A quaint historical about one of the effects of War World II for those who don’t want an intense war story.
In 1942 Vancouver, British Columbia, a friendship starts to fall apart just as hatred and suspicion are increasing against Japanese-Canadians.
Esther is Jewish, and Michiko is Japanese, but being born on the same day in the same place fated them to be best friends. The two almost-9-year-olds love to pretend to be royalty from England. Spotting Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret dolls in a toy-store window, they dream of getting them for their birthday. But when Esther is gifted one doll, she gets swept away, forgetting about Michi, who does not receive a doll. An attempt to reconcile goes wrong, and the two stop speaking. While the girls have their quarrel, Canada and the U.S. have declared war on Japan. Hostility rises against Japanese-Canadians, and soon the Japanese men are sent away. As tensions rise in their town and their friendship, Esther must find a way to restore her relationship with Michiko. Schwartz uses a third-person point of view to follow Esther, and her realizations demonstrate a childlike, innocent understanding of increasing racism and the horrors of war. Ando’s vivid black-and-white illustrations add power and appeal. It’s a lovely, old-fashioned–feeling story, focused squarely on the girls’ friendship, that acknowledges danger and injustice—but at a distance.
A quaint historical about one of the effects of War World II for those who don’t want an intense war story. (Historical fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-926890-08-1
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Tradewind Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers.
First volume of a planned three, this edited version of an ongoing online serial records a middle-school everykid’s triumphs and (more often) tribulations through the course of a school year.
Largely through his own fault, mishaps seem to plague Greg at every turn, from the minor freak-outs of finding himself permanently seated in class between two pierced stoners and then being saddled with his mom for a substitute teacher, to being forced to wrestle in gym with a weird classmate who has invited him to view his “secret freckle.” Presented in a mix of legible “hand-lettered” text and lots of simple cartoon illustrations with the punch lines often in dialogue balloons, Greg’s escapades, unwavering self-interest and sardonic commentary are a hoot and a half.
Certain to elicit both gales of giggles and winces of sympathy (not to mention recognition) from young readers. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: April 1, 2007
ISBN: 0-8109-9313-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2007
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
Move over Ramona Quimby, Portland has another neighbor you have to meet!
Ryan Hart is navigating the fourth grade and all its challenges with determination.
Her mom named her Ryan because it means “king,” and she wanted Ryan to feel powerful every time she heard her name; Ryan knows it means she is a leader. So when changes occur or disaster strikes, budding chef Ryan does her best to find the positive and “make sunshine.” When her dad is laid off from the post office, the family must make adjustments that include moving into a smaller house, selling their car, and changing how they shop for groceries. But Ryan gets to stay at Vernon Elementary, and her mom still finds a way to get her the ingredients she needs to practice new recipes. Her older brother, Ray, can be bossy, but he finds little ways to support her, especially when she is down—as does the whole family. Each episodic chapter confronts Ryan with a situation; intermittently funny, frustrating, and touching, they should be familiar and accessible to readers, as when Ryan fumbles her Easter speech despite careful practice. Ryan, her family, and friends are Black, and Watson continues to bring visibility to both Portland, Oregon, generally and its Black community specifically, making another wonderful contribution that allows Black readers to see themselves and all readers to find a character they can love.
Move over Ramona Quimby, Portland has another neighbor you have to meet! (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0056-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
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