Sally Warner (www.sallywarner.com) has published more than twenty novels for young readers, including the Emma and EllRay Jakes series. She lives in Altadena, California with her husband and their not-so-miniature dachshund, Rocky.

The small kid with big problems returns in the seventh book of this beloved series!

It's almost Christmas and school is going great for EllRay. He's "blending in” just the way he likes. So when his father tells him he should be proud to be part of the African-American "community,” EllRay isn't so sure he wants to call attention to his differences. After all, he's only one of two boys in his class with brown skin. And then, totally by accident, he insults the other boy—one of his best friends—and all at once EllRay's back to being the center of attention. And not exactly for good reasons.

With Sally Warner's trademark sense of humor and spot-on dialogue, EllRay confronts questions about race and how it impacts both himself and everyone around him.

"Kids of all stripes will identify with EllRay and his unwittingly hilarious antics.”—Booklist

A Junior Library Guild selection
A Scholastic Book Club selection
A Texas Bluebonnet Award Winner 2012-13