Golden Girl by Reem Faruqi

Author: Reem Faruqi

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: Feb 22/22

Reviewer: Kathie

I loved the author’s 2021 debut middle-grade novel, Unsettled, which was a story about a young girl who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan. Since I longer read novels in verse as eARCs because of the formatting issues, I was delighted to discover a friend had an ARC of Golden Girl that she gave me to read. It was one of my 15 highly-anticipated titles of 2022, and a book I expect to hear lots of buzz about in the upcoming weeks.

This beautifully crafted novel in verse is about a Pakistani-American girl whose family is separated when a criminal allegation strands her father overseas following a family vacation. Aafiyah’s family is used to an affluent lifestyle, which is threatened by her father’s inability to work and her grandfather’s chemotherapy bills. Aafiyah has a compulsion for “borrowing” things and takes it upon herself to help out in a way that brings even more trouble into her life. Like flipping through a photo album, we see glimpses of Aafiyah’s family, friendships, hopes, and fears as she faces the consequences of her actions and awaits her father’s return.

There are very few middle-grade stories of immigrant families who are not struggling financially, so I really appreciated that Aafiyah led a comfortable life. The separation from her father and her mother finding a job were major upheavals that unsettled her. I also found her compulsion to steal a unique perspective, since she had guilt and remorse for her actions but felt like stopping was beyond her control. Although I loved that this book wasn’t long, I did find myself wanting to spend more time with Aafiyah and to know what happened next with some of the characters and their relationships. I think it’s a sign of a good story when the readers are left wanting more at the end, and I would gladly pick up another book to revisit these characters.

I would recommend this book for Gr. 4-7.

Sofia Acosta Makes a Scene by Emma Otheguy

Author: Emma Otheguy

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books

Release Date: Jan 25/22

Reviewer: Kathie

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

I love reading a story that teaches me about current social issues and their historical roots without feeling like a school lesson. This ballet-infused story set in New York City does just that as it addresses family, community, belonging and immigration from a Cuban perspective.

Sofia’s parents were ballet dancers who moved to New York City from Cuba before she was born. Both of her siblings are talented dancers, but Sofia would rather spend time working on costumes for her dolls than practicing dance steps. Sofia thinks she has to be a ballet dancer to be part of her family, but what if it’s not her thing? She needs to find the courage to speak up at home and with her best friend, who doesn’t appreciate why her Cuban heritage is important. She also wants to find a voice to support other immigrants who deserve the opportunity to be part of their community. As she faces challenges with her role in The Nutcracker, a school project about a proposed neighbourhood housing development for immigrants, and a secret involving family friends from Cuba who’ve come to New York for a performance, she learns being an Acosta is more about love than ballet.

I liked the importance of a community that runs throughout this book. Sofia’s family is affectionately called the “Acosta Accordion” by a neighbour as it expands to include so many people around them. They have a genuinely welcoming home that brings together a mix of characters and cultures, and I wished that I would be invited for dinner and to hang out for an evening. I learned more about the complicated relationship between the United States and Cuba and the difficulties faced by separated families. It’s a timely novel with important themes that middle-grade readers will enjoy.

If you enjoy middle-grade stories with a focus on ballet, I would also recommend Turning Point by Paula Chase.

15 Highly-Anticipated Books of 2022

by Kathie

This year, I’m using Edelweiss+ shelves to help me keep track of the books that I want to read. I chose this option because it has the most up-to-date information, the books appear in release date order, and I love the visual look of it. I have two shelves, one for titles that I’m anticipating, and one for titles that I’m highly anticipating.

If you’ve followed me for a while, it will be no surprise that most of the titles on my highly-anticipating shelf are by female authors, and have female protagonists. There are a wide range of genres, and several by authors whose life experiences are different from my own. Some books will take me on an escape from reality, while others will help me see real life from a different perspective, but all of these titles excite me for the reading year ahead.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (Feb 22)

Golden Girl by Reem Faruqi (Feb 22)

New From Here by Kelly Yang (Mar 1)

Call of the Crow by Jessica Khoury (Apr 5)

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat (Apr 12)

The Edge of In Between by Lorelei Savaryn (Apr 19)

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton (May 3)

Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine (May 10)

Valhamster by Angela Misri (May 17)

Harvey Takes the Lead by Colleen Nelson (May 17)

Secret of the Shadow Beasts by Diane Magras (Jun 14)

The Raven’s Revenge by Kevin Sands (Jun 28)

Lark and the Wild Hunt by Jennifer Adam (Jul 5)

Alliana, Girl of the Dragons by Julie Abe (Aug 2)

Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd (Aug 2)

What’s on your list of 2022 highly-anticipated middle-grade books?