Tanita S. Davis

Seventh grader Madalyn’s dealing with several problems at once, missing her parents and living with her great uncle to attend a better school, and befriending someone whose actions leave Madalyn upset and uncomfortable, all while wild fires pop up closer and closer to home.

This is a middle-grade novel, so there’s an age appropriate simplicity to the writing, at the same time the author puts Madalyn in a complicated and thought-provoking tangle with racism, where she has to determine whether it’s possible for her to continue a friendship with someone who fears black boys.

I liked Madalyn’s relationship with her mom, it’s kind of refreshing how well they communicate since more often than not mother/daughter bonds are depicted as fairly fraught, whereas here we have a daughter wanting to confide in her mom and a mom who gives her girl some grace and leeway emotionally. The mom isn’t immediately set on admonishing her kid whenever Madalyn shows frustration and anger, she meets those moments with understanding that her child is just feeling the sorts of ways any human would in challenging circumstances. Those readers who actually are middle-grade aged, seeing a kid receive that level of understanding is something they might really appreciate about this story, especially if understanding isn’t something they get a lot of in their own lives.

While the ending felt maybe a little too abrupt, I wouldn’t have minded a little more wrap-up on the friendship and the living apart from her parents situation, but the lead up to the ending was very much a page-turner as the tension in Madalyn’s friendship collided with concerns over wildfires and smoke in a riveting way.… (altro)

children's middlegrade audio fiction (~8 hours) - 7th grader Henrietta (you can call her Henri) is nervous to start at a new, larger school. She's really smart but her dyscalculia causes her to doubt her abilities, and it's not easy to make friends. Fortunately she meets a foster kid who brings his pet rat to school, and Henri is able to find a place among the outcast group, and even joins the soccer team.

The narration for the audiobook is very precise with pronunciation and as a result somewhat stilted, so if you prefer a more natural speaking voice this isn't exactly it, but after speeding up the listening speed to 1.4x or so it wasn't that distracting, and I enjoyed the cadence of her voice otherwise.

This is a sweet story about a girl pushing through her difficulties; I loved the development of the different relationships--between friends, parent/child, siblings, even human/pet.

February 2024 bingo challenge: title starts with F, Black cover model, disability visability,… (altro)

Henri's narrative voice was very strong, and it completely captured the feelings of a middle schooler. Many times the people around Henri make her feel silly for caring too much about things.

As a criticism, I don't think the event with Katherine and the Morgan sister was resolved or revealed well. I don't know if it was a miscommunication issue or bullying.

Overall, I enjoyed the casual, slice of life pace, Henri's confusion about her sister Kat's terrible attitude and distance between them, dreaded MATH PROBLEMS, and the unusual Morgan siblings. I wouldn't mind if this series continued, so we could see more of Henri and the Morgans.… (altro)

“Nobody ever wants to need help, but if they’re smart, when they need help, they accept it.”

I thought this was good. Not necessarily entertaining but engaging. Unlike recent YA/MG that teach others about racism and microaggressions, I felt like this one was speaking to Black readers or anyone who has had to deal with ignorance and discrimination. Because of the different audience, this is more relevant to kids of colors because it isn't repeating what they already know.

The book acknowledges some people will have straight up racist and/or ignorant views, and it’s up to YOU if you want to engage and correct them. I think that’s a balanced message to tell kids though, at times, the book can imply just being nice to racist people or people with a racist belief will change them. very realistic that Ms Baylor stayed the same way.

“We don’t have to be a mirror and reflect back people’s bad attitudes.”

In addition, Madlyn’s parents are working hard in different states and counties, so she has been moved to different schools and, now, a different living arrangement. The frustration Madlyn feels with her life being uprooted but not wanting to burden her parents was very well done.

Also, I love Louisiana accents, NOLA in particular, and the spotlight on creole heritage was great. The cloud motif and the dry fires went well together.… (altro)