Outsider Kids by Betty C. Tang

 

Last week on Sunday, I read Outsider Kids by Betty C. Tang. The sequel to Parachute Kids, this historical fiction graphic novel is about the Lin siblings after they have spent seven months as undocumented immigrants and adjusted to their new lives in California. While Jia-Xi (Jesse) has a new job and Ke-Gāng (Jason) has a new crush, Feng-Li (Ann) is looking forward to her birthday and enjoys hanging out with her new friends and playing flute in band. Although they're still waiting for their parents to receive visa approval in Taiwan, they try to help each other out and avoid the attention of immigration authorities. When their stuck-up cousin Josephine, who is a violin prodigy, moves in with them, she gives them all a rough time, but Feng-Li is especially disappointed because she and Josephine used to be friends. As things become tumultuous once again, they wonder if they'll have to give up the lives they have built.

This sequel was fantastic. I enjoyed spending more time with the Lin siblings and seeing Feng-Li go trick-or-treating with her new friends at the beginning. It was also a lot of fun when the three siblings celebrated different American holidays for the first time. Because they're undocumented immigrants, I suspected that their stability wouldn't last, but I could have never predicted how chaotic their lives became after Josephine was left with them when her mom went back to Taiwan because of Wai Gong being deathly sick. Even though she is given some depth late in the book, Josephine was a complete brat and there are no excuses for how she treated Feng-Li. I definitely wanted her to be gone. It's just unfortunate how much damage she did in the time she lived with the Lin siblings. On the other hand, I really liked that Ke-Gāng had a positive romantic experience in this book. I just felt very bad for him by the end. I also had mad respect for Jia-Xi retaking the S.A.T. to raise her score so that she could improve her chances of going to Harvard. The ending is bittersweet, but there is going to be a third book, so I'm not too sad. I would recommend Outsider Kids to anyone who enjoyed the first book in the series.

Warrior Girl by Carmen Tafolla

 

During winter break, I also read Warrior Girl by Carmen Tafolla. This realistic fiction novel in verse is about Celina Guerrera, a girl who celebrates both Mexican and American traditions and is proud of her Mexican American identity. When she started first grade, it always felt like her teachers were trying to erase the Mexican part of her identity. Eventually, she moved, but the hurt lingered and even her fourth teacher ignored her thoughts about the history of the Alamo. Thankfully, she always had the support of her gramma, who taught her to use joy as a shield. When she moves once again before starting middle school, her dad is suddenly deported again like he was shortly after she was born. Although she is feeling down, she makes three new friends, who help her fight the ignorance at her new school, and begins writing poetry. She and her friends even decide to plan a school program that celebrates all cultures for April. Then, the pandemic hits in March, closing their school and imposing the practice of social distancing, and Celina wonders when her dad will return and if he is even okay.

This novel in verse was absolutely wonderful. It was clear from the beginning that Celina had a challenging life from the time she was born, but I loved her relationship with her gramma and how Celina took her gramma's advice to have a positive outlook on life, despite the hardships, like moving multiple times and not being respected at school. Everyone has their breaking point, though, and I could totally understand when she was worried about her dad after he was deported and wondering when he would be back. I could also relate to her feelings during the beginning of the pandemic when the last third of the book took place. It was definitely a stressful time and Celina didn't know what was going on with her dad, along with the fear of her gramma becoming sick with COVID. I also enjoyed Celina's friendship with Liz, Cata, and Chato. They each brought something different to their group and I liked how they worked together to plan a culture celebration for their school. Towards the end, something sad does happen and there is a moment that is quite intense, but all in all, the ending is happy. I really appreciated the message that knowledge and courage are your shield and your power. Warrior Girl shows how strength can come from our differences and anyone should read it.

What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

 

Over winter break, I finished reading What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski. This mystery that features passed notes, emails, text messages, interview transcripts, and other documents is about Anna Hunt, a recently turned 13-year-old eighth grade girl who is new at East Middle School. When she is assigned an un-essay for her Social Issues class, she decides to make an investigative podcast about how her fellow classmate, Rachel Riley, went from being the most popular girl to the most hated. It is not easy convincing the other eighth grade students to share what they know, though, and she realizes that the story is more complex than she could have imagined. After she becomes the target of Trevor Frey for the boys' game of harassing girls, she must rely on her sister, her mom, and the school staff to help her make East Middle a better place for all.

With its innovative format of telling Anna's story, I was intrigued by this mystery from the beginning and it reminded me a lot of Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee as I got deeper into the story. I thought it was relatable that Anna was struggling to find her place at a new school and I really liked that she cared about why Rachel was a social outcast even if her interest could be considered nosy because she wasn't there the previous school year. I admired Anna's persistence as she discovered a variety of clues and some of her classmates eventually opened up to her to be interviewed. I was surprised at how complex the mystery really was, especially upon learning who all was actually involved in the accidental fire at the Kincaid Farms Event Barn during the spring. I also felt really bad for Anna when she became a part of the boys' game. I was anxious about Anna being targeted from the moment I learned about the game, but it still broke my heart when the harassment happened to her. Rachel herself was also one of my favorite characters by the end of the book. I really liked learning more about her and why she did what she did, risking her own social status. I thought she was very brave and was really rooting for her to be accepted into the Moorland Academy of the Arts to attend their music school as a violinist. Additionally, I enjoyed the ending. I especially thought the final lines were profound. As a social commentary on the cycle of harassment in schools, What Happened to Rachel Riley? is an exemplary choice for any middle school student, not just those who like mysteries.