A review by brandypainter
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi

3.0

This is an interesting story about family troubles, friend troubles, and finding your place in community. It is quintessentially middle grade. It is a good book to have on hand for voracious readers of this story type. It takes place in the mid 1980s and is about an African American girl whose grandfather was one of the first African American NASA engineers. From him she has inherited a love for science-fiction and fantasy. Over a summer, she must learn to live without him as she visits her father in Harlem. The narration of this is tricky for several reasons. It is first person, and therefore extremely limited to the things the main character knows and her view of them. As a result, I spent the majority of the book wanting to throttle all of the adults. This hampered my personal enjoyment of it. I will also add I don't know that the mentions of the Challenger crew will be that impactful on today's current generation of middle schoolers.