An endlessly endearing story of three girls’ pursuit of friendship and the beauty and challenge of what it means to be 10
Grace, Jada, and Malia overcome fear and loneliness with the help of a mysterious treasure box.
Being 10 isn’t easy, especially when you’re painfully shy and your best friend moves away, a new baby sister is on the way, or your mom left your family when you were little. For Grace, Malia, and Jade, respectively, these challenges cloud the summer before the start of fifth grade. But when they each discover a treasure box at the local library, their lives begin to fill with bright, new possibilities for creating art and making friends. As the girls fill the special boxes with treasures of their own, they are drawn closer to one another and to finding their places in the world, at a new school, and within their own families. Alternating chapters reveal each girl’s personal struggles and the pivotal role of art—painting, music, poetry—in her growth and healing. Their stories are told in intimate detail, illuminating all that’s beautiful and tough about being 10. Based on the cover art and details from the narrative, Grace is white, Jada is black, and Malia is brown. Their differences are woven into the fabric of this touching, engrossing story about dealing with change and working through fears. The Salt Lake City, Utah, setting is fresh, the city’s landmarks and landscape adding another layer of richness to the novel.
An endlessly endearing story of three girls’ pursuit of friendship and the beauty and challenge of what it means to be 10 . (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-241431-1
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
Jude is astounded to see his unaggressive best friend Sanjay and their new fourth-grade classmate Terrence trade punches to...
Violence paradoxically begets friendship in Larsen’s simply told chapter-book debut.
Jude is astounded to see his unaggressive best friend Sanjay and their new fourth-grade classmate Terrence trade punches to the face. The next day he runs into sullen Terrence on the street, berates him for his behavior and gets smacked himself! When Jude shares his dismay and confusion, his Indian grandmother Nani counsels understanding rather than anger or escalation. She suggests that Terrence, newly arrived in Toronto from England in the wake of his parents’ divorce, might be feeling so upset and lonely that he sometimes lashes out before thinking. Acting on an oblique hint from his own divorced mother, Jude finds a way to make peace, not just between him and Terrence but with Sanjay too—suggesting that they all team up to make and show the class how to play conkers with fallen chestnuts. Larsen only sketches in back stories and daily side business, but Nani, an enthusiastic wrestling fan, animates the small supporting cast. Moreover, Jude’s emotions are sharply felt, and his solution models a feasible strategy.Pub Date: March 14, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-55277-736-7
Page Count: 112
Publisher: James Lorimer
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2011
Unassuming prose does the trick for this sad and funny tale with a warm ending. (Fiction. 8-10)
A family struggles to get back on track after a bereavement.
“Monday—149 days since Mammy died,” heads chapter one, conveying the shape of Mimi’s world. Mimi walks through her days leaning on routine: “Monday is Granny’s day,” when she visits Granny and Grandad after school; Tuesday it’s one aunt, Wednesday another. Older siblings Sally and Conor meet her there, and they converge back at home for the evening, where Dad nightly burns a pizza that Mimi tosses to the dog. Grieving dysfunctionally, Dad barely registers his kids besides scorching supper for them. Mimi does no homework; tooth-brushing is ignored. Newman’s simple, uncluttered narration skillfully reports action more than emotion, even when the action is crying. Buoying the vibe is ongoing humor—would a goth kid enjoy burnt food because it’s black? Why is the pregnant teacher having “contraptions” in class? Mimi seeks connection to Sally via reading Sally’s hidden diary, which Sally accusingly addresses to a certain younger-sister spy. Missing Mammy (and Dad, although he’s right there), Mimi confronts a school bully and processes her own wish “that I hadn’t gotten slanty eyes.” However, readers are secure that this extended Irish family considers (adopted, Chinese) Mimi to be 100% their own beloved girl.
Unassuming prose does the trick for this sad and funny tale with a warm ending. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5415-3
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
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