Let's Get Together - by Brandy Colbert (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Kenya Norwood likes things just the way they are. She's lived all her life in Pasadena with her dad and grandmother, she's attended the same school with the same friends since pre-K, and she's always the center of attention. Even as she's about to start middle school, she knows one thing for sure--none of that is going to change. For Liberty Perry, change is all she's ever known. Her mother disappeared when she was a toddler, and ever since, she's never stayed in one place for very long. But things seem different with her new foster mother, Joey. Maybe in this home, in this school, change won't come so quickly. Except everything changes the day Liberty and Kenya meet--and discover they are identical. Neither of them is ready to find out she has a twin sister (in fact, they're unsure if they even want one), and when the girls learn the truth of how they were separated, it's clear that no one else in their lives was ready for this, either. But the connection they share might be even stronger than the things that kept them apart--and teaming up might be the only way to set everything right"--

Book Synopsis

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award-winning author Brandy Colbert gives The Parent Trap a fresh, funny, and delightfully unexpected update in this story of two girls--one raised by her single father, the other in the foster care system--who meet by chance...only to discover they're identical twins.

Kenya Norwood likes things just the way they are. She's lived all her life in Pasadena with her dad and grandmother, she's attended the same school with the same friends since pre-K, and she's always the center of attention. Even as she's about to start middle school, she knows one thing for sure: none of that is going to change.

For Liberty Perry, change is all she's ever known. Her mother disappeared when she was a toddler, and ever since, she's never stayed in one place for very long. But things seem different with her new foster mother, Joey. Maybe in this home, in this school, change won't come so quickly.

Except everything changes the day Liberty and Kenya meet--and discover they are identical.

Neither of them is ready to find out she has a twin sister (in fact, they're unsure if they even want one), and when the girls learn the truth of how they were separated, it's clear that no one else in their lives was ready for this, either. But the connection they share might be even stronger than the things that kept them apart--and teaming up might be the only way to set everything right.

Review Quotes

"Readers will relate to the girls' trials and tribulations at school but it's the specific details that make this book a triumph. A delightful tale of family lost and found, one that skillfully weaves discussion of heavier and relevant topics into a comedic plot." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"Colbert paints a clear picture of how and why this racial massacre occurred and encourages all readers, regardless of age or race, to confront the difficult and often obscured history of racial violence in the United States." - Shelf Awarness (starred review)

"Black Birds in the Sky tells the truth about an event that every American should know about. It's a horrifying account told with great care." - BookPage

"Colbert extends her range with this excellent nonfiction book, a welcome contribution to the growing literature about this tragedy." - Horn Book Magazine

"An excellent story of sisterhood that tween readers will enjoy and that is perfect for realistic fiction collections." - Booklist

"A compassionate, emotionally intelligent story about family and belonging that will resonate widely." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"In this nimble, winning reimagining of The Parent Trap, Colbert examines the social and emotional effects of navigating the foster care system alongside nuanced depictions of substance reliance and children managing complex relationships with parents and caregivers." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This story shines. Colbert's latest novel deserves a spot in teen and high school collections." - School Library Journal

"Colbert delivers a heartfelt, layered story that delves into themes of identity, societal expectations, and the blurred boundaries between private and public lives. The exploration of family secrets [and] the weight of expected gender roles add elements of intrigue and suspense, keeping readers engaged and eager to unravel the truth." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

PRAISE FOR BLACK BRIDS IN THE SKY: "Colbert writes confidently about the truth of American history that has been long omitted from textbooks and conversations, and presents a case for acknowledging lingering racist ideas, sentiments, and assumptions and for holding ourselves accountable to overturning the harm that racism has caused. Necessary reading for any student of history or for anyone trying to understand our present." - Booklist (starred review)

"This sophisticated volume makes clear that the destruction of Black property and lives in the Tulsa Race Massacre was not an isolated incident. The clear, readable prose supports a greater understanding both of how and why incidents like the one in Tulsa happened and their exclusion from curriculum and conversations about U.S. history. A compelling recounting that invites and encourages readers to grapple with difficult history." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Alternating between survivor quotes, a detailed background of Oklahoma and Black chattel slavery, and a stirring account of the disturbing 1921 events, Colbert displays an impeccable grasp of the history of segregated Black towns and communities, and the powder keg of hatred and prejudice that would eventually condemn it. Powerful." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A must-have first purchase for all libraries; this text invites readers to engage with a difficult history that's essential in our understanding of today's world." - School Library Journal (starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE BLACKWOODS: "Colbert's sprawling novel is a deeply felt love letter to Black Hollywood's groundbreaking forebears and a tribute to the transformative power of maternal love, providing rich emotional insights layered with thoughtful explorations of the intersectionalities around race, class, and gender. A striking testament to the bonds of family and a perceptive study in how events can echo throughout generations." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"An absorbing intergenerational tale about a famous Black Hollywood family, their relationship with notoriety, and the ramifications that come with it." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Colbert beautifully describes the complex lives of three young women through the alternating perspectives of Blossom in 1942, and Ardith and Hollis in the present day. Carefully tackles serious themes of race, family, sexual harassment, and addiction, and invites readers into the joyous highs and painful lows of fame and its legacy." - Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"Told in two time periods and following the perspectives of a young Blossom Blackwood and her two great-granddaughters, Colbert's novel explores the difficult choices each has to make to stay true to themselves." - Booklist