Parents' Guide to You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!

Courageous in the conversation it boasts, but disappointing in the lack of subtlety, this story is ultimately an exercise in addressing prejudices. Author Alex Gino is right: All families need to talk about the fact that teens of color are at a far higher risk of being shot by police than white kids. All families need to talk about how racism is part of American culture and that we need to look at our own prejudices and beliefs about other races and cultures. What is also clear is that Jilly gets shamed by her black friends for being "uncool" when she doesn't say exactly the right thing. She wants to have conversations about race and deafness, but finds she's walking on eggshells when she begins to talk. It's as though she's to blame for other people's feelings, which isn't empowering for her either.

Because much of what happens in You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! is summarized like a diary entry or an essay, the plot doesn't have a chance to blossom. Jilly's life is played out after school and online, and the richness of social interactions at school are missing. When she does meet an online friend in person, or when she experiences her first large protest in the company of her family, these moments feel real and good. Kids will enjoy the online chats about the fictional "Viidalia" trilogy that Jilly is obsessed with. But, like Jilly, they might rather immerse themselves in that fantasy world than a world where people are correcting others for their mistakes.