MG – I Am Kavi

Ponweera, Thushanthi. I Am Kavi. Holiday House/Peachtree, 2023. 978-0-823-45365-8. $18.99. 224 p. Grades 5-8.

Fifth-grader Kavi has won the coveted scholarship, which enables her to attend any school in Sri Lanka that she wishes. After her soldier-father’s (Thaththa’s) death, her mother (Amma) has remarried and Kavi refuses to accept Siripala, her new stepfather. With the scholarship opportunity, Kavi wishes to whisk her mother away to a far off place, away from the relentless war. However, Amma is pregnant and says her place is at home, convincing Kavi that she is no longer loved or needed. Kavi’s aunt, Mala Nanda, works as a housekeeper to a wealthy family in Columbo, so she begrudgingly travels there to live with her mother’s older sister with the family, including their thirteen-year-old daughter, Sasha. At school, Kavi’s focus on studies drops to the wayside once she sees the dress and possessions of the popular girls. Her envy takes over and she has a willing tutor in the indulged but lonely Sasha. Kavi wins over the girls, Nethmi and Sulo, with her (borrowed) stories of a rich family and displays of modern 1990’s fashion. The charade seems to be successful until examination time when all pretense gets ripped away. This novel in verse tells a traditional coming of age story with a more international setting of Sri Lanka during the war torn years of 1997 and 1998. Handling mean girls, being the new kid, fitting into a new family configuration, and longing for popularity are universal. Doing this while witnessing soldiers walking through the streets, worshiping Buddha, and making sense of the differences between Sunhil and Tamil is new. This novel in verse gives a new spin to a familiar story.

THOUGHTS: Being true to oneself is hard if one’s life has little material objects to compare with the wealthy. Kavi takes a while to learn her lesson, but she shows real loyalty when she does. Nothing major to impress here, except a revelation of different customs, different life style, different times.

Historical Fiction  

MG – The Sea in Winter

Day, Christine. The Sea in Winter. Heartdrum, 2021. 978-0-062-87204-3. $16.99. Grades 3-7.

Seventh grader Maisie isn’t having a great day just before her school’s midwinter break. She’s tardy to homeroom, and she earned a 70 on her most recent math test. A break from school and a family trip back home will be good “heart medicine.” Maisie could use a distraction from eating lunch alone and getting text updates from her ballet friends who she no sees. Maisie isn’t sure how to respond, so she usually doesn’t. Things start to look up when her physical therapist suggests that Maisie’s recovery from a torn ACL and surgery might be moving faster than initially anticipated. This news gives Maisie hope; she’s missed ballet and her friends so much, and she might even be able to make a few spring auditions if she keeps progressing. With this news (and a green light for hiking) Maisie’s family heads to the Olympic Peninsula to explore some areas that are important to their Native family. Maisie’s stormy emotions seem to get the best of her at times, and she’s not sure why she says some of the things she does. When Maisie’s frustration reaches a peak, she’ll have to decide who she wants to be, even if that doesn’t include ballet.

THOUGHTS: Upper elementary and middle school students will adore Maisie and recognize the roller coaster of emotions she experiences. Maisie’s little brother provides comic relief to some of her emotional “funks,” and her parents are extremely supportive. #OwnVoices author Day addresses negative self talk and depression in an age appropriate way that will resonate with students. Highly recommended.

Realistic Fiction          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD

Maise Cannon is many things: a middle schooler, a sister, a daughter, a Native American descended from the Makah and Piscataway tribes, and a ballet dancer. Her favorite of all her identities is of a ballet dancer, but her knee injury that she is recovering from may prevent her from ever dancing again. Her physical therapy is going well, and she hopes that she will be able to audition for a summer program like her friends. When her family goes on a hiking trip, Maisie re-injures her knee dashing any hopes of dancing any time soon. Maisie’s anxiety and depression take hold of her, and she shuts out everyone and everything in her life. Her family encourages Maisie to go to therapy. After a few months, Maisie finds a life for herself without dancing, and finds that she can be happy with what she CAN do.

THOUGHTS: This is a story where the characters just happen to be Native Americans. This would be a great addition for readers who are struggling with an injury.

Realistic Fiction         Krista Fitzpatrick, PSLA Member

MG – The Dream Weaver

Alegre, Reina Luz. The Dream Weaver. Simon & Schuster Publishers, 2020. $17.99. 978-1-534-46231-1. Grades 5-8.

After drifting around the country following her father’s next big idea her whole life, twelve-year-old Zoey Finolio and her college-bound brother, Jose, land at the Jersey shore living with their maternal Cuban grandfather—one of the most stable homes since their mother’s death. Though Zoey loves her father, she revels in a summer at the beach, doing things most kids her age do and embraces the dream of saving Gonzo’s, her grandfather’s rundown bowling alley, from a developer. When she gets a chance to fill in as a bowler on a local team headed for a championship, Zoey sees it as an opportunity to not only savor friendship but also rejuvenate the boardwalk business. The familial relationships and friendships are nurturing and supportive throughout the book, but this book doesn’t resort to past solutions. Even after the valiant efforts of Zoey and her new friends, Pappy decides to unload the bowling alley and just manage it; Jose still wants to pursue his dream of being an engineer at college; and Zoey’s father continues to try his luck at a different job despite sacrificing his children’s stability. Zoey shows strength of character in expressing her feelings to her father and finds solace in her supportive brother, her new friends, and her new home with her beloved Pappy.

THOUGHTS: The close familial relationships and kind friend relationships are a delight to read. Zoey’s father’s behavior is abysmal and may be a form of bibliotherapy for some readers. In Chapter One, Zoey gets her period for the first time and the narrative explains her distress and how she deals with it, so using the book as a read aloud—at least the first chapter—may be uncomfortable.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia