Hello everyone, this first week of March I’m giving you a short booklist, a trio shall we say. The stories are ones that have won multiple awards and follow a trio of amazing young female tweens. I’m going to let these amazing stories speak for themselves, so why don’t you delve further and check them out.
When I first read Are you there God, it’s me Margaret by Judy Blume, I had no idea what I was in for. Having won the Young Hoosier Book Award in 1976, my own birth year, and the North Dakota Children’s Choice award in 1979 with a few others, this read soon became a modern classic among young girls during the next few decades. Although first published by Bradbury Press in 1970, the edition I found in the local library (Gollancz, 1978) didn’t disappoint this bookaholic! Our young protagonist Margaret Simon can’t wait to grow up. Her group of new friends swear to share every first with each other – first bras, first kisses, first periods, everything. But sometimes, there are things that are just too private to talk about, especially when you’re trying to fit into a new school. Lucky for Margaret, she has had someone else to confide in – someone who always listens. This was one story where all those little things like first periods and fears related to puberty are expertly woven into a lovely story of identity and growing up. For me, Margaret’s confusion of being Jewish or Christian was heartbreaking to read as she navigated between one to another. What stood out for me the most was her inner belief that God was always there for her through the unique dairy-entry format of this read. Blume’s candid, heartwarming and honest portrayal of Margaret’s journey through puberty with a stellar cast of characters and amazing story line is one of the many reasons I found myself falling in love with this story!! A must-read for young girls, especially now that there is a movie adaptation out there!
Award-winning author Sharon Creech has delivered an amazing story in this next read, Walk Two Moons. (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 1994) This road-trip read chronicles the journey Sal takes with her grandparents from Kentucky to Idaho. Her grandmother initiates their storytelling tradition and that is how Sal ends up telling them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic. As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe’s outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold – the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother. In her own award-winning style, Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion. I now know why this won the Newbery Medal in 1995 and a few others in the following years! Moving, poignant and filled with layers and layers of gorgeous story you can’t help hear the poetry in Sal’s voice. The way she tells Phoebe’s story, she takes us into more than her memories, into her feelings and the depths of her soul is presented well. Although the time period is not that clear, I ended up really enjoying the message in this story!!
“Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins.”
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh (Harper; NY, 2021) won the NAIBA Book of the Year for Middle Grade award in 2021 and the Asian/Pacific American award for Children’s Literature in 2022 for an outstanding diverse story of family and survival. Co-founder of We Need Diverse Books, Ellen Oh takes us into the life of Junie Kim as she tries to settle in at school. But when racist graffiti appears at her middle school, Junie must decide between staying silent or speaking out. When Junie’s history teacher assigns an oral history project, Junie decides to interview her grandparents, learning about their experiences as kids during the Korean war. Junie comes to admire her grandma’s fierce determination in protecting her family and her grandpa’s unwavering compassion during wartime. And as racism becomes more pervasive at school, Junie taps into the strength of her ancestors and finds the courage to do what is right, just as her grandparents did. This beautiful story was one that I had come across many times before I eventually read it and it didn’t disappoint! The author’s amazing writing style is truly a work of art that brings you face to face with the depth of emotion the characters face. My heart went out to Junie as she endured the bullying but the consequent actions taken by her classmates boosted my spirits. There truly is strength in young people these days to overcome anything! I loved how the grandparents’ stories from the Korean War created another layer to Junie’s backstory. The topic of depression and anxiety caused by racism and bullying is dealt with really well and Ellen Oh has done an exceptional job of weaving all of these themes together. It was interesting to find out that this awesome story’s inspiration was taken from the author’s mother’s life.
Best quote:
“…It’s okay not to do something that you will find burdensome. You don’t have to push yourself into the spotlight to know your worth. You can shine from wherever you stand.” – Rachel to Junie
These three stories will forever be imprinted in my heart for the amazing characters and powerful messages they deliver. I hope you enjoyed this short booklist!
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 