Indigo & Ida by Heather Murphy Capps (2023)
This new middle grade book is a social studies teacher’s dream..so yes, I loved it. Indigo is a biracial 8th grader who aspires to become a journalist. The book begins with well-behaved Indigo committing her first act of vandalism at school. She wants to get into detention to investigate the school’s no-bathroom-during-detention policy. When she gets there, she finds a disproportionate number of black and brown students in detention. She also comes across a very special book with handwritten notes from Ida B. Wells. This is the beginning of her journey to make change in her Minnesota middle school. This book drew me in with the primary resources, social justice, and Indigo Girls quotes! Yet, this book isn’t just made for a 40-something educator, it is truly great for junior high kids. “Indigo and Ida” addresses the inner fight kids have between trying to do what is right while also trying to be popular and fit in with your friend groups. I highly recommend this book to any kid in 6th, 7th or 8th grade!
Heart: Your junior high child/student doesn’t have to be involved in activism to connect to this story. At the core of this story is the struggle junior high kids face to fit in and stick with friends while still being true to themselves and their passions. I think we can all relate to this inner conflict!
Head: With my love for non-fiction and biographies, I wish Heather Murphy Capps had a bit more information about Ida B. Wells in this book. This creates an opportunity for further independent or classroom research. If you are looking to supplement this story with a picture book, or if you have younger kids and would like to learn more about Ida B. Wells, I highly recommend the picture book, “Ida B. Wells, Voice of Truth” (2022) by Michelle Duster. Michelle is Ida B. Wells’ great-granddaughter. Additionally, my favorite free teaching resource, iCivics, has a great lesson plan for civic action and change. Indigo definitely embodies this “Inform, Act, Maintain” model in this story.