Set in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1905, Finding Family is the story of twelve-year-old orphan Delana Hannibal, who lives with her well-off grandfather and his widowed sister, Aunt Tilley. Tilley props photos of family members around the room and tells Delana stories about them.

The problem is, the stories aren't always true, as Delana learns after Tilley's death, when an exiled cousin appears in Delana's room and begins to tell Delana about the parents she's never known.

I'm interested in genealogy, family history, and old photographs and postcards, and this book incorporates all of them into historical fiction (which I also love). Bolden built the story around 30 images from her collection of antique photographs and postcards, dating from the 1870s to the early 1900s. Bolden imagined stories for each person in the photographs, making each a member of Delana's family tree (which is charted in the back of the book). Bolden also worked a real 1881 lithograph and a real 1891 local event into the story, as well as various figures from African-American history. It was also interesting to read about the lives of upper/middle class African-Americans in West Virginia at the time.

The book is recommended for ages 8-12, grades 3-6. Accelerated Reader puts the reading level at grade 4.3, so this seems appropriate. There's an excellent teacher's guide at the publisher's website, that incorporates English language arts, social studies, the arts, photography, and genealogy.

© Amanda Pape - 2011 ( )

Finding Family was a quick and easy read. Delano's is living a sheltered life with her great aunt and grandfather. She has been told very little about her mother who is deceased and even less about her father. What little her aunt has told her of her father hasn't been complimentary. When her Great Aunt Tilley passes away Delano begins to ask more questions about her parents and her family. I enjoyed this story and the wonderful photos that were used throughout the book. My only complaint is that there was a bit more character development. I also wanted to know more background information on Aunt Tilley and what made her so overprotective of her niece. 3 stars. ( )

Raised in Charleston, West Virginia, at the turn of the twentieth century by her grandfather and aunt on off-putting tales of family members she has never met, twelve-year-old Delana is shocked when, after Aunt Tilley dies, she learns the truth about her parents and some of her other relatives.

Awards/Reviews:
Booklist starred 09/01/10
Kirkus Reviews starred 08/01/10

This book would be good with analyzing theme in a literature class.

Tonya Bolden's first foray into novel writing and an impressive one. A beautifully written coming-of-age story set in early 20th century West Virginia. ( )

Reviewed by Monica Sheffo for TeensReadToo.com

Delana has never known her parents. Raised by her Grandpa and Aunt Tilley, she has very few clues to her past. And when Aunt Tilley suddenly dies, she fears that the last bit of her mother died, too.

An unexpected visit from a relative leads Delana to discover that everything she had been told about her parents was a lie. Can she piece together her mysterious past to discover who she truly is? Find out in FINDING FAMILY.

Tonya Bolden creates a story rich in Southern history in her latest novel. Using the perfect blend of unique characters and photographs from the time period, she leaves the reader feeling completely satisfied from beginning to end. ( )