Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (police dog bite, pig killed by hand)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
13yo Sofia lives in New Zealand in the 1970’s. A part Samoan thorough her father and pakeha (white) through her mother, she and others like her (Polynesians) are the subject to police action ordered by the state to rid New Zealand to rid of NZ of “overstayers” – people allowed in on visas who didn’t leave. But Sofia is most concerned about finding a job to earn money to buy the go-go boots she wants – just like Marie Osmond’s.
Smith has filled her book with lots of 70’s pop culture, focusing the story on Sofia’s life as a typical teen and allowing the surprise dawn raid during a family get together to flow naturally. My problem is that the book is formatted like a diary, so Sofia does lots of telling about events, instead of letting us see for ourselves. Regardless, librarians with any Polynesian students will be happy to have a book to show these students a mirror on their lives.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
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