The Parker Inheritance

• Genre: Fiction; young adult mystery
• Originally Published: 2018
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 610L; grades 3-7
• Structure/Length: 52 chapters; approx. 352 pages; approx. 10 hours on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: When Candice finds an old letter addressed to her disgraced grandmother, she uncovers a mystery, a decades-old injustice, and a fortune just waiting to be claimed. With the help of Brandon—the shy boy from across the street—she deciphers the clues and sets out on an adventure deep within community and family history. But can Candice and Brandon fulfill the letter’s promise before the answers slip away?
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Bullying; racism; racial violence; threats of lynching and sexual assault; racial slurs  

Varian Johnson, Author

• Bio: Born in Florence, South Carolina, in 1977; American writer of middle-grade literature; describes himself as the typical high school geek; played baritone in the marching hand; earned a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts; father of two daughters; member of The Brown Bookshelf, an organization for young authors and readers that raises awareness of Black voices.
• Other Works: A Red Polka Dot in a World Full of Plaid (2005); My Life as a Rhombus (2008); Saving Maddie (2010); The Great Greene Heist (2014); Twins (2020)
• Awards: Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Honor (2018); Coretta Scott King Author Honor (2019)