One of Us by Peggy Moss

Illustrated by Penny Weber. 32 p., Tilbury House, 2010.

Fitting in can be a complex and difficult process for children, and seems to be a concern at earlier and earlier ages. In this empathic, upbeat story, Roberta faces this difficulty when she enters a new school. She finds her new classmates very accepting - lots of kids tell her that she's "one of us." The only problem is, being "one of us" means being "the same" in very limited ways. For example, Roberta likes to play on the monkey bars, and she makes friends there with other children who have the same interest. But when she tries to eat lunch with them, they tell her that she has to eat with the kids whose lunchboxes look like hers. It seems as if whenever she has one attribute that allows her to fit in, something else about her leads kids to reject her. In spite of this, Roberta stays true to herself; for example, when a group who claims her rejects monkey bars, she follows her own natural inclination to play on them anyway. In spite of this, as the day goes on, Roberta feels more and more confused. Will she ever fit in? Finally, she meets Anna, "a trumpet-playing girl who likes baseball and car racing and ballet." Anna's friends have diverse interests, too. Not only that, but Anna values the differences among her friends! At last, Roberta has truly found her place. Reading this story, children can expand their ideas about what it means to fit in, and can find ways to fit in and still be themselves fully.

Ages 6-11
Main character's cultural background: ambiguous; perhaps African American, Latina, or European American
Cultural context: multicultural