My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich

Recommended Ages: 10-12

Written by Ibi Zoboi.

Twelve-year-old Ebony-Grace Norfleet has always lived with her beloved grandfather, Jeremiah, in Huntsville, Alabama. As one of the first Black engineers to integrate NASA, Jeremiah has fueled Ebony-Grace's passion for space and science fiction, especially Star Wars and Star Trek. But in the summer of 1984, when trouble arises with Jeremiah, Ebony-Grace is sent to spend a few weeks with her father in Harlem. 

For a sheltered girl from Huntsville, Harlem feels both exciting and overwhelming, and Ebony-Grace’s first instinct is to escape into her imagination. However, as the summer unfolds, she begins to see that the vibrant life on 126th Street has more in common with her favorite sci-fi adventures than she ever imagined. By the end of the summer, Ebony-Grace discovers that Harlem holds a special place for a girl whose heart is set on the stars.