Readers experience decades of tumultuous history through multiple generations of one family.
A transnational family navigates life in early- to mid-20th-century China.
This atmospheric work translated from the Chinese renders the trials and tribulations befalling the family of Du Meixi, scion of a Shanghainese silk empire, and his French wife, Océane, whom he meets in Marseilles in 1925. Referencing antique glass beads called dragonfly eyes that become prized family heirlooms, the title doubles as a metaphor for the multiplicity of the characters’ lived experiences. The omniscient narration is anchored in Océane’s character, alternating between her perspective and that of Ah Mei, her favorite and youngest grandchild, the only girl, and the one who most resembles her Nainai, or paternal grandmother. By turns sentimental and tragic, the plot juxtaposes quotidian details against factual historical background, including Japan’s 1937 invasion of China, in illustrating the family’s plight. In the 1950s, a famine affects people across China; the Du family experiences scarcity in part through fewer visits to the neighborhood patisserie, a dwindling supply of coffee beans, and having to dismiss most of their beloved, long-serving household staff. During the Cultural Revolution, Océane, highly acculturated and fluent in Shanghainese but nevertheless perceived as foreign, is persecuted as a spy along with her capitalist spouse. Recurring commentary by Chinese characters on Océane’s blue eyes and her grandchildren’s mixed-race appearances—while realistic in the original context—is not given much context and may benefit from discussion with younger readers.
Readers experience decades of tumultuous history through multiple generations of one family. (historical note) (Historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: June 14, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0018-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel.
Sandy and his family, Japanese Canadians, experience hatred and incarceration during World War II.
Sandy Saito loves baseball, and the Vancouver Asahi ballplayers are his heroes. But when they lose in the 1941 semifinals, Sandy’s dad calls it a bad omen. Sure enough, in December 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in the U.S. The Canadian government begins to ban Japanese people from certain areas, moving them to “dormitories” and setting a curfew. Sandy wants to spend time with his father, but as a doctor, his dad is busy, often sneaking out past curfew to work. One night Papa is taken to “where he [is] needed most,” and the family is forced into an internment camp. Life at the camp isn’t easy, and even with some of the Asahi players playing ball there, it just isn’t the same. Trying to understand and find joy again, Sandy struggles with his new reality and relationship with his father. Based on the true experiences of Japanese Canadians and the Vancouver Asahi team, this graphic novel is a glimpse of how their lives were affected by WWII. The end is a bit abrupt, but it’s still an inspiring and sweet look at how baseball helped them through hardship. The illustrations are all in a sepia tone, giving it an antique look and conveying the emotions and struggles. None of the illustrations of their experiences are overly graphic, making it a good introduction to this upsetting topic for middle-grade readers.
An emotional, much-needed historical graphic novel. (afterword, further resources) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0334-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven.
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects.
Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro’s father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe’s intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji’s conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other’s secrets. They resolve to find Benji’s dad—a famous comic-book artist—and partner to finish Ro’s rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White.
Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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