for and a lot to apologize for.”

The chapter titles are in Spanish and English. Jade is excited about learning Spanish and tutors some of her fellow classmates because she’s doing well. Jade’s hoping to go on an International trip where she could do some volunteer work. She doesn’t just want to take advantage of opportunities for herself, Jade also wants to be able to contribute to the world. She doesn’t want to always be seen as the at-risk, needy girl. She knows she has things to offer and wants those around her to realize this too.

Aside from the titles, the chapters are also unique because they are sometimes poetic.I found the language to be lyrical and often poetic even when not in poetry form. Some chapters are only a paragraph long and manage to say a lot. Occasionally there are actual poems.

Race is a topic of thought and conversation throughout the book. Jade has several relationships that lead to some intense situations revolving around race. Her mentor, which she has been assigned because she is perceived as needy, is new to the job and sees Jade with a deficit mentality that Jade rebels against. Her new best friend is White and is either deliberately ignoring racist comments and actions or is oblivious. Jade has to decide if these relationships are worth her efforts.

Recommendation: Buy it now. This is a beautiful book that delves into so many aspects of life and is a fantastic story about finding and using your voice.