Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Bullying, injuries, peril)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
After the family bakery is sold, 12yo Meilan Hua, her parents and grandfather move from Boston's Chinatown to rural Ohio - where they rent a small house and Meilan's father gets a job as a pastry chef. Meilan feels the move is her fault, and is not excited to start a new life in this small town, especially when her mother registers her for seventh grade at the local middle school where she is the only student of color. The principal, Mr. Reynard is concerned that the students will be uncomfortable trying to say Meilan's name and convinces her mother to register her as Melanie. She has decided to just stay quiet at school - if no one notices her, she won't get bullied. But she can't avoid the Veteran's Day assignment - interview a Veteran and write about their war story. Her Grandfather Gōnggong is a veteran, but doesn't like to talk about it. It seems all the trouble with the extended family started when Meilan upset her Aunt, she doesn't want to upset Gōnggong too.
I loved the power of storytelling - the stories from Meilan's culture and how they helped her, the stories that Gōnggong can't tell because they make him sad, and the stories she invents to entertain her cousin. Oh that principal was the worst! I hated reading about his racist decisions, it made me so mad! A powerful middle grade debut from the author of the 2022 Caldecott winner "Watercress."
Lisa Librarian
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