from the desk of zoe washington book cover

Hey Janae, thanks so much for agreeing to this interview! I LOVED reading your debut middle-grade novel, From the Desk of Zoe Washington. You can expect my review of ZOE on the blog tomorrow! She also shares four of her most anticipated 2020 middle-grade debuts. Thankfully, I read an ARC and LOVED it! Today, I’m speaking with Janae about why she wrote about an incarcerated parent, middle-school friendships, and her most valued advice for writers. 'When Marcus tells Zoe he is innocent, and her grandmother agrees, Zoe begins to learn about inequality in the criminal justice system, and she sets out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence.Author Janae Marks’ debut novel From the Desk of Zoe Washington is one of my most anticipated 2020 middle-grade books.

Plus don't miss Janae Marks's A Soft Place to Land! 'When Marcus tells Zoe he is innocent, and her grandmother agrees, Zoe begins to learn about inequality in the criminal justice system, and she sets out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence.' (Publishers Weekly, 'An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List') The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies. Everyone else thinks Zoe's worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she's worthy of auditioning for Food Network's Kids Bake Challenge.īut with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcus's conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesn't know how to balance.

Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. What does a girl say to the father she's never met, hadn't heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who's been in prison for a terrible crime?Ĭould Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. #1 Kids Indie Next List * Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of the Year * SLJ Best Book of the Year * Kirkus Best Book of the Year * Junior Library Guild Selection * Edgar Award Nominee * Four Starred Reviews * Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year * An Indie Bestseller *įrom debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating story full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right-even in the face of great opposition.

From the desk of zoe washington book cover