Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

ME (MOTH) by Amber McBride is a new work in verse that will surprise young adults. The cover of this debut novel is so appealing and eye-catching, isn’t it? It captures the feelings of cocooning and becoming in this story about Moth and Sani, a young Black girl and a half Navajo/half White boy. Both are hurting due to their family situations and some mental health issues. They travel together across the United States, visiting places like Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia and Fort Smith National Historic Site in Arkansas, ultimately arriving at the Navajo Nation in Four Corners, New Mexico. The efforts to confront ghosts along the way is a spiritual quest that helps with reconnecting to a love of dance and music. The writing is beautiful, but like so much poetry requires the reader to really contemplate emotions, feelings, and the writer’s message. Woven throughout are references to HooDoo and Moth’s gray-bearded Grandfather and to Native American Creation Myths and other stories. ME (MOTH) received starred reviews from Booklist (“excellent choice for lovers of poetry and for those who see the beauty in sadness”) and School Library Journal (grades 8 and up).