From the Desk of Zoe Washington: a broken justice system

From the Desk of Zoe Washington is Janae Marks'  debut middle-grade chapter book that is all about following your passion, family, friendship and forgiveness.  But it also shines a light on the imperfect justice system that has put too many innocent people behind bars.  

12 year- old Zoe's summer is to a shaky start: her BFFs are out of town, she's mad at her next-door-neighbor, Trevor, for not sticking up for her, and on her birthday she receives a letter from her biological father, Marcus, who is serving a prison sentence for murder.  Zoe has never heard from him before this letter and her mother wants to keep it that way. Zoe starts communicating with Marcus and is shocked to learn that he had an alibi for the day that the crime took place, but his lawyer could not track down the alibi to use her testimony in court.  Now Zoe is taking it upon herself to help prove Marcus's innocence.

Along the way she's working on her goal of becoming a professional baker, so the story is full of delicious descriptions of scrumptious goodies.  Music also plays a big role in Zoe and Marcus's relationship as they share their playlists with one another.  As Zoe learns to stand up for herself and communicate her feelings to Trevor and her mother, she finds that it's better to clear the air than operate under falsehoods.  But when her mother makes it clear that she doesn't want Zoe to have any contact with Marcus, what does Zoe choose to do?

This story has so many opportunities for meaningful discussions with readers.  The characters have flaws, make mistakes, and justify their choices with the circumstances they are in, so there is a lot to which readers can relate.  Readers can explore young bakers' stories and recipes.  Marks also includes information about The Innocence Project in the story and it plays a significant role in the resolution of the plot.  Readers can learn more about the group and how their lawyers are working towards using DNA testing to end injustice.