King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

The sudden death of his older brother forces an African American boy to confront his loneliness, grief, and shame, but to ultimately own his truth and find self-acceptance.

When Khalid James, 16, overhears his younger brother Kington's white best friend Sandy Sanders secretly telling him he's gay, he tells King not to hang out with Sandy anymore. After all, King doesn't want people to think he's gay, too, does he? And King, because he loves and looks up to his brother, stops being friends with Sandy, even though he didn't want to. But King has a secret, too. Would Khalid stop loving him if he knew King's secret?

Shortly after that, Khalid suddenly dies while playing basketball. With unresolved issues, King can't let go of his brother. At the funeral, when a dragonfly suddenly flies into the church and lands on Khalid's casket. King takes it as a sign that his brother isn't really gone, he's just become a dragonfly.

And so everyday, King walks to the bayou in his Louisiana town where the dragonflies are, looking for Khalid, desperate to keep a connection with him. Later, at night, he reads the journal he had kept of the things Khalid said in his sleep, describing his vivid dreams about the different worlds he visited at night. And King takes comfort in his own dreams about Khalid.

And it's at the bayou, that he runs into Sandy Sanders, who offers to listen if King needs to talk, an offer King rejects. That night at dinner, however, King learns that Sandy Sanders has gone missing, and even though King knows he's probably the last person to see Sandy, he doesn't say anything about it - not to his parents, not even to his friends at school.

But then King discovers Sandy hiding in his backyard tent, and once again, secrets are revealed when Sandy confirms King's suspicions that his father Sheriff Sanders, whom King knows is a scary racist, is also cruel and abusive at home and Sandy is his prime target. Despite Khalid's warning not to hang out with Sandy, the two former best friends begin to talk again. When it becomes dangerous for Sandy to live in the tent, they move him into an empty, rundown fishing shack not far from where King watches the dragonflies.

There, they reignite their friendship, but when Sandy is discovered sleeping in the shack, he decides it's time to run away and wants King to come with him, King finds himself even more conflicted. To begin with, his parents, so grief stricken by Khalid's death, are beginning to move on with life and want King to do the same, but he just can't do that yet. And more and more, King is admitting to himself that he doesn't like girls the same way he likes boys. But his brother's words keep coming back to him and King knows that in a small, southern homophobic town, being gay and black isn't going to be easy. Maybe he should run away, too.

King is a 12-year-old with a lot on his plate and no one to talk to now that Khalid is gone. Kacen Callender has caught King's anger about Khalid's death, his unresolved issue of whether or not Khalid would still love him knowing King's secret, and his confusion about his sexuality so realistically it's hard to remember King is a fictional character. The family dynamics are also spot on, giving the reader just enough of a glimpse to see what a happy family the James' were before losing Khalid, and contrasting it to who they became as they processed their grief and bereavement, his mother's retreat into her grief, his father trying to hold it together and finally breaking down.

And as if Callender's well-drawn character's aren't enough, he throws in one more - a small town in Louisiana, complete with the humidity, the heat, sweaty clothes, insects, racists, and rumors. The nuanced setting added so much ambiance of King's world.

King and the Dragonflies is a thought provoking coming of age/coming out novel. King's conflicts and his confusion about how to define himself without Khalid are palpable, emotional, and moving. This is a novel not to be missed.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an ARC provided by the publisher, Scholastic Press

Sumo Joe by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Nat Iwata

Sumo Joe by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Nat Iwata

Lee & Low Books, 2019, 40 pages

It's Saturday and that means it's time for Joe to practice sumo with his friends, and time for younger sister Jo's aikido lesson. But before Jo leaves with mom, she gives a subtle look at the sumo boys, and you know that joining them is what she really wants to do. While Jo and mom are gone, Joe and his friends get ready to practice. Sumo takes place in a dohyō ring and the boys build one using throw pillows.

Once that's done, they tie on their special belts called the mawashi, practice teppo to strengthen arms and shoulders, and shiko, a stomping exercise to build strength and to get rid of any evil demons that might be hanging around in the dohyō.

But when Jo comes home, she challenges brother Joe to a match - aikido vs. sumo. But girls aren't allowed within the sacred space of the dohyō. Now he's torn between being a good big brother and following the rules. And even if they do let Jo into the ring, can younger, smaller sister beat her bigger, older brother in this male-only sumo space? Because one of those rules is that if any part of Joe steps out of the ring, he loses. What a dilemma!

Sumo Joe is a wonderful book on several levels. First, it's a playful look at family and sibling rivalry. Joe is such a kind, gentle brother towards his sister, and readers quickly realize that the match Jo challenges him to is done in the spirit of good clean fun. Most importantly, the loser doesn't stomp off sore and angry. Second, it an informative book about sumo wrestling which many of us don't really know a lot about (including myself). Debut picture book author Wengen has seamlessly woven in sumo terms so that by the end of the story, young readers are familiar enough with the new words to use them comfortably.

Picture book artist Nat Iwata used a soft pastel palette for Sumo Joe that perfectly matches the gentleness and playfulness of the story. I thought that including lots of generational family pictures in the background throughout to the story was a really nice touch.

It is a tradition in Asian homes to take off one's shoes when you enter and leave them by the door, and indeed Iwata shows everyone's shoes lined up at the front door in some pictures. These are the kinds of references that help kids understand other cultures they may not be familiar with.

As you can see from the illustration examples shown here, Wengen has written the text in short rhyming stanzas of four beats each that never falters throughout the whole book. And amazingly, she has managed to include a lot of information in these short sentences.

Back matter includes an Author's Note that gives more information about traditional sumo wrestling, and the surge of interest and support for allowing women into this sacred space. There is also Glossary of the terms used throughout the book.
 
You can also find an extensive Sumo Joe Teacher's Guide to download, thanks to the published, Lee & Low

Sumo Joe is a sweet, informative story and ideal for young kids who are just developing an interest in martial arts.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, Lee & Low

Blog Tour: Brobarians written and illustrated by Lindsay Ward

Starting with a hand drawn-in-pencil-and-crayon map of Brobaria, that clearly shows the backyard territory divided between Iggy's Land and Otto's Land, young readers are plunged into the tale of two brothers, the mighty Brobarians, once at peace, now bitter enemies.

Sporting a mop belted to his head, an orange towel cape, and a diaper, Iggy the Brobarian is the younger of these two gladiator brothers. Older brother Otto the Big Brobarian prefers a blue towel cape, a viking hat complete with horns, and a t-shirt that says Tough Guy on it.

But what terrible thing caused these two Brobarians to turn against each other? A broken cookie jar and each blamed the other for the mishap. Now at war, younger Brobarian Iggy, master of a rattle-shaped sword, seized the great warrior Otto's plastic army. Consulting his advisors, a stuffie and the family dog, Otto waits for just the right moment to strike back at Iggy, not just stealing his most precious bottle, but drinking it all up - every last drop. The result is a true clash of the titans.

Will these two mighty warriors ever make up and restore peace in their realms? Or will it take the neutral arbitrator Mamabarian to bring them together in the a nice warm bubbly negotiating bath?

Brobarians is a really humorous, warmhearted look at sibling rivalry, a book any reader, young and old, who has a brother or sister can appreciate. I can remember drawing a crayon line down the center of the bedroom I shared with my sister and how much trouble we got in for doing that, and yes, we pointed the finger at each other, just as Otto and Iggy do.

So, Brobarians is really a true-to-life tale, (and probably also a tale as old a time). I found myself laughing out loud the first time I read it, but the real test was with the young readers I read it to who absolutely loved Otto and Iggy. I think it was not just the story about these two brothers that appealed to them, but also the boys vivid imaginative playing and especially their warrior costumes.

To add to the fun, author/illustrator Lindsay Ward's page-turning illustrations were done with cut paper, pencil and crayon giving them a rather playful feeling, as though created from a kid's point of view. My kids loved discovering and talking about the different toys the boys used that are found on each page.

Brobarians is a lot of fun and is a book that kids will want to hear again and again (and I know this for a fact), and might even prompt only children to declare, as one of my young readers did, "oh, man, I wish I had a brother."

A Bit About the Author:
Lindsay Ward would never have written this book if she hadn't stayed up late one night watching Conan the Barbarian. She finds the idea of baby barbarians to be very funny...and hopes you do too. Lindsay's recent books include Rosco vs. the Baby and The Importance of Being 3. Most days you can find her writing and sketching at home in Ohio with her family. Learn more about her at www.lindsaymward.com or on Twitter: @lindsaymward

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Two Lions

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

It's August 1976 and 10 year old Sunny is looking forward to going to the shore for two weeks with her family mom, dad, older brother Dale and baby brother Teddy - and her best friend. Instead, she finds herself winging her way to Florida to stay with her grandfather for two weeks.

At first, Sunny thought it might be fun, maybe even a trip to Disney World was a possibility, but she soon realizes that life in a retirement community is, well, not what she had hoped for.  Instead, she finds herself going to the post office, the supermarket, the golf course with her grandfather.  Luckily, she meets a boy her age named Buzz, who's totally into comic books and superheroes.

The two become friends and are soon earning comic book money by retrieving golf balls from gold course water hazards and getting a nickel for each one from the guy in the pro shop.  Later, they begin earning a dollar for finding the lost cats of some of the elderly residents.  Suny's visit is more interesting with a friend, but she is also aware that her grandfather is smoking on the sly.  Instead of just owning up to the fact that he is addicted to cigarettes, Grandpa claims he has finally quit, but Sunny finds packs of cigarettes hidden all over the house, including in the cereal box.

Interspersed in Sunny's present are flashbacks that begin in September 1975.  As the new school year begins, she begins to realize that her older brother may have had some problems there - he was disliked by the teacher she now has.  Each flashback adds more information about her older brother Dale, as he changes from a fun older brother that Sunny looked up to to a scary, violent drug addicted stranger who is in with a bad crowd.

It's while reading a Hulk comic that Sunny suddenly makes the connection between the changes in her brother brought on by drugs and alcohol and Bruce Banner's exposure to gamma radiation that poisoned him and causes him to become the destructive Hulk when he's angry.

Realizing that she has been sent to Florida while her parents deal with Dale and his drug problem, and afraid she might become like him and/or the Hulk, Sunny makes a big decision that will change her life and really improve her visit to Florida.

I have to admit that when I received this book, I thought it was going to be a fun book about a young girl's summer vacation, with best friends and maybe a crush or two.  Boy, was I taken aback.  Though not without many humorous elements, this is a serious book and although it takes place in the 1970s, it easily resonates in today's world.

Despite the flashbacks, the majority of the story takes place in the present.  There is the reminder that 1976 was a bicentennial year, with lots of different celebrations, and the people were really into the space program then.  One particularly poignant chapter involved Sunny and Grandpa going to dinner at Buzz's house and meeting his father, a Cuban immigrant without papers, a chemist who must work as a gardener.

Grandpa's cigarette addiction and Dale's drug problems are nice paraelles to each other, reminding us the addiction is addiction, even if your drug of choice is legal.  But, it also reminds us that dealing with an addiction is difficult in real life.  Like Sunny, kids tend to love their siblings but so often don't understand what's happening and often no one really talks to them about it.  It took a comic book to make Sunny admit to what was going on around her.  Holm and Holm have managed to portray the changes in Dale, and Sunny's confusion about what she was seeing, and her sense of betrayal by some of Dale's actions so evocatively that a middle grade reader will certainly feel empathy for Sunny, and perhaps even be able relate to her predicament within their own family.

The graphics for Sunny Side Up, drawn by Matthew Holm, were colored in by Lark Pien.  She chose a palette of bright, sunny summertime hues, contrasted with the Dale-involved flashbacks which become darker and darker as he sinks into his troubling lifestyle.

The storytelling in Sunny Side Up is simple without moralizing, clear and to the point.  Sunny Side Up is one of those graphic novels that makes my appreciation for what they can do so succinctly grow with each one I read.  It tackles a difficult problem but never loses that all important note of hope.

This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was provided to me by the publisher, Scholastic Press

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is a weekly event hosted by Shannon Messenger at Book Ramblings, and Plenty of Shenanigans