Author: Waka T. Brown
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Dara Palmer's Major Drama by Emma Shevah
Violets are Blue by Barbara Dee
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher):As the daughter of immigrants who came to America for a better life, Annie Inoue was raised to dream big. And at the start of seventh grade, she’s channeling that irrepressible hope into becoming the lead in her school play.
So when Annie lands an impressive role in the production of The King and I, she’s thrilled . . . until she starts to hear grumbles from her mostly white classmates that she only got the part because it’s an Asian play with Asian characters. Is this all people see when they see her? Is this the only kind of success they’ll let her have—one that they can tear down or use race to belittle?
Disheartened but determined, Annie channels her hurt into a new dream: showing everyone what she’s made of.
My opinion: I think what I like best about this book is that it doesn't over-simplify race relations. Does Annie face racism? Absolutely. But she see it in different forms. It's less about slurs and discrimination than it is about micro-aggression. Annie isn't allowed to be a "normal" kid when it seems like everyone points out her racial heritage at every turn, usually in a negative way. And the realizations of her community's unhealthy racial attitudes are focused more on how other adults treat her parents than on how her peers treat Annie. It's a great book to read with your kid or in a group discussion, to help them interpret what they have read.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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