FROM THE DESK OF ZOE WASHINGTON
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Dear Marcus... Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write next. 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? The truth is somewhere out there, and Zoe is determined to uncover it. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from her mom and stepdad. 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. It’s been Zoe’s dream to become a star baker, and she can’t afford to mess anything up. Her best friend and neighbor Trevor would’ve been her confidante through all this, but Zoe’s not speaking to him anymore. She’ll have to figure this out alone. 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. This captivating novel by debut author Janae Marks follows one courageous girl as she questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right, even in the face of great opposition. READ or LISTEN to an excerpt!
Click HERE for bonus content and educator resources. Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio Katherine Tegen Books Target Age: 8-12 Hardcover ISBN: 9780062875853 Paperback ISBN: 9780062875860 Also available in the following territories:
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HONORS
- Indie Bestseller
- Named a Best Book of the Year by Parents Magazine, Book Riot, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Chicago Public Library, the Boston Globe and the Bank Street College of Education
- NPR 100 Favorite Books for Young Readers
- #1 Kids' Indie Next List Title
- Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- Project LIT Book Club Selection
- 2020 Cybils Award Winner
- 2021 Edgar Award Nominee
- 2021 Agatha Award Nominee
- 2021 Anthony Award Nominee
- Finalist, NEIBA New England Book Award (2020)
- Finalist, Connecticut Book Award (2021)
- Finalist, GoodReads Choice Awards (2020)
- Amazon Best Book of the Month and Teachers' Pick
- 2021-2022 Lectio Book Award Nominee
State Honors:
- Arizona: 2025 Grand Canyon Reader Award nominee
- Arkansas: 2022-23 Charlie May Simon Book Award nominee
- Connecticut: 2023 Intermediate Nutmeg Book Award nominee
- Delaware: 2022 Blue Hen Book Award nominee
- Florida: 2021-22 Sunshine State Young Readers Award nominee
- Georgia: 2022 Georgia Children's Book Award runner up
- Hawai‘i: Nēnē Award 2023 nominee
- Illinois: 2022 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award nominee
- Indiana: 2021-22 Young Hoosier Book Award nominee
- Iowa: 2021-2022 Children's Choice Award List
- Louisiana: 2022-23 Reader's Choice Award nominee
- Maine: 2021-22 Student Book Award reading list
- Michigan: 2021-22 Great Lakes Great Book Award honor book
- Minnesota: 2021-22 Maud Hart Lovelace award nominee
- Nebraska: 2021-22 Golden Sower Award nominee
- Nevada: 2023 Young Readers Award nominee
- New Hampshire: 2020/2021 Great Stone Face Award nominee
- North Carolina: 2021 Children's Book Award nominee
- Ohio: 2021 Buckeye Children's Book Award nominee
- Oklahoma: 2022 Children’s Sequoyah Masterlist
- Oregon: 2022-23 Battle of the Books title
- Pennsylvania: 2021-22 Young Readers Choice Award nominee
- Rhode Island: 2022 Rhode Island Children’s Book Award nominee
- South Carolina : 2021-22 Junior Book Award nominee
- Texas: 2022 Lone Star Reading List
- Pacific Northwest Library Association 2023 Young Readers Choice Award nominee
- Washington, DC: 2021 Three Stars Book Award nominee
PRAISE
"This powerful debut packs both depth and sweetness, tackling a tough topic in a sensitive, compelling way. An extraordinary, timely, must-read debut about love, family, friendship, and justice." - Kirkus, starred review
"Debut author Marks seamlessly weaves timely discussions about institutionalized racism into this uplifting and engaging story that packs an emotional punch. Zoe is a relatable tween, with friendship and familial frustrations that will resonate with readers." - Publisher's Weekly, starred review
“This exceptionally sweet debut from Marks illustrates profound cracks in the American criminal justice system while telling an affecting story grounded in the middle-grade experience. The troubling ways race affects the characters…will facilitate important conversations about racial profiling and incarceration rates for people of color. Fortunately, Marks’ capable storytelling and engaging characters also combine into a wondrous confection of a book, full of heart and hope and promise.”
- Booklist, starred review
"A smart, necessary, and hopeful middle grade debut that expertly balances a gentle, heartwarming tone with searing insight into systemic racism. Hand to readers who enjoyed Lisa Ramee’s A Good Kind of Trouble or Kekla Magoon’s The Season of Styx Malone." - School Library Journal, starred review
“A delightful confection of a novel! Zoe is a wondrous heroine who inspires a deeper love for food, family, and friends. Advocating for social justice, she creates a new recipe for a better, sweeter world. An enticing and enthralling debut from Janae Marks.” - Jewell Parker Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Boys
“With a dash of mystery, sprinkle of passion, and whole lot of heart, From the Desk of Zoe Washington has found a winning recipe.” - Coe Booth, author of Kinda Like Brothers
“A touching, tender, and absorbing read!” - Jodi Kendall, author of The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City
“Marks doesn’t downplay the immense impact of mass incarceration on communities of color, but neither does she dramatize it, allowing the reader to focus, instead, on Zoe’s discovery of the amazing work of the Innocence Project, and the bittersweet blossoming of her relationship with her birth father. From the Desk of Zoe Washington tackles the complex costs of the pursuit of justice and motivates readers to feel equipped—and energized—to stand up for what’s right, right now. Readers will recognize that, like Zoe Washington, they need not wait until they grow up to make their actions count.” - Tanita S. Davis, author of Mare’s War
“Marks delivers a spirited central character whose determination to get to the truth is admirable. An involving family story, this novel could also serve as an introduction to social justice for elementary schoolers." - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Never heavy-handed, Marks’ prose is as sweet as one of Zoe’s confections. And as the icing on the cake, From the Desk of Zoe Washington imparts important lessons about judging other people, whether by the color of their skin or by their presumed guilt or innocence." - BookPage
"Debut author Marks seamlessly weaves timely discussions about institutionalized racism into this uplifting and engaging story that packs an emotional punch. Zoe is a relatable tween, with friendship and familial frustrations that will resonate with readers." - Publisher's Weekly, starred review
“This exceptionally sweet debut from Marks illustrates profound cracks in the American criminal justice system while telling an affecting story grounded in the middle-grade experience. The troubling ways race affects the characters…will facilitate important conversations about racial profiling and incarceration rates for people of color. Fortunately, Marks’ capable storytelling and engaging characters also combine into a wondrous confection of a book, full of heart and hope and promise.”
- Booklist, starred review
"A smart, necessary, and hopeful middle grade debut that expertly balances a gentle, heartwarming tone with searing insight into systemic racism. Hand to readers who enjoyed Lisa Ramee’s A Good Kind of Trouble or Kekla Magoon’s The Season of Styx Malone." - School Library Journal, starred review
“A delightful confection of a novel! Zoe is a wondrous heroine who inspires a deeper love for food, family, and friends. Advocating for social justice, she creates a new recipe for a better, sweeter world. An enticing and enthralling debut from Janae Marks.” - Jewell Parker Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Boys
“With a dash of mystery, sprinkle of passion, and whole lot of heart, From the Desk of Zoe Washington has found a winning recipe.” - Coe Booth, author of Kinda Like Brothers
“A touching, tender, and absorbing read!” - Jodi Kendall, author of The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City
“Marks doesn’t downplay the immense impact of mass incarceration on communities of color, but neither does she dramatize it, allowing the reader to focus, instead, on Zoe’s discovery of the amazing work of the Innocence Project, and the bittersweet blossoming of her relationship with her birth father. From the Desk of Zoe Washington tackles the complex costs of the pursuit of justice and motivates readers to feel equipped—and energized—to stand up for what’s right, right now. Readers will recognize that, like Zoe Washington, they need not wait until they grow up to make their actions count.” - Tanita S. Davis, author of Mare’s War
“Marks delivers a spirited central character whose determination to get to the truth is admirable. An involving family story, this novel could also serve as an introduction to social justice for elementary schoolers." - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Never heavy-handed, Marks’ prose is as sweet as one of Zoe’s confections. And as the icing on the cake, From the Desk of Zoe Washington imparts important lessons about judging other people, whether by the color of their skin or by their presumed guilt or innocence." - BookPage
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