Parents' Guide to

Blended

By Terreece Clarke, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Honest, warm story of family, identity, police brutality.

Book Sharon M. Draper Contemporary Fiction 2018
Blended Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 10+

Based on 2 parent reviews

lilypad-ribbit
lilypad-ribbit Parent of 0, 1, 7 and 9-year-old
July 21, 2021
age 10+

There is a lot to tackle here

This book introduces a lot of controversial topics for one book. There is a good deal of dialogue between divorced parents fighting. It was nice to see that both step-parents in this book are not portrayed as evil villains. The chapters give many opportunities to discuss race issues based on experiences of the main character and her friends, but these issues might go straight over a younger or less-woke reader's head if parents don't ask probing questions and emphasize some points regarding these topics. I wasn't prepared for the police encounter at the end. This book isn't exactly a feel-good story, but it's important and gives opportunities for deeper discussions. My step-daughter (9) was fascinated by this book and she loved it. I think she liked it because it was the first book she ever read where the protagonist was discussing the trials of living in a family that had gone through divorce, as she recently experienced. The race issues weren't really acknowledged when I discussed this book with her. I think a lot of the race-related experiences went over her head or she discarded as not applicable to her life. She's not a minority. It would have been a good opportunity for her bio parents to discuss these issues with her, but I didn't feel like it was my place.
1 person found this helpful.
Mary Mills R.
Mary Mills R. Parent of 6, 8 and 10-year-old
October 1, 2020
age 10+

I am hooked

Best book ever.I wish their was a second.I think 10-11 years old if you don't like to hear about violence and 8-9 years old if you are okay with violence. -Katherine age 10

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In BLENDED, Isabella's mom is white and her dad is black, and when they divorce she feels like there will always be two sides of her pulled in different directions. Two houses, two families, two backpacks, two different sets of rules, two different kids: Izzy and Isabella. Just when it looks like things couldn't get any crazier, Isabella's friend is targeted at school, and a routine trip ends in horror.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (20):

This novel is a perfect mixture of a coming-of-age story, identity development, family dynamics, and social commentary. Blended offers a compelling, nuanced reflection on age-old questions made modern: Who am I? Where do I belong? What makes a family? Why do people judge others on factors beyond their control? Family dynamics change and shift, often leaving kids lost in the cracks. Author Sharon Draper captures these feelings with sensitivity and humor. She's also unafraid to tackle police brutality in the age of social media -- what that means for victims, and what it means for kids just trying to figure out who they are and how they fit in the world.

Kids will enjoy Blended for its realistic portrayal that makes them think but doesn't talk down to them. Adults will love it because it's a great catalyst for discussions on difficult topics.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the portrayal of co-parenting in Blended. How does the custody arrangement Isabella's parents have affect her? Do you or do you have friends that experience the same thing? How do you communicate your needs and feelings to family, especially in difficult situations?

  • What's the role of social media in identifying police brutality? How do videos help? How do they hurt? Do you think people would still talk about the issue if there weren't videos highlighting it?

  • How important is it to respect someone's identity and be careful of stereotyping that person? What are some stereotypes people might apply to you? Your friends? How unfair and off-base would their labels be?

Book Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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