Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution

by Sherri Winston

Bloomsbury presents Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston, read by Latonya Williams.

Longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature

Member of the 2023 Notable Books for a Global Society (NGBS) List

From the beloved author of President of the Whole Fifth Grade, a story about a young Black girl who summons the courage to fight against a discriminatory dress code—and stand up for herself.

Lotus Bloom just wants to express herself—with her violin, her retro style, and her peaceful vibe, not to mention her fabulous hair.

This school year, Lotus is taking her talent and spirit to the seventh grade at a new school of the arts. The one where she just might get to play under the famous maestro, a violin virtuoso and conductor of the orchestra. But Lotus's best friend, Rebel, thinks Lotus should stay at their school. Why should this fancy new school get all the funding and pull the brightest kids out? Rebel wants Lotus to help her protest, but Lotus isn't sure. If she's going to be in the spotlight, she'd rather it be for her music.

Then, when boys throw paper wads and airplanes into Lotus's afro, Lotus finds herself in trouble for a dress code violation. Lotus must choose—should she stay quiet and risk her beloved hair, or put aside her peaceful vibe and risk everything to fight back?

Inspired by real stories of Black girls fighting dress codes that discriminate against their hair and culture, beloved author Sherri Winston introduces a memorable character who finds her way to speak up for what's right, no matter what it takes.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Music, Childrens, Audiobook, Social Justice

Audible Audio

First published September 6, 2022

About the author

Prepare for your greatest mission yet. Jada Sly, Artist & Spy, is ready to take you on a journey across Manhattan and behind the scenes at her family’s museum. Fast-paced and quick-witted, Jada leads us into her conspiratorial world with great panache and determination. Perfect for cool middle grade spies.
Sherri Winston has eight published works of fiction, and lives in Orlando, FL.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew....talk about a dose of reality. This is definitely insight to how systemic racism has and continues to infiltrate the educational system. 3.5 Stars CW: racism, bullying, fat shaming, parental abuse (both physical and emotional)

Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution follows main character Lotus, a violin prodigy, who is transferring to an arts academy from her inner city school. She's a free spirit that loves wearing her signature afro with a flower. Although she was comfortable with her individuality at her old school, Lotus quickly learns that both her physical appearance and her soaring skills on the violin both intimidate and frighten the other students and parents. To prevent her from being able to accomplish her goals, members of the community then seek to remove Lotus from the school on the basis of dress code violations in relationship to her hair. Lotus must figure out how to combat this injustice while also figuring what is best for her future.

What Worked: Winston incorporated a lot of great elements into the framework of this novel. I really enjoyed Lotus as a character. Her quirkiness, yet boldness made her stand out as a lead in a middle grade novel. The inclusion of music as the driving force of Lotus' passion was also a great choice. I haven't read many middle grade novels with Black characters that are musical prodigies and this one didn't disappoint. While I wish there was a little more balance with the musical aspects and the injustices that Lotus faces, it was a great catalyst for Lotus being able to find her own voice. She is often accustomed to her best friend being the lead of all the protests and advocacy surrounding the treatment of her neighborhood; however, in this situation Lotus must learn to stand up for herself. In the end, she makes a decision that everyone may not agree with, but it's one that works the best for her and I was proud of Lotus for standing in her truth. There was also a great cast of side characters that served as Lotus' support system when things got a little rough with the students at her new school. They were fun, encouraging, and often reminded Lotus that the most important thing was for her to stay true to herself. Lastly, any section that included references to musical pieces drew me in completely! I'm a classically trained pianist so I was completely absorbed by Lotus playing the violin as well as the moments where she gave back to her community by training younger musicians.

What Didn't Work: I think that this could have used a little more balance. I enjoyed the parts of the book where Lotus had to push back against the school and the adults to stand up for what was right; however, I wanted to hear more about her music. I wanted to see what happened if she had the opportunity to travel and play in Paris. Additionally, I don't think that the adults were held to a high enough standard. I was extremely disappointed when both Lotus' mother and father refused to stand their ground on their daughter being able to wear her hair the way she liked it. It was only when things took a complete left turn did they finally get on board with doing the right thing. As a parent, I feel as though it is always my duty to support my child and make her feel comfortable when systemic racism is at play. There is no "cowering" to the system or making it easy for everyone else. This is not to say that her parents didn't love her or care for her; however, I wanted them to support her in better ways. I also didn't buy into the redemption arc of the character that spent 90% of the book bullying Lotus. Granted, I know that his parents played a role in it, but Lotus was not obligated to accept his apology and I wish that refusing an apology were normalized under circumstances like this.

Overall, this was a solid read. Sherri Winston has a great writing style even if the execution isn't always there. I'm definitely interested in checking more from her in the future.

[Dona's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a proud middle-grade reader. I was facing quite the reading slump until I picked up Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston. Immediately, I was in love with the cover of a cute little Black girl and her Afro in all its glory. Lotus Bloom is a seventh grader from South Florida who lives with her mother and Granny. Her father is in Paris and is a musician, and her best friend Rebel is more of a radical and politically aware young Black girl. Lotus is accepted into a prestigious music school for her skills with the violin and she uses it as a ticket to get out of her poor county school, MacArthur Park. Lotus excels at her new school, charms the maestro of the orchestra, and even becomes concertmaster, replacing a boy named Adolpho. Despite Lotus making friends easily, she is relentlessly teased and bullied about her big Afro hair which leads to parents bullying her to conform and cut her hair off or get kicked out. It is Lotus’ dream to move to Paris like her dad and become a renowned musician and she believes that Atlantis is the way to do it until she’s pushed to the breaking point.

This is a book that is an unfortunate reminder that being a Black girl and woman is political in itself. Everything from the hair on our heads to the clothes that we wear is subject to political debate and policing. Black girls are more likely to be suspended or expelled for breaking the dress code because of hair discrimination. I was happy to read a book about such a well-spoken young Black girl who was not afraid to stand up for herself. While the bad people in this book are a bit cartoonish and fictional, this problem is all too real and common. While painful, I had a delightful time reading this.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have such a soft spot for books about kids who are learning to stand up for themselves and be brave and perform their art 😭😭😭 like im so proud of Lotus you go babygirl!!!!!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Lotus, a talented violinist, is glad to be attending the new and impressive Atlantis Arts School in Miami, Florida, but feels bad that it is so much nicer than the inner city neighborhood school that her best friend, Rebel, attends. Lotus is such a good musician that she has been accepted into the academy without an audition, and when the conductor hears her, he immediately makes her concert master. This irritates Adolfo, whom she replaces. He and his friends start giving her a hard time, making snide comments and throwing paperr airplanes into her signature Afro, which she refers to as the "wooly mammoth" and which she very carefully grooms. Her mother and grandmother think she should be quiet; they think that she should have her hair relaxed and not be as flamboyant in her style of vintage dressing, but Rebel thinks that she should take a stand... or perhaps come back to the neighborhood school and join their protests. Lotus would like to move to Paris to be with her musician father, but the school she wants to attend is very expensive. When the conductor recommends her for a special musical program in Paris, she is absolutely thrilled, but Adolfo, who is a year older and has been planning on going to this program, is not. His mother gets involved, and after Lotus complains to the principal about the bullying going on, she is sent a letter saying that SHE is in violation of the code of conduct, and that her hair do is "distracting". It threatens her with expulsion if she doesn't change her hair style. Her mother isn't happy, but wants Lotus to de-escalate the situation. She gets her hair restyled, which appeases the administration but doesn't shut down Adolfo's mother. Will Lotus, with the help of Rebel and her other friends, be able to fight the racist dress code and the inequality of treatment for Black students at both the fancy new school as well as the neighborhood ones?
Strengths: It is always good to see books about young people who have strong interests, and both Lotus' interest in music and Rebel's interest in social justice will speak to many tween readers. I enjoyed how invested Lotus was in her somewhat unusual personal style, and applauded the fact that she makes an effort with her outfits; my students pretty much wear workout clothes to school every single day, but I am a big fan of 1970s fashions! The problems with having an elite school program in a community struggling with disparity in the schools was interesting. Lotus is a strong personality who surrounds herself with people who also have interests similar to hers, and who help her when she needs it.
Weaknesses: While I completely support Lotus' choices and think it is good that she calls out people whose actions are hurtful, it was sad to see how judgemental she was of others. She describes her grandmother as "the very picture of bitter old lady-- tight-curled hair dyed a harsh black; tiny gold-framed glasses that dangle on the tip of her nose". If Lotus is allowed to revel in her impressive Afro and vintage fashions, why can't her grandmother dress the way that she likes without Lotus being so unkind about it? Lotus has strong opinions about other people who have thoughts that don't coincide with hers, even when they don't hurt her, and I would have expected her to be more empathetic.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to see proactive student involvement, like Giles' Take Back the Block, Ramee's Good Kind of Trouble, or Marks' From the Desk of Zoe Washington, Firestone's Dress Coded, Farr's Margie Kelly Breaks the Dress Code, or Young's The Prettiest,or readers who want to read about students who are really interested in music.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous example of quality middle grade! Great writing, a big issue depicted on a personal level, the main character navigating her troubles without her parents (but not because she's an orphan or at camp) and a lot of feeling.

My only quibble is that the kid causing all the problems didn't really take responsibility for the harassment and abuse. This book wrapped up very quickly.

Read for Librarian Book Group

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Fatmisia & body shaming
Physical child abuse
Parental divorce
Racial bullying

[Mariah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lotus Bloom fails because in the conflict at the core of the story the side Lotus is not on is so obviously correct yet the book tries to frame her as a hero regardless.

Lotus is a violin aficionado. She gets invited to the new performing arts school, Atlantis, that was recently built in her neighborhood. Her best friend Rebel is against the school because it came at the cost of the middle school, MacArthur, already in the community. Lotus understands where Rebel is coming from, but she’s excited to get this chance and is a master at keeping her head down. As per the synopsis, after running into problems at her school that force her to realize that making waves is sometimes necessary, she learns to speak up.

Lotus’ final conclusion is that ultimately Atlantis should have still been created because MacArthur could not have provided the specialized performing arts that she and the students there needed - the two schools just need to be able to coexist in a way that benefits MacArthur.

This completely misses the point of the entire argument at the center of the novel. Atlantis absolutely should not have been created. It’s a multi-million dollar school. The whole point of Rebel’s protest is that instead of making this school they could have funneled that money into the old school. If they had funneled that money into the school from the beginning like they should have then all of that specialized performing arts programming that Lotus loves could have existed at MacArthur which would completely erase the need for Atlantis.

Lotus simultaneously states that it’s wrong that the school is being left to waste away because it’s in a poorer, diverse part of the neighborhood yet agrees that the local government was correct to not put that money into it because it couldn’t have provided what she needed anyways because of the lack of money that the local government was actively withholding. That makes no sense. If they put the money into it then she would have had what she needed there. So no Atlantis was not a needed at any point.

The ‘good’ ending is supposed to be that Atlantis is working on outreach programs to spread their resources to the other schools. Except while this is a decent solution based on these current specific circumstances, it ignores the fundamental fact that this solution is stemming from a racist framework.

Rather than allocate funding to schools that they deserve, this new school gets to have total control over what is distributed or shared entirely at their discretion. And when the school is majority white in its student base, majority white in staff, majority white in admin, majority white in school board, in government, etc, then it just becomes another facet of systemic inequality leveraged against them. They are ‘allowed’ to use services that should be a right not a privilege, how kind of their (probably) white overlords.

The book tells the reader that a flawed, imperfect resolution is a perfectly happy ending. I don’t care if Lotus enjoys her school or wants to stay there. Very few kids want to be at a school that is falling apart. I just think that it’s harmful to present an outcome that is only offering up a band-aid as equal to an outcome that would have obliterated it entirely.

If this was presented as this compromise is the best that the schools can hope for, but at the end of the day it isn’t enough I would have been fine with that. We shouldn’t eschew something good because it’s not everything we wanted - let’s live to fight another day and all that. Instead the book chooses to promote the idea that a ‘good enough’ outcome is actually the best outcome.

Rebel is set up like a bitter, immature child for not being happy with how Lotus handled the situation, but I thought that was so unfair to her character to make her out to be belligerent when Lotus was still frustratingly dismissive of the bigger picture. An individual win is the end goal only if we’re not discussing a collective obstacle or if it is acknowledged to be a stepping stone.

Lotus is selfish for choosing this school over the larger cause. That said, everyone has to be selfish sometimes. It’s not inherently bad to choose yourself especially when it’s a great opportunity or even when it will mean other people will lose out. Lotus did not make the best decision for everyone, she made the best one for her. Which is 100% fine. She’s a little girl not the next Martin Luther King, Jr. However, I disagree with how the book chooses to frame her as a trailblazer when she’s at the beginning of her journey.

Aside from this the book tries way too hard to be relatable to the age group. There was a lot of forced slang and stereotypes. None of Lotus’ friends were fleshed out. All of them were given one off gimmicks that served as their entire personality. This was particularly true for Dion, the gay character.

I am not opposed to his flamboyance as many gay boys and men are flamboyant. Stereotypes are built on a grain of truth after all. What bothered me is that because all of Lotus’ friends were ‘blink and you miss it’ appearances it did not feel like an authentic portrayal - he was simply all stereotype. It didn’t help that later in the book when Winston does try to give him some depth she inadvertently implies that he is faking his flamboyance on some level with absolutely no follow through. I was left questioning if Dion was getting the support he needed at home or around him because amping up your personality because you perceive it as the only way to get noticed is not healthy long term. No expansion on that character attribute at all.

A lot of little plot points are like this. Lotus’ mother has a boyfriend Lotus doesn’t like that much. He seems nice enough, but he has not been there for her mother a lot lately. This is never resolved. He’s low-key set up to have a redemption arc in Lotus’ eyes when he stands up for her to her mother about her hair. Then he just disappears. No explanation of why he was so unreliable or if her mother dumped him or if he was truly a bad boyfriend in the end. I thought, for sure, it was shaping up to be him preparing a proposal then poof!

Lotus’ friend Mercedes is suspected of being a snake in the grass. They ditch her without question and there is never a confrontation. It made no sense that someone so casually mean would let several people abandon her without attempting payback or being verbally aggressive or even a simple inquiry as to why they suddenly left her behind.

Lotus’ new friend Fabiola who informs Lotus about Mercedes’ two-faced nature tells Lotus about her mother being sick immediately after meeting her. That is never followed up on. Fabiola never mentions her again after this one instance. Who knows what happened to her? We never even learn what she’s sick with.

Lotus’ bully Adolpho spreads racist memes and videos online about her. He never gets punished for this because the author decides to make him a sympathetic character and totally ignores that he did this. There is a huge gap between throwing little paper airplanes in her hair or even soliciting a group of kids to do the same because he’s jealous and actual bigotry. Is he racist? Does he harbor racist tendencies? Was he weaponizing racism without thinking about the ramifications?

Depending on the response to any of these questions my perception of his character and what I consider to be fair consequences can change massively. There is no exploration of where this behavior is stemming from. As such he is not held properly accountable for his actions.

On page 244 Adolpho’s mother slaps him which goes nowhere. It’s there purely to force the reader and Lotus into feeling bad for Adolpho so that his apology is accepted at face value. An apology that is literally on the second to last page, mind you.

During the apology, Adolpho says “But me and my dad told her she went too far and better fix it” regarding his mother being the one to spearhead the campaign against Lotus. Yet, there is nothing about whether or not the abuse will stop. Was that a one off instance? Does his dad know? I am not totally opposed to the inclusion, however, I felt it was harmful to not take steps to ensure that a child reader will not absorb that this is normal behavior for some parents and not worth discussing. At the very least, have her apologize or be horrified by her abrupt action.

I loved The Braid Girls and I enjoyed The Sweetest Sound as well as President of the Fifth Grade. I was bowled over by how much I did not like this entry in her bibliography. I thought for sure that it must have been her debut or early on in her career, but it’s actually one of her most recent works. My recommendation is to avoid this entirely and pick one of the ones I mentioned above.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for a fourth grade book club, and it’s so excellent! Lessons about confidence, about activism, about friendship, and about the complexity of situations as you grow up. Great book for middle school!

[Carin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lotus Bloom is a gifted violinist. Until now, she’s been taking private lessons which her parents skimp for, and learning from her father, a professional musician. But after her parents’ divorce, her father has moved to Paris for his career, and luckily Lotus was invited to attend the brand-new, sparkling, well-endowed Arts high school, instead of her old neighborhood high school in Miami, which was pretty run down. Her best friend, Rebel, is annoyed with Lotus for leaving instead of staying to fight for more funding and better facilities for all the students. Lotus just wants everyone to get along.

She makes new friends at her new school, and one enemy: a ninth grader who was first chair violin until she arrived and took not only his chair, but also the position of concert master, which is unheard of for a seventh grader. In addition to her virtuoso playing, Lotus also quickly becomes known for her very large and very noticeable afro, which she loves (along with her vintage 1970s apparel.) The boy she bumped and his friends start bullying her–throwing paper airplanes into her hair, calling her “Buckwheat” (which she doesn’t even understand initially), and other aggressions which begin to add up. These stressors alongside a rigorous academic workload and Rebel’s insistence that she both stand up for herself and stand up for the kids at her old school, wear on Lotus until despite her best efforts, she can no longer fend them off and reluctantly, she stands up for herself.

I really liked how reluctant she was about this change, how she had to be pushed into it, and didn’t have some giant personality change. I liked how you could see that she got a lot of her “let’s just get along” attitude from her mother, whose self-esteem has been beaten down by her mother, who thinks she’s fat. I especially loved the ending which didn’t go exactly according to plan, and which isn’t tied up neatly in a bow. There are no easy answers, which is emphasized here. There’s a lot of gray area presented, except for one clear-cut issue: Lotus should never have to cut her afro. That’s insane. It’s fabulous.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a family read. Kids learn that things aren't always fair, but what they do about it makes a difference. They have a voice and she used hers.We all enjoyed it.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was good, but I didn't love how some of the relationships played out.

[Jamie Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lotus Bloom, a 7th grader, who rocks a 70's vintage vibe, complete with a large afro. Her other passion is music and so she jumps at the chance to attend the new school, Atlantis, the school of Art, even it means leaving her best friend, Rebel behind. Rebel is not happy with Lotus' choice or the funds being used to open Atlantis when the schools in their district of Miami are outdated and falling apart. Lotus embraces her new school, finding new friends, a frenemy, and, of course, a nemesis. When Lotus is made first violin of the advanced orchestra, and therefore the Concert Master, the 9th grader she bumped down, Adolfo Cortez, gets his friends to bully Lotus by starting throwing paper airplanes into her afro. Like she was told by her mother and granny, Lotus tramps down her feelings, even though this makes her angry and embarrassed, she puts on a brave face and ignores the bullying. Things get worse, however, when the School Board goes to the administration to force Lotus to change her hair style or face expulsion from the school she loves. With the support of her friends, many of the orchestra, and even Rebel, though for her own cause, Lotus is ready to fight for what she knows is worth fighting for - herself. This book is filled with vivid descriptions of how Lotus feels and sees music, her style, the love of her afro, and trying to come to terms with her feelings and trying to discover who she is and what she wants. Prejudice, classism, and protest run throughout the book, but Lotus and the cast of characters around her are as bright and vivid as Lotus' style and her afro.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another tbr pile book that I absolutely fell in love with, and despite being very tired, stayed up to finish it. Lotus is such an appealing character, and the book was such a good portrayal of racism and bullying in a manner that middle grade readers can identify it. While not "perfect," it's plusses make it one of those books that I would love to share with middle schoolers. It would also make a great class read aloud. Of course, there's so much diversity in, that it could easily fall into a banned category. Therefore, make sure that it gets read.
(I'm about to meet last year's number of books, and I want to exceed it by 10 books, so I am reading a lot of middle grade and graphic novels which is fun because I love them even if they are fast reads. I'm grateful for all the years of teaching children's and young adult lit and serving on award committees. I may be old, but I'll never outgrow these books and the promoting of them.) I wonder if the world would be different if these books had been around for decades instead of blossoming int the last 10 years or so. We need these books; we need to read them as adults; we need to share them with our kids and grandkids and any other kid we can find to share them with. Okay, off my soapbox.

[Dan Allbery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lotus Bloom starts middle school at a new, elite school of the arts. She is immediately accelerated to an advanced orchestra class, given first chair, and wows most of her classmates. But not all those around her are fans. She has disrupted the status quo in more ways than one, but she must decide what is worth fighting for.

I found myself putting this book in my shopping cart because of its stunning cover. And has anyone heard of such a better character name than Lotus Bloom? Although this book covers some deep topics and harsh realities, the word I associate with it the most is "fun." The pages flip quickly--there is an ease to the plot line. However, even though there are some gorgeous lines and moments, there are plenty that are overworked and cliche. Sometimes a scene just needs a basic description. You do not have to make a mundane moment something transcendent. I highly recommend this book for musicians, especially strings players. Recommended for GR 6 - 8.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an extremely talented musician accepted into a special arts school, Lotus just wants a peaceful environment to play her violin, but instead, she has to contend with a bully that feels he has earned her spot as concert master, and his mother who wants to kick Lotus out of the school because she wears her hair in an afro. Lotus has other areas of stress as well, including her best friend who wants her to speak up for funding for her old school, and her divorced parents who want the best for her, but don't always include Lotus in what that should be. This reminded me of a slightly younger version of I Rise by Marie Arnold, which also featured a reluctant activist that was eventually pushed too far and had to stand up for herself and her community. Lotus is well-drawn character that is easy to rally behind.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong story of Lotus Bloom, who has the confidence in her musical abilities as well as her fashion sense including her fantastic afro. She's got to be strong especially now that she's going to a different school then her best friend. Lotus got into a prestigious musical academy built near their old school.

Though she draws the ire of a kid in her new school when Lotus's musical ability gets her a leadership role and then becomes the target of bullying and abuse, particularly targeted toward her hair as a "violation of the dress code" and the kid's mom goes ham on trying to have Lotus' hair changed.

This follows so many other stories featuring the policing of dress codes. And and it's heart it's also about talent and friendship and identity which I adored.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lotus is a unique character who often seems older than her 7th grade self, even as she struggles to stand up for herself. (Note: To me, the cover makes her look younger than she is in the story.) Some of the characters are well-developed; others, especially adults, are one-dimensional. I wondered if a gay 7th grader like Dion would really be that self-aware to present himself as over-the-top to make sure he's seen. Despite sometimes being frustrated by a very purpose-driven plot, in the end, I closed the book wanting to know what happens next to Lotus and her family and friends, a sign that the book, despite some flaws, had come to life.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stunner of a novel! A great read about a quirky violinist who wears her hair in an afro and her troubles at a new fine arts school in her neighborhood. The one plot point Winston left out is what Lotus will do with the information that her former bully’s mom slapped him hard multiple times and that his true passions are in visual arts and not orchestra. This very fine novel is about finding your voice, and it’s done in a nuanced way with lots of things going wrong. Come to think of it, she leaves things with her moody, righteous friend Rebel hanging. So maybe she’s going to write a sequel?

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

[2.5 stars] I liked the concept. As a musician, I love reading stories about music, and from as many different perspectives as possible. After all, making music can be a deeply personal endeavor, and we all come to it from different places. It’s not always a fair endeavor though, with access to resources and education — and lack of prejudice as an obstacle — often influencing how far someone can go.

However, I didn’t love the execution of this book. Most of the characters felt like caricatures in some way, and the transitions between different scenes and descriptions sometimes felt incomplete.

[Shayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give this book an award! The musical metaphors, the diverse cast, the acknowledgment of the pandemic and how it affected schooling, the seamless history lessons, the personal growth!

Only cons I have: Rebel's lesbian moms seemed shoe-horned in the way end of the book. And I really thought when the history teacher announced that there was going to be a class project on revolutions that Lotus was going to use her real life experience for her project, but it was never brought up again. Maybe some plot points are staying open for a sequel?

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is for the audiobook version of the book.

This narrator is one of the best middle-grade readers I've heard. It didn't feel overly read, but rather highly conversational. She didn't try to sound too juvenile, while at the same time, having a young persons cadence.

As for the story, it brought up issues of "Is it always right to stick to your guns or is compromise sometimes necessary" and more importantly "All people of a race do not think the same way."

Even though the book had a quick, pat ending, it was the appropriate one for the age group.

[Qua'Tesha Ratliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars‼️ A must read especially for kids to know it’s okay to be different and to stand up for yourself! It made me so mad that the adults didn’t see that Lotus was being bullied for her Afro and they adults were also bullying her.

Teach your kids not to bully. Those parents and school staff that also participated in the bullying would’ve have to see me and my hands about my child!

Lotus’s parents kept pissing me off! Stand up for your child! The so called best friend, Rebel, 🙄!

A good read though!

[Joy Kirr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this gem. I thought the ending was kind of cut off - I wanted more of a defined resolution, but a lot of life is like that. (I wish there'd been more against Adolpho's posts.) The anger bubbled in me throughout, and I wondered why no one was speaking up for 7th-grader-gifted-musician Lotus earlier than they did. What rings true is how long some things take to come to light and then to DO something about it. Thank you to the author, too, for showing me a glimpse into how much work it must take to maintain a beautiful ‘fro.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read books aimed at middle school kids, but I heard about this one at the Miami Book Fair a couple of years ago, and it intrigued me. It's a well-written and insightful book about a young black woman whose pride in her oversized Afro hairstyle clashes with the uptight members of the staff and school board at her new school for the performing arts. It's a strong message about cultural pride, individuality, and the power of the arts to bring us all together. It would certainly be a good choice for any middle school classroom.

[Kym Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an eBook copy of this book to review by the publisher in exchange for a review. This has not impacted my review.
Lotus is such an individual and strong character to have in a book. I really enjoyed her individual style, that she seemed to put so much effort into. Lotus Bloom is a fantastically diverse book, that has a great emphasis on family, friendship, and sticking up for what you believe in.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

4/12/2023 ~ There are so many things I enjoyed about this story (that pushed me to stay up past my bedtime reading!)
* Black hair & the conversations around care, natural hair, and straightened hair
* Dress codes and how Black hair can be targeted
* school disparities - traditional public & private
* High end orchestra & competitions for chairs
* Social justice & standing up for oneself

I will definitely be purchasing for my elementary school library.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Lotus wants to do is play her violin in peace, while rocking her 70's style (including giant afro and thrift store finds). Issues of finding your voice, figuring out what is important to you, school funding inequalities, dealing with bullies, and natural hair discrimination. Does building a special arts school make up for years of poor funding for the neighborhood school? What would you be willing to do to change it? When do you stand up for yourself, and when do you try and keep the peace?

[Karol Silverstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this book up...and the library, but of course!...after hearing everyone's favorite librarian, Mychal Threets, mention it in one of his videos. What a delightful find! I loved Lotus' story, how she described her thoughts and world in musical metaphors, and ultimately how she fought for herself on her own terms. I hope there's a movie adaptation because I'd love to see Lotus' awesome retro stytle and woolly mammoth come to life on screen. Obviously, the music would be amazing too!

[Kate]

This is a very message-y book, which meant that sometimes the dialogue felt didactic and unrealistic, and the villain of the piece is entirely one-dimensionally evil. However, I did like how Lotus's feelings about anger and conflict are revealed and change over time, and I appreciated the realistically imperfect resolution of her conflict with her best friend. A good one for students looking for some support and inspiration to take a stand against injustice in their own lives.