Though somewhat didactic, this is an entertaining story stuffed with important lessons.
Middle schoolers Sam and TJ discover queer history on Staten Island.
Sam, who has pale skin and dirty-blond hair, and their best friend TJ, who has dark hair and tan skin, have to research a historical Staten Island figure for their boring, supertraditional history teacher. If they get the highest grade in the class, their report will be entered in a boroughwide contest to design a new statue for Staten Island Borough Hall. With help from some adult queer mentors, Sam discovers Alice Austen, a famous local photographer, lesbian, and, most exciting of all, former resident of Sam’s exact apartment. Even when another project gets the highest grade, Sam, TJ, and their queer family are not ready to give up on Alice Austen. The main character and their best friend are both nonbinary, and though it is mentioned that some people don’t understand this, they are supported by the important people in their lives. In fact, when talking to their older lesbian neighbor, they are shocked to learn how difficult life was for queer people in the past. Featuring relatable characters and an accessible plot, this book makes it clear that queer people have always existed and that they can be anywhere and any age. It also highlights the importance of queer history and intergenerational communication, though at times the writing can be clunky and overly earnest instead of letting the characters’ experiences speak for themselves.
Though somewhat didactic, this is an entertaining story stuffed with important lessons. (author’s note, photographs by Alice Austen) (Realistic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-73389-1
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Quirky and imaginative—postmodern storytelling at its best.
Friendly curiosity and a gift for naming earn a polar bear an assortment of (mostly animal) friends, adventures, mishaps, and discoveries.
Arriving at a northern ocean, Duane spies a shipwreck. Swimming out to investigate, he meets its lone occupant, C.C., a learned snowy owl whose noble goal is acquiring knowledge to apply “toward the benefit of all.” Informing Duane that he’s a polar bear, she points out a nearby cave that might suit him—it even has a mattress. Adding furnishings from the wreck—the grandfather clock’s handless, but who needs to tell time when it’s always now?—he meets a self-involved musk ox, entranced by his own reflection, who’s delighted when Duane names him “Handsome.” As he comes to understand, then appreciate their considerable diversity, Duane brings out the best in his new friends. C.C., who has difficulty reading emotions and dislikes being touched, evokes the autism spectrum. Magic, a bouncy, impulsive arctic fox, manifests ADHD. Major Puff, whose proud puffin ancestry involves courageous retreats from danger, finds a perfect companion in Twitch, a risk-aware, common-sensical hare. As illustrated, Sun Girl, a human child, appears vaguely Native, and Squint, a painter, white, but they’re sui generis: The Canadian author avoids referencing human culture. The art conveys warmth in an icy setting; animal characters suggest beloved stuffed toys, gently reinforcing the message that friendship founded on tolerance breeds comfort and safety.
Quirky and imaginative—postmodern storytelling at its best. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3341-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and...
Catrina narrates the story of her mixed-race (Latino/white) family’s move from Southern California to Bahía de la Luna on the Northern California coast.
Dad has a new job, but it’s little sister Maya’s lungs that motivate the move: she has had cystic fibrosis since birth—a degenerative breathing condition. Despite her health, Maya loves adventure, even if her lungs suffer for it and even when Cat must follow to keep her safe. When Carlos, a tall, brown, and handsome teen Ghost Tour guide introduces the sisters to the Bahía ghosts—most of whom were Spanish-speaking Mexicans when alive—they fascinate Maya and she them, but the terrified Cat wants only to get herself and Maya back to safety. When the ghost adventure leads to Maya’s hospitalization, Cat blames both herself and Carlos, which makes seeing him at school difficult. As Cat awakens to the meaning of Halloween and Day of the Dead in this strange new home, she comes to understand the importance of the ghosts both to herself and to Maya. Telgemeier neatly balances enough issues that a lesser artist would split them into separate stories and delivers as much delight textually as visually. The backmatter includes snippets from Telgemeier’s sketchbook and a photo of her in Día makeup.
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-54061-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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