Growing Up True

By Ryan Jillian Kilpatrick

Patty True doesn't want to leave. Tonight is her family's last dinner at the True farm before they move to a new town. When Grandma sends her to gather blackberries for a special cobbler, Patty discovers a world of adventure waiting for her on Sourland Mountain. Inspired by the real lives of Black farming families in Central New Jersey, Growing Up True is a story of home, resilience, and the love we carry with us wherever we go.

Commissioned by the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, Growing Up True is the lushly illustrated story of childhood wonder brought to life by the team of Ryan Jillian Kilpatrick and Sudesna Samanta.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F91YRGZ3
• ISBN13: 9798998698118
• Release Date: June 2025
• Publisher: Tree of Life Books
• Length: 62 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 8.5" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7