Although books about American-born Muslim children are relatively uncommon, this predictable tale fails to fill the void.
In this message-driven tale, a brother and sister join forces to try to save their grandmother’s beloved peach tree from an angry neighbor.
Ten-year-old Hude and his 9-year-old sister, Amani, are spending part of their summer vacation with their grandmother in her small Maryland town. After being harassed on the train by three aggressive boys, they aren’t thrilled to find that the same bullying children live in their grandmother’s neighborhood and that two of them will be competing against Hude in an archery tournament. When a new—and inexplicably angry—neighbor discovers that Grandma Hana’s peach tree is actually planted in his yard, he decides to have it cut down to accommodate a new fence. While Hana counsels acceptance, the children nonetheless develop a plan to protect the tree, leading to a mildly exciting climax. Dialogue that rarely rings true, cardboard characters and often awkward prose—“Mr. Fenby was like his truck—dependable, straightforward, loyal and sentimental”—all serve to diminish the appeal of this effort. Additionally, Mair (The Perfect Gift, 2010) uses Grandma to preach extensively on Islam rather than trust her exemplary character to reveal the important qualities of her faith.
Although books about American-born Muslim children are relatively uncommon, this predictable tale fails to fill the void. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-84774-057-1
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Kube Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2013
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
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
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