Three Insightful Juvenile Novels

Carry Me Home

"The day Lulu's daddy disappeared, was, so far the coldest day of the year."

     Lulu, protagonist of Janet Fox's Carry Me Home, is only twelve.  But she's known more heartbreak than many adults.  Her beloved mother had died.  Not long after that her father had driven from Texas to Montana with Lulu and her little sister, Serena.  Home there is their car with both girls sleeping on the back seat.  Could things possibly get worse?

     Well, yeah.  One day Lulu wakes up to find her father gone.  He's left them very little money.  Now she has to take care of herself and Serena, somehow find them the coats and boots they hadn't needed in Texas, get money for necessities like food, and build an elaborate web of lies to keep the adults from learning that she and Serena have been abandoned...

     ...because if they get involved she may lose her only remaining family member and be truly alone in the world.

     Then Serena gets sick.  What can Lulu do?  She can't leave her little sister alone in the car.  But if they both don't show up at school someone is bound to take notice.

Starfish

"Cannonball into a pool,

drenching everyone,

and wear a whale swimsuit 

to your Under the Sea birthday party 

when you're a chubby kid

who grows up to be a fat tween,

and no one will ever let you live it down.

Ever."

     Ever since her fifth birthday Ellie, protagonist of Lisa Fipps' Starfish, has been bullied about her weight.  Of course some of the kids at her school are relentless.

"I hear someone singing 'Baby Beluga.'

I don't have to turn around to know it's Marissa."

Her mother, continuously posting weight loss articles on the refrigerator, seems to consider her a DIY project rather than a sentient human being.

"'No new clothes for Ellie?' Dad asks Mom.

'She gained more weight this summer.'

I'm afraid if we keep buying her bigger clothes 

She'll just let herself get bigger.'"

Now Mom is even considering bariatric surgery.  All of this negativity is becoming incorporated into Ellie's self image as a series of Fat Girl Rules.

"Fat Girl Rule:

Move slowly so

your fat doesn't jiggle,

drawing attention to your body."

     But change may be on the way.  A new counselor is helping Ellie more fully understand her legitimate needs and wants.  And a new neighbor, Catalina, seems determined to show her that she's wonderful just the way she is.

     Starfish will speak powerfully to kids, especially those who are or love someone who is fat shamed.

Danny Chung Sums It Up 

     Imagine this.  You're an eleven-year-old boy.  Your father gets you a bunk bed.  You're anticipating the fine sleepovers you'll finally be able to have with your best friend...

     ...until your parents inform you that your widowed grandmother, flying in from China, will be occupying the top bunk.

     That's the plight of Danny, protagonist of Maisie Chan's Danny Chung Sums It Up.  His roommate is now his non English speaking Nai Nai.  His parents have a vision of a great intergenerational relationship.  Grammie Dearest is desperate to make up for lost time, even showing up at Danny's school.  When Danny leaves her at Bingo so he can hang out with classmates, even though she loves the game, his parents are aghast.

     Danny is a gifted artist who lives to draw.  His parents who run a take out restaurant, see his passion as a total waste of time.

     "'Son, it's for your own good that you do more constructive things with your spare time.  You can draw in art class at school, but after you come home, you need to focus on getting good grades.  We don't want you to be serving take-out like us when you grow up."

     Math is Danny's nightmare subject.  His Nai Nai was a math champion back in the day.  Perhaps if they can somehow get on the same page...

On a purrrsonal note, the Commuter Lounge is celebrating commuter and nontraditional students week.  We have an activity every weekday this week.  The first was the Family Movie Night at Spotlight Cinemas.  I was exempted from that because it was beyond bus hours.  Today we had a pizza lunch.  I had to distribute and explain a survey and take pictures for social media.  I managed to do both but it was a challenge.  It was quite popular.  (Jules)

Pizza!  Yuck!  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to my friends at the Student Wellness office.  Between the survey I needed and the birth certificates people will get tomorrow they did a lot of photocopying for Commuter Lounge.  They are super friends and allies.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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