Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee

 

Yesterday evening, I finished reading Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee. This realistic fiction novel is about a seventh-grade girl, Mila, who is sexually harassed by a group of boys at school. On her friend Omi's birthday, Mila feels uncomfortable when four of the basketball players in her grade join in during a group hug. Then, the day after, she gives one of the boys a hug when he lies about it being his birthday. Over the days and weeks, the boys continue to become more bold in their actions and make comments about Mila's body. She doesn't know who she can turn to or what she can do to make the harassment stop. Although Omi and another one of her close friends, Max, try to give her advice, her third friend Zara thinks she's just being immature. When Mila begins to go to karate classes, she befriends a girl from band, Samira, and learns how to stand up for herself.

This story is such an important one, especially during the #MeToo movement. I thought Mila was relatable in her struggle to stop being the target of harassment because although I myself was never sexually harassed, I was teased when I was younger and it didn't make me feel very good about myself. I was actually grossed out and furious when I learned that the boys had a scorecard. Although I understand how hard it can be to find a trusted adult who will listen to you, it was a little frustrating as time went on that Mila didn't listen to her friends when they gave her advice about telling her mom or one of the adults at school. I do get it, though. She didn't want to place any more burden on her mom who was struggling at work and eventually decided to quit. It was also hard for Mila to know if Mr. Dolan or Ms. Fender would believe her when it seemed like no one else was around to witness the boys' harassment of her. I definitely enjoyed seeing Mila grow as she started taking karate classes, and it really seemed to be a safe place for her. By the end of the book, I was very proud of Mila for deciding to trust Ms. Fender with her story and sharing how the boys made her feel. I would recommend this timely book to everyone—middle school girls and boys, teachers, parents, and guardians.

I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day

 

Over the weekend, I read I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day. This realistic fiction novel is about Edie Green, a 12-year-old girl in Seattle, Washington who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. The summer before she starts seventh grade, she and her friends, Serenity and Amelia, are working on an animated short film for a local youth film festival. When looking for a Popsicle mold in Edie's attic, the group of friends discover a box with photographs of a young woman, Edith Graham, who looks just like Edie. Although Edie has always known her mother was adopted by a white couple, Edie uncovers family secrets in the letters she reads, leading her to have new questions for her parents. With her mom skirting around the question of where Edie's name came from and her friendship with Amelia on the verge of blowing up, Edie is reluctant to ask her parents about Edith and her Native American family. Eventually, Edie decides to trust her parents to tell her the truth about her family's past.

I really enjoyed this novel of a middle school girl discovering her Native American identity. Although the secret of what happened to Edith and Edie's mother is devastating, the story had an uplifting ending that I thought was beautiful. I especially liked Edie's relationship with her Uncle Phil and her friendship with Serenity because they both gave her encouragement to ask her parents about the secrets they've been keeping. The novel was also educational about the civil rights issues that Native Americans have faced over the years, even relatively recently. I felt bad for Edie when her new braces hurt badly and she started to realize that her friendship with Amelia may be over. It was especially rough for Edie because Serenity was on a camping trip with her dad where she had no cell service. Edie didn't really have anyone to turn to during that time. I'm really glad that Edie found the courage to ask her parents about Edith and the box from the attic, though. Additionally, I have to mention how gorgeous the cover is. It makes me want to visit the Seattle area with its mountains and seafront. I Can Make This Promise is extraordinary and anyone who loves stories about family and friendship should read it.

King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

 

Yesterday, I finished reading King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender. This realistic fiction novel is about a boy, King James, who is coping with the sudden death of his older brother, Khalid. Not wanting to believe Khalid is really gone, King goes to the bayou every day because he believes his brother has turned into a dragonfly. Khalid also visits King in fantastical dreams. Before Khalid died, he overheard a conversation between King and King's best friend Sandy and told King he shouldn't be friends with with Sandy anymore because he is gay. When Sandy disappears, King discovers him in a tent in his own backyard and decides to help hide him from his abusive father. As the days pass, King worries about how he is lying to family and friends and must confront truths about himself and his grief about Khalid's passing.

I found this novel to be beautiful in its main setting of a bayou in hot and humid Louisiana. I wanted so much to observe the dragonflies in the bayou with King. Although the story is about a boy's grief, I thought it was suspenseful and enjoyed the friendship between King and Sandy and how King could be honest about himself and his belief that his brother turned into a dragonfly without fear of judgement from Sandy. Many of people in the community seems to be prejudiced in some shape or form. Sandy's father is both racist and homophobic. King's father makes homophobic statements. At one point, the story confronts the hypocrisy of people who say Sandy's family is racist because they won't also call out homophobia. That really left a strong impression on me. I also noticed how King's family had trouble connecting after Khalid's death. For much of the book, Khalid can't tell his dad that his loves him because he's not sure his father will accept that he's gay and his mom won't listen to him about Sandy. King and the Dragonflies is a remarkable choice for anyone who is dealing with grief or questioning their identify.

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

 

Over the weekend, I read Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol. This graphic novel is a fictionalized story about the author's experiences at a Russian summer camp in Connecticut. Because her family isn't wealthy, Vera finds it challenging to fit in with the other girls at school in upstate New York. More than anything, she wants to go to summer camp, just like they do. When Vera hears about the Organization of Russian Razvedchiki in America's (ORRA) camp from a girl at church, she decides to convince her mom to let her and her younger brother, Phil, go there the next summer. After talking with the girl's mother and gaining funding from their church, Vera's mother signs up Vera and Phil up for the camp. Vera is very excited to go, but quickly learns that camp will have its own challenges, including insects, Russian history lessons, older girls who seem much cooler than she is, and extremely gross outhouses.

After reading The Line Tender and Orange for the Sunsets, I was certainly ready for a more lighthearted book. Although Vera feels deep loneliness at times, she definitely has a sense of humor about her experiences at camp. This graphic novel was a joy to read and it was interesting to see Vera learn that summer camp isn't all it's made out to be. At first, she struggles to make friends and ends up trying to bribe the older girls into friendship with drawings and candy, which doesn't end well, but in a stroke of luck later on she finds a younger girl Kira's pet guinea pig and they form a genuine friendship. I also don't think Vera realized how much she would miss the luxuries, like running water, she has at home. For me, one of the most exciting parts of the story was Napadenya, or Capture-the-Flag, which was held once a week at night at the camp. I kept wondering if the girls would ever beat the boys and was very satisfied by the last game. I don't want to spoil anything! Be Prepared is perfect for anyone who has wondered what summer camp is really like or wants to compare their experience at summer camp to another's. Not to mention, it is great for a laugh.

Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide

 

Last week, I read Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide. This historical fiction novel is about an African boy, Yesofu, and an Indian girl, Asha, whose friendship is tested when the president announces that Indians will have to leave the country within ninety days in 1972 Uganda. Although Yesofu and Asha have never cared about their differences before, they start to feel pressure from their friends, family, and community to end their friendship after President Idi Amin's announcement. Over the course of the ninety days, they try to hold on and stay friends, but tensions continue to grow between Africans and Indians in their town of Entebbe as the deadline approaches. With increasing dangers, Yesofu and Asha must decide if they should let each other go.

This story was both breathtaking and heartbreaking. The end was poignant and made me cry a little, but I enjoyed how the suspense of the novel increased as the ninety days passed. I thought Yesofu and Asha were so brave in trying to maintain their friendship even though they came from two different worlds. One of Yesofu's friends, Akello, was a huge bully and I appreciated how Yesofu stood up to him about Asha. I was also so nervous when Asha began to realize that her father was helping other Indians leave the country because I didn't want anything bad to happen to their family. This novel is based on true events that happened in Uganda and I definitely saw similarities to other historical events that caused large groups of people to immigrate. Racism and nativism were two of the main themes throughout the story. President Amin believed that Indians were taking all the good jobs and opportunities from Africans in the country, so he gave them an ultimatum if they weren't Ugandan citizens. I would recommend Orange for the Sunsets to anyone who wants to read a story about the strength of friendship and family and learn more about the history of Uganda.