Frankly Smart: A review of Frankly in Love

Cover Image Frankly in LOve

Frankly in Love
David Yoon
Putnam, September 2019
Grades 9-12

Frank Li is in love (see what they did there?)… with Brit, then with Joy. But it’s complicated by Wu (Joy’s ex), Q (his BFF), his immigrant parents, the Apeys (A.P./smart friends), and the Limbos (Korean friends)—the list is long. Love triangle or love nonagon? Frank would know, he’s studying for the SAT. Everything else is complicated by life as a teenager and his angst over who he is as a Korean, Korean-American, or just American; because people are complex and labels are limiting.

Under the thin veneer of a love story (do teenagers even fall in and out of love that fast?), David Yoon explores the much deeper and more interesting themes of racism, code-switching, and community. Frank is thoughtful, introspective, and nerdy-in-a-good-way, while still authentically awkward and impulsive. His well-rounded character is a much-needed counterpoint to the common teen stereotypes in YA lit. His internal monologue is both funny and perceptive and keeps the book from veering too far light or dark. With the exception of a slightly rushed resolution, the 400+ pages are an easy read that “manages to be a love story, treatise on racism, and welcome to Korean-American culture all at once.” And, yes, that is a quote from the author endorsement on the ARC cover, but Jodi Picoult has it right.


 

 

 

My TBR List Celebrates APHM (Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month)

One benefit of a mile-long TBR list is that there is always a themed booklist hiding within. This month, as luck (and publishing trends) would have it, my list contains a lovely selection of titles in celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage month. As we honor Asians and Pacific Islanders in the US, this May, and celebrate the diverse traditions, tastes, and identities they represent, I can’t think of a better way to appreciate their varied experiences than through stories, can you?

Here’s what’s had me turning pages well into the night this month…

Ojiichan's Gift

Ojiichan’s Gift
Chieri Uegaki
Illustrated by Genevieve Simms
Kids Can Press, April 2019
Ages 5-8

Mayumi grows up and grows close to her grandfather as he teaches her to care for the garden he’s built her. But when her Ojiichan is no longer able to work in the garden, Mayumi must learn to accept the change in their relationship and give a gift of her own. Gentle and quiet, an explanation of aging and the changing relationships between grandparents and grandchildren.

Pie in the Sky by Remi Lai

Pie in the Sky
Remy Lai
Henry Holt, May 2019
Ages 8-11

Jingwen is struggling. Moving to Mars (aka Australia) is hard. Learning to speak English is hard. Making friends is hard. Losing his father is hard. But making cake is easy and making the cakes he made with his father seems to make the rest a bit easier too. The juxtaposition of prose and comic-style illustrations complement the honest mixing of humor and grief in Jingwen’s world.

I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn

I Love You So Mochi
Sarah Kuhn
Scholastic, May 2019
Ages 14-17

Fleeing a fight with her mother over her future plans, Kimi Nakamura impulsively accepts an invitation to spend spring break in Kyoto, Japan with the grandparents she’s never met. But her journey of self-discovery takes a turn for the romantic when a cute boy (dressed as a mochi) volunteers to help her figure out what she’s meant to do. As they explore the sights in Kyoto, Kimi comes to value her true artistic vision, her budding relationships with Akira and her grandparents, and her mother’s concern for her future. Adventure, flirtation, and delicious treats on the path to enlightenment.

The Beauty of The Moment by Tanaz Bhathena

The Beauty of the Moment
Tanaz Bhathena
MacMillan, February 2019
Ages 14-17

Susan is a recent transplant from India to Canada, by way of Saudi Arabia—book-smart, artistic, and driven by a desire not to disappoint her parents. Malcolm was born and raised in Canada by an angry father and deceased mother—street-smart, hurting, and trying to figure it all out. As their relationship evolves (and devolves) and each deals with their own family struggles, they will learn how to be friends and to be themselves. Full of all the heartaches, headaches, and struggles of growing up, with just enough humor to balance the weight.

And a summer publication worth waiting for…

The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

The Downstairs Girl
Stacey Lee
Penguin Teen/Putnam, August 2019
Ages 14-17

Orphan, turned hat designer, turned ladies maid, turned secret advice columnists, Jo Kuan is used to blending into the background as a form of self-preservation. But now her unconventional advice about challenging societal norms in 1890s Atlanta and a desire to challenge her own family’s troubled history, may just be the things that push her into the spotlight. A thoughtful commentary on race, gender, and being true to one’s self.

 

Slight Frights and Daring Scares: Nine Spooky Books for Middle Grade Readers

October is here, and with it come ghosts, goblins, witches, and monsters. Today we’re looking at a few of this year’s spooky reads for middle grades – books with slight frights that won’t give you nightmares.

sgirllockedThe Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Clarion Books, September 2018
Cover: 👻👻👻👻
Content: 👻👻

The cover and title of this story make it seem far scarier than it is in reality. Narration shifts between Jules, whose family has just moved into an abandoned house, and the “Girl,” Lily, whose family lived in the house decades ago. Both girls are curious about each other, and of their respective time periods, and their friendship might be just what Lily needs to find her final resting place. This is gentle ghost story, for readers want to ease into the season.

sturnkey
The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery by Allison Rushby
Candlewick Press, July 2018
Cover: 👻👻👻
Content: 👻👻

Less a ghost story, and more historical fiction featuring supernatural characters, The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery’s scariest features are the German soldiers and the threat of a bombing looming over the action of the tale. In London during World War II, young ghost Flossie Birdwhistle is in charge of keeping the cemetery’s buried souls at rest, but a mysterious soldier – also a ghost – draws Flossie into England’s war efforts. Readers who prefer their ghosts to act with integrity and honor will find it easy to support Flossie and her ghostly friends.

scityghosts
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Scholastic Press, August 2018
Cover: 👻👻👻👻
Content: 👻👻👻👻

In this first novel of a new supernatural fantasy series, Schwab creates a world similar to ours: a reality TV show featuring two “ghost hunters” travels to Scotland to film their pilot episode. They are faking it: though the “Inspectres,” as they call themselves, truly believe in and want to see ghosts, they just don’t. Their daughter, Cass, does – and has even befriended the ghost who saved her from a near-death experience several years ago. The ghosts of Scotland aren’t nearly as friendly, and it will take another young “In-betweener” to help Cass realize her full powers as someone who can cross the Veil. There’s plenty of good versus evil in this ghost-hunting adventure, with humor and heart to balance out the action.

spoplar
The House in Poplar Wood by K.E. Ormsbee
Chronicle Books, August 2018
Cover: 👻👻👻
Content: 👻👻👻

Lee and Felix Vickery are twins, but the only thing they do together is travel to town on Halloween, the one night that Death allows. For the rest of the year, they go about their lives in Poplar Wood, on opposite sides of their house, as the Agreement states. Felix helps his father, who is an apprentice to Death, and Lee does the same for his mother, who is Memory’s apprentice. It’s not the best life, but they make it work – until the daughter of Passion’s apprentice is killed, and Gretchen Whipple, the mayor’s daughter, and sworn enemy of the Vickerys, decides to get to the bottom of a feud that has controlled the lives – and deaths – of everyone in their small town for years. Lee, Felix, and Gretchen form a friendship as strange as their living arrangements to set things right. Poetic descriptions give this book a contemplative feel, though the action ensures it’s never bogged down in too much detail.

sbegone
Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan
Walker Books, February 2018
Cover: 👻👻👻
Content: 👻👻👻

This first book in an forthcoming trilogy creates a world where witches live across an invisible border and live by a set of ancient rules. Mup, her mam, and her brother cross this border to save her her dad after he is kidnapped by the creator of these rules – her grandmother. Reminiscent of other fantastical journeys taken by young women to rescue those they love and get back home, Begone the Raggedy Witches gives its readers characters to care for and a magical world to explore. The villains are just cruel enough to resent, but good witches abound as well, and Mup’s fight becomes more than just a rescue mission – she must save Witches Borough itself from her grandmother’s control.

sfakeblood
Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner
Simon & Schuster, September 2018
Cover: 👻👻
Content:👻👻

Nia Winters likes vampires. AJ likes Nia, but since he isn’t a vampire, he can’t seem to catch her attention – until he decides to become a vampire himself. Then he realizes it’s not that Nia likes vampires – she slays them. Suddenly his great idea could be the death of him, if he can’t convince Nia it was all a ploy, and that a real vampire of Spoons Middle School is still out there. This graphic novel is more silly than scary, with all of its parodying of other well-known vampire tales. The illustrations add a level of fun, and the relationships between AJ and his sister and AJ and his friends are sweet with plenty of goodnatured needling. For readers who would rather laugh at monsters than be terrified by them, Fake Blood will satisfy.

scryptid
The Cryptid Catcher by Lija Fisher
Farrar Straus Giroux, August 2018
Cover: 👻👻
Content: 👻👻

Clivo Wren is only taking up the family business when he becomes a cryptid hunter at age 13, after his father’s death, but he may have taken on more than he knows how to handle. After all, he just found out cryptids really do exist – is he really ready to track and catalog them? Humanity as we know it may be on the line if Clivo isn’t up for the task of finding the rumored “immortal” cryptid, so with the help of several trustworthy friends, and a few more less-than-trustworthy colleagues, he sets out to catch whatever cryptids he can. Teenagers with plenty of dry humor and monster-hunting lore make this a delightful read that’s less scare and more dare.

scarlett
Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter by Marcus Sedgwick and Thomas Taylor
First Second Books, April 2018
Cover: 👻👻👻👻
Content: 👻👻👻

Part Sherlock Holmes-ian detective, part Lara Croft action-adventure hero, and all quippy one-liners, Scarlett Hart doesn’t shy away from danger as she follows in her late parents’ footsteps. With the help of Napoleon, Mrs. White, and plenty of hunting gadgets, she tracks down and hunts various monsters – from gargoyles springing to life to zombies terrorizing the theatre – hoping to catch them before the conniving Count Stankovic catches her. Hand drawn illustrations bring the monsters and Scarlett to life and help to build intensity as she escapes each dangerous situation.

smallspaces
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, September 2018
Cover: 👻👻👻
Content: 👻👻👻👻👻

For having a rather tame cover (though it gets creepier the closer you look), this story is shockingly scary. A field trip to a local farm turns terrifying as the bus breaks down on the way back to school and the bus driver smilingly says, “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” Eleven-year old Ollie and two of her classmates are the only ones who take the driver’s advice, choosing to try their luck in the surrounding forest. They aren’t sure if they’ve made the right choice, or who (or what) exactly is coming for them, but they’ll soon find out. Excellent pacing and well-timed cliffhangers, along with a smart and courageous heroine make this a treat for brave readers.

September B3: School Days

It’s nearly back to school time—yikes! In honor of all the teachers, librarians, parents, and oh yes, KIDS preparing for the first day of school we will be reading with that theme in mind for the first Butler Book Banter of the academic year on Thursday, September 6th.

So whether you’re looking for friendship, perseverance, and heart in your stories or mean girls, homework overload, and scaredy ninjas (oh my!), we’ve got the book for you!

Young Adult: People Like Us by Dana Mele (Putnam, February 2018)

People like us

Middle Grade: Class Action by Steven B. Frank (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2018)

class action

Picture Book: The Secrets of Ninja School by Deb Pilutti (Henry Holt, March 2018)

the secrets of ninja school

There are always a bus-load of school themed books this time of year, so if you have a new favorite that’s not on our list, bring it for show and tell.

Please note, we’re making some small adjustments to planning this semester by shifting the meeting time to snacks at 6:30 p.m. and discussion from 7-8 p.m. Also, drop us an RSVP note at butler@dom.edu or comment to whichever social media post you happen to be reading.

 

See you in September,

Jen Clemons

Curator, BCLC

 
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