Childrens

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

  • Downloads：2421
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-11 11:57:59
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Janae Marks
  • ISBN：0062875868
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

#1 Kids Indie Next List * Parents Magazine  Best Book of the Year * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of the Year * SLJ Best Book of the Year * Kirkus Best Book of the Year * Junior Library Guild Selection * Edgar Award Nominee * Four Starred Reviews

From debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating story full of heart， as one courageous girl questions assumptions， searches for the truth， and does what she believes is right—even in the face of great opposition。 


Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write。 What does a girl say to the father she’s never met， hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday， and who’s been in prison for a terrible crime？

A crime he says he never committed。

Could Marcus really be innocent？ Zoe is determined to uncover the truth。 Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family。 Everyone else thinks Zoe’s worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she’s worthy of auditioning for Food Network’s Kids Bake Challenge。

But with bakery confections on one part of her mind， and Marcus’s conviction weighing heavily on the other， this is one recipe Zoe doesn’t know how to balance。 The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies。

"When Marcus tells Zoe he is innocent， and her grandmother agrees， Zoe begins to learn about inequality in the criminal justice system， and she sets out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence。" （Publishers Weekly， "An Anti-Racist Children's and YA Reading List"）

Download

Reviews

Kendra ，

It's a good story。 Perfect for my girls。 It's a good story。 Perfect for my girls。 。。。more

Bethany ，

Fantastic middle grade novel。 Loved it so much。 Did a great job of discussing some current issues with race in America age appropriately。 Hoping this helps many kids want to do a little more research and think more critically about the justice system in the US。 My 12 year old read it as well and we had some great discussions （we also listened to the young adult version of Just Mercy together， but discretion is advised as some middle grade readers may not be ready for how heavy that book is）。

Mani Sky ，

I loved the message and it draws you in to want more

Mia ，

Amazing！！

Mrs。 Goodson ，

Student recommended and librarian approved！！ One day， Zoe discovers her mom has hidden letters from her real father in prison。 How do you write to someone you don't know？ When he declares his innocence， should she believe him？ A definite middle grade realistic read！！ Student recommended and librarian approved！！ One day， Zoe discovers her mom has hidden letters from her real father in prison。 How do you write to someone you don't know？ When he declares his innocence， should she believe him？ A definite middle grade realistic read！！ 。。。more

Erin ，

Zoe Washington is a 12 year old aspiring pastry chef。 She is working a summer internship at Ari's bakery。 One day， she discovers a letter from her biological father who is in jail。 With her grandmother's help， against her mom's wishes， Zoe strikes up a friendship with him。 When he learns he may be wrongfully imprisoned， she begins a mission to help get him released。NC EBOB 2021/2022 selection。 This surprisingly deals with the weighty topic of the large number of wrongful imprisonments， especiall Zoe Washington is a 12 year old aspiring pastry chef。 She is working a summer internship at Ari's bakery。 One day， she discovers a letter from her biological father who is in jail。 With her grandmother's help， against her mom's wishes， Zoe strikes up a friendship with him。 When he learns he may be wrongfully imprisoned， she begins a mission to help get him released。NC EBOB 2021/2022 selection。 This surprisingly deals with the weighty topic of the large number of wrongful imprisonments， especially of black men。 It highlights the work of the Innocence Project， which Zoe learns about in a library book。 。。。more

Kristen ，

This was a wonderfull middle grade novel。 You'd be surprised （or maybe you wouldn't） by how many times students ask for books where a parent is incarcerated。。。and there just aren't many out there。Zoe had never met her birth father， Marcus--a fact that isn't a big deal until she gets a letter from him on her 12th birthday and begins corresponding with him secretly。 When Zoe finds out that that Marcus might actually be innocent--and not just because that's what convicts say--she begins an investig This was a wonderfull middle grade novel。 You'd be surprised （or maybe you wouldn't） by how many times students ask for books where a parent is incarcerated。。。and there just aren't many out there。Zoe had never met her birth father， Marcus--a fact that isn't a big deal until she gets a letter from him on her 12th birthday and begins corresponding with him secretly。 When Zoe finds out that that Marcus might actually be innocent--and not just because that's what convicts say--she begins an investigation of her own。 When things get too big and keeping her secret becomes impossible， Zoe has some hard choices to make。My only complaint here is the （view spoiler）[happily-ever-after-Marcus-gets-out-of-prison ending。。。because that isn't what most kids with incarcerated parents experience。 （hide spoiler）] But I understand why Marks made that choice and it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment。 。。。more

Marla ，

3。5 Stars。 Cute Middle Grade story about a 12 year old girl developing a relationship with her dad who is imprisoned through writing letters to one another。 It was narrated by the great Bahni Turpin so highly recommend the audio version。

Kayla Dean ，

Such an amazing book。 It’s very well done and full of both honesty and hope。 A very easy， quick read that tells a powerful story。 I can see it being perfect for younger people who need to learn about the problems in our justice system at an age-appropriate level。 I highly recommend it for any age， though！

Kelly Shaw ，

3。75 ⭐ I have such a love frustration for this book。 I thought it was cute， but boy did it frustrated me。 I am sure that was this adult mind thinking more from the parent POV than the child。 The adventure was great， I loved the side store from about the friendship， and Zoe's determination。 3。75 ⭐ I have such a love frustration for this book。 I thought it was cute， but boy did it frustrated me。 I am sure that was this adult mind thinking more from the parent POV than the child。 The adventure was great， I loved the side store from about the friendship， and Zoe's determination。 。。。more

paula ，

I'll tell you what I really notice about this book - it's the way that Zoe's parents， especially her mom， who is Black， is a bit overprotective of her Black child。 It doesn't get called out at all， not by Zoe and not by the author， and that just feels exceptionally realistic。 At 12， Zoe still has a babysitter during the day when her folks are at work。 Mom won't let Zoe communicate with her incarcerated father， would NEVER let her visit the prison， and has an absolute tizz when Zoe and her friend I'll tell you what I really notice about this book - it's the way that Zoe's parents， especially her mom， who is Black， is a bit overprotective of her Black child。 It doesn't get called out at all， not by Zoe and not by the author， and that just feels exceptionally realistic。 At 12， Zoe still has a babysitter during the day when her folks are at work。 Mom won't let Zoe communicate with her incarcerated father， would NEVER let her visit the prison， and has an absolute tizz when Zoe and her friend deviate from plan on an unsupervised outing。 NOT being fearful about these situations is a hallmark of privilege， and while Zoe's family is doing just fine financially etc， Mom's protectiveness is a constant reminder that privilege doesn't just refer to financial stability。Also - Mom's absolute rejection of Zoe's father， which leads to some false assumptions on Zoe's part about the kind of people who are locked up， man it is such an accurate reflection of the choices many parents make in order to defend their children from pain and disillusionment。 。。。more

Rachel ，

This book combines two of my main interests: baking and fighting injustice through prison reform and advocacy。 Zoe is a strong， smart， and funny heroine and I loved her relentless pursuit of what she believed in。 I adore any kids book that gives realistic examples of growth and redemption。 The friendships and family dynamics in this book were so sweet。 “Little Tomato” 🥺

Gabrielle ，

What a great book！

Nicole Johnson ，

I couldn't stop reading this！ So good！ I couldn't stop reading this！ So good！ 。。。more

Ella ，

this is one of my favorite books！

Cathy ，

Implausible！ How many

Abhi ，

I had a Book Report yesterday and I wrote about this book in the assignment。 I got 43/50 on the assignment。 I like this book very much even though I'm still reading this book I had a Book Report yesterday and I wrote about this book in the assignment。 I got 43/50 on the assignment。 I like this book very much even though I'm still reading this book 。。。more

Abby ，

Almost seventh-grader Zoe Washington loves to bake and wants nothing more than to audition for the Food Network's latest kids' baking show。 She's even got a summer internship at a real bakery！ Though life isn't all cupcakes and sprinkles: she's not speaking to her best friend， and she received a mysterious letter from her biological father 。。。 who is serving a prison sentence for murder。 Zoe strikes up a correspondence with Marcus and eventually comes to believe that he may be innocent。 But can Almost seventh-grader Zoe Washington loves to bake and wants nothing more than to audition for the Food Network's latest kids' baking show。 She's even got a summer internship at a real bakery！ Though life isn't all cupcakes and sprinkles: she's not speaking to her best friend， and she received a mysterious letter from her biological father 。。。 who is serving a prison sentence for murder。 Zoe strikes up a correspondence with Marcus and eventually comes to believe that he may be innocent。 But can she prove it？This was a surprisingly fast-paced read with one heck of a climactic end！ The Boston-area setting is fun for anyone familiar with the city， especially Cambridge and Somerville。 The open， honest， yet age-appropriate conversations about race， the prison system， and being Black in America make this book a quick， effective， and powerful read。（Also， I want Zoe's "Little Tomato Playlist" 🍅） 。。。more

Amy | Foxy Blogs ，

Wow！ Well-done！ Extraordinary！ Middle Grade genre has been producing some great books。 The other day I read Genesis Begins Again and I just finished From the Desk of Zoe Washington。 Reading these books makes me reminisce about when my kids were younger and we would read books together。 I want my kids to be little again so we could read these two books together。 At one point in this story， it started to remind me of a kid version of the tv series -Truth Be Told。 Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul wer Wow！ Well-done！ Extraordinary！ Middle Grade genre has been producing some great books。 The other day I read Genesis Begins Again and I just finished From the Desk of Zoe Washington。 Reading these books makes me reminisce about when my kids were younger and we would read books together。 I want my kids to be little again so we could read these two books together。 At one point in this story， it started to remind me of a kid version of the tv series -Truth Be Told。 Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul were the main actors in the series about trying to prove a long-term prisoner was wrongly convicted。 If you haven't seen it， look it up。 It was really good。Zoe just turned 12 years and received her first letter from her biological dad from prison。 Zoe doesn't let her parents know she got that letter and started corresponding with her dad in prison。 Her maternal grandma gets involved and helps facilitate the communication between Zoe and her dad。 I loved her grandma so much。 Her kind heart and wise words reminds me of my grandma。 While this book wasn't based on a true story it was inspired by true stories。 If you like podcasts the author got her inspiration from season 1 of the Serial podcast and the tv series Making of a Murder。 From the Desk of Zoe Washington was so well done。 I found Zoe's story to be inspirational。 Give this book a read。 Audio book source: HooplaNarrator: Bahni TurpinLength: 6H 10M 。。。more

Bookworm ，

This book was really interesting！ It was such a page-turner！ I couldn't stop reading！ This book was really interesting！ It was such a page-turner！ I couldn't stop reading！ 。。。more

Malia Maunakea ，

I was so impressed at the author weaving in three separate really interesting plot points within the first three chapters！ Each different plot point had me riveted and wanting to keep turning the pages。 Fantastic tackling of a super important topic in an accessible way for MG readers。

Iris ，

I loved this book， it was so hard to put down！ So much heart and mystery was in it！ I didn't know that innocent people could go to prison， so that was something interesting。 Trevor was such a good part to the book， I like the parts he was in， and the letters between Zoe and Marcus！ This is the first book by Janae Marks that I've read and I absolutely loved this book and would read it again！ I loved this book， it was so hard to put down！ So much heart and mystery was in it！ I didn't know that innocent people could go to prison， so that was something interesting。 Trevor was such a good part to the book， I like the parts he was in， and the letters between Zoe and Marcus！ This is the first book by Janae Marks that I've read and I absolutely loved this book and would read it again！ 。。。more

Gina ，

This was a good one。 It reminds me of A Good Kind of Trouble a little， but it's a more personal perspective for Zoe。 Her father is in jail and has been for most of her life， but when she finds out her father might be innocent， she breaks all the rules to find out if it's true。 Zoe's also a very young chef with a lot of inspiration， determination， talent， and spunk。 She knows how to find her seat at the table。 This was a good one。 It reminds me of A Good Kind of Trouble a little， but it's a more personal perspective for Zoe。 Her father is in jail and has been for most of her life， but when she finds out her father might be innocent， she breaks all the rules to find out if it's true。 Zoe's also a very young chef with a lot of inspiration， determination， talent， and spunk。 She knows how to find her seat at the table。 。。。more

Piper R ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A great book！ I was so glad Marcus finally got out in the end！

Lucinda Swanson ，

Listened to the audio book on a road trip with family。 Loved Her personality， conflict resolution skills and history。

Nora ，

Really good！

Farrah WJ ，

Note: This title is sold as `The Faraway Truth’ in the UK。Synopsis: Zoe， an avid baker， gets a letter from her biological father on her twelfth birthday。 Should she read it or should she not？ If she does read it， should she respond？ He is in prison after all for committing a murder！ But。。。 did he really commit murder？ After all， he says he’s innocent。 Pick up a copy to find out what happens next， I promise you won’t regret it！What you can expect from this book:- A creative and driven pre-teen fe Note: This title is sold as `The Faraway Truth’ in the UK。Synopsis: Zoe， an avid baker， gets a letter from her biological father on her twelfth birthday。 Should she read it or should she not？ If she does read it， should she respond？ He is in prison after all for committing a murder！ But。。。 did he really commit murder？ After all， he says he’s innocent。 Pick up a copy to find out what happens next， I promise you won’t regret it！What you can expect from this book:- A creative and driven pre-teen female narrator - Age-appropriate info about how systemic racism affects black bodies- A hankering for some cakeI actually really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for ages 8 to 12！ 。。。more

Aisha Ziya Aneesh ，

This book is so lovely。 It may bring you tears。 Am so glad that I read this book

Becky ，

A really good first novel。。。really enjoyed！

Sarah ，

While this was an enjoyable read， it felt like the book was trying to be and do too much at once。 I would’ve been happy focusing on one major plot point - the baking contest or the dad-in-prison storyline。。。 fixing on both just felt like a bit much for this kind of book （especially given the audience in mind）。 Still a good story， though。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=From the Desk of Zoe Washington

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=From the Desk of Zoe Washington&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,From the Desk of Zoe Washington&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0