A quietly moving exploration of identity, friendship, and family that encourages facing one’s fears
Twelve-year-old Joey’s discovery of a treehouse in his favorite wooded hideout has an unexpected outcome in this Australian import.
Joey feels practically invisible to his classmates and worries that his lack of athletic prowess disappoints his dad—he is most comfortable playing guitar alone “on the hill.” While his deepest wish is to be in a band, he feels too shy to make it happen. Joey, who presents white, has an encyclopedic knowledge of male historical figures, to whom he often compares himself: “Landing on the moon…on behalf of all mankind [is] deadly important and a million times more glorious and triumphant than being nice or sensitive.” Yet his outlook expands after meeting Marsh (his nickname for her since her treehouse resembles a Martian spaceship) and accepting their shared connection to “the hill.” Territorial resentment gives way to curiosity and empathy as he learns that Marsh built the treehouse to feel closer to her dead mother; that her Serbian parents moved here, to Australia, before her birth; and that her real name, Ruzica, makes her a target at school. Joey’s observations about Marsh and her father (first perceived as an unwashed drinker of beer) at times seem rooted in stereotypes, and his continuing use of a nickname that is based on that of a literal alien to refer to his friend sounds an off note. However, Joey and Marsh’s deepening friendship (and daring entry into the Battle of the Bands) rings true.
A quietly moving exploration of identity, friendship, and family that encourages facing one’s fears . (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-399-55044-7
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
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