A SUMMER OF DRAGONFLIES

Twelve-year-old Gupta “Guppie” Persaud is the outlier in her family of outgoing Guyanese Canadians living in Calgary, Alberta.

She’s bookish and friendless and barely speaks in public. Her sole companions are the imaginary dragonflies that silently guide and encourage her. Faced with the prospect of a yearlong move to New York with her parents and brothers, Guppie finds her anxiety manifesting as a frightening dragon only she can see. Inspired by a teacher’s advice, Guppie draws up a checklist of heroic qualities in characters from books and sets herself the task of acquiring them. But over the course of their road trip, Guppie discovers that becoming a hero and standing up to that dragon might be harder than she thought. Can she really become “Gupta the Brave” if she’s hiding from her “so cheap, it’s embarrassing” parents the fact that she got her brothers involved in a social media contest to win coveted cell phones? The brisk pace falters in the middle, and an abrupt transformation at the end feels unconvincing, but Deen’s engaging tale explores finding courage and embracing challenges, as well as noting the difference between hearing and listening. Guppy, with her wry voice and sarcastic commentary, is a likable narrator; readers will become invested in her troubles. The Persauds’ strong bond shines through in their amusing banter and the siblings’ reactions to their mother’s tall tales and overprotective nature.

An entertaining take on the hero’s journey, with well-developed characters on a road trip to remember.