Julie and the Blue Guitar

Published in 2024; author Casey Gilly; illustrator Felia Hanakata; with layout by Sarah Stern, coloring by Sunbiscuit, and lettering by Joamette Gil

Plot

Fifth-grader Emma Dhillon has just moved to San Francisco, to an apartment in the building where Julie used to live with her mom. The building now has a thrift shop, where Emma finds Julie's old diary. She and Julie have a lot in common, most notably their parents' recent divorces. Through the diary, Emma gets a glimpse into Julie's life during the events of the Julie mystery book The Silver Guitar (the story's not identical, but it's very close and the book jacket mentions it with credit to that author; I'm betting that the color switch was due to wanting a color that stood out more for the graphic novel). Here, the titular guitar is said to have belonged to folk singer Lacey Blick rather than a Jimi Hendrix expy, the Vernons' cat is very sweet instead of spoiled, the Vernons both enthusiastically enjoy collecting a few sentimental and historical items some of which also go missing, and Mrs. Vernon is very nice. The stolen items end up having been hocked to various stores, and Julie and TJ track them down (except for a baseball signed by Willie Mays), eventually linking the thefts to the pair of photographers hired to document the items for the auction.

First page of Julie's journal

As Emma reads the tale in the journal, she's inspired to make a movie about trying to track down Julie. She and her dad travel to some of the places mentioned in the journal--they figure it's a good way to learn about their new home. In the process, Emma, who's naturally very shy, ends up befriending Hana, who helps Emma with research at the library. Not only is Emma able to find Julie, she also finds the autographed baseball--the thieves used to live in the apartment that Emma and her dad moved to, and Emma finds small hidden door, with the baseball behind it. She's able to present it to Julie in person, who in turn contacts the Vernons' nephew (the Vernons have passed away). The nephew lets Emma keep it, and she auctions it off for charity.

Emma meets Julie, who's on the San Francisco city council

Emma finishes her movie, shows it in her new school, and soon has joined the AV club. She's happy to have found a way to both be herself and make friends.

A Peek into the Past

This section talks about some of the famous 70s music stars like Jimi Hendrix, and how they "played hard and died young" leaving valuable memorabilia that has been auctioned for various causes. The 70s also saw a large wave of benefit activities like concerts and other fundraisers to help with everything from school funding to environmental concerns.

Misc

This is the first book a new series, Mysteries Across Time. There is a book featuring Isabel and Nicki...and Bigfoot announced for next year. I hope The X-Files gets a mention; it was not only very popular in their time period but a good chunk of the series was filmed in the Pacific Northwest.

Special thanks are given to Janelle Asselin, Katherine Cartwright, Jodie Goldberg, Jennifer Hirsch, Vaeries Paulin, Molly Schlichting, and Wendy Walsh for their "invaluable assistance."

The last two pages of the book are a spread informing the reader how graphic novels are made.

One of the items that's featured in the 70s is an antique friendship quilt, which may well be the one from Happy Birthday, Kirsten! 

I like that the librarian is in a wheelchair but it's not a big deal. You'd never know aside from the illustrations--same case for Emma being POC. Visual media is great for this sort of thing.

This is genuinely great representation and I love it

Girl of the Year 2024: Lila Goes for the Gold

Author: Erin Falligant
Illustrator: Vivienne To
Published: 2024

Summary

Lila Monetti is a gymnast growing up in St. Paul, MN. She loves gymnastics, and is aspiring to make the top-level Gold team at her gym. Even better, her best friend Katie is joining the gym! Lila is thrilled when Coach McKenna (yes, it's that McKenna; she's in Minnesota for college) announces a mock meet to try out for the Gold team. But when she and Katie are visiting their favorite horse at a nearby stable, a sound spooks the animal and it steps on Lila's toe, bruising it badly. She still tries to push forward with gymnastics, and injures it more. Now she'll have to sit out a week of practice, and the mock meet is less than a month away. But she practices as she's able, and when the mock meet rolls around, she performs better than she ever has, and makes the Gold team!

Lila's thrilled, and excited for the new challenges that lie ahead. But Katie, who had been on the verge of terrified the whole time, turns out to like neither competition nor the spotlight. And while the two best friends work together to try to keep Coach McKenna from being homesick, they're starting to have less and less in common. Is their friendship in trouble as well as their coach? 

Maybe, especially after Coach McKenna has to rush back to Seattle for a family emergency, leaving the assistant coach in charge. Some of Lila's teammates don't have much faith in her, and Katie's stress leads to her fighting with another teammate. By the time Halloween rolls around, Lila and Katie are barely speaking. They had planned to go trick-or-treating together as a horse, but Lila ends up dressing as a cat to take her younger brother out, and sees Katie with another friend, the two dressed in matching witch costumes.

After a heart-to-heart with her mom about friendships growing and evolving and drifting and coming back together, Lila invites Katie to go with her to the farm to watch some baby goats (which are established earlier as very important to Katie). As they patch things up, they're inspired to help the gymnastics team start working together as a team again. When the big meet happens later in the month, the team is back to its old self, and several of them, including Lila and Katie, earn medals for their efforts.

Misc 

The author dedicates her book to "Heidi Belz, the goat whisperer, and Sarah and her coaching crew at Madtown Twisters."

Halloween takes place on a Thursday, as it will in 2024.

Lila's mother is a nurse at a children's hospital, and works long hours.

McKenna attends the University of Minnesota. A mock interview at the end of the book confirms that she is indeed the 2012 Girl of the Year. I was a little annoyed when I saw the book that there was yet another gymnast during an Olympics year (why not track and field or another sport?) but when the book states that college-age Coach McKenna is from Seattle, it made sense.

The last few pages of the book have tips on creating strong teams and being effect leaders.

Karen's Haircut (LSGN#7)

 Publication date: 2023

Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin

Illustrators: Katy Farina, with color by Braden Lamb

Synopsis:

Karen's going through an awkward phase: not really used to her glasses yet, teeth falling out and growing in unevenly--she feels ugly. Though her family and friends reassure her, she wants to change something. Her parents agree that she can get a manicure and haircut at a salon. The pampering initially makes Karen feel good, but the haircut ends up vastly different from what she wanted (this despite her bringing in a reference picture--I'd be so upset!). Karen is so embarrassed by her hair. She tries to stay strong, but her class definitely notices. She gets teased, and her friend Hannie says that with the haircut, Karen can't be in her "wedding" she has planned with another classmate. Karen dresses in her best outfit and tries going by a different, elegant name (Tiffanie, then Krystal, then Gazelle, then Chantal), but everyone has trouble remembering--except Ricky, who initially teased Karen's new appearance. But Hannie still says Karen isn't pretty enough for the wedding.

Karen keeps persisting though, and her perseverance pays off. She starts getting used to some things (like her glasses), and other things start to get better (her hair grows out a little, her teeth start growing in). After two weeks, she feels like Karen again, and Hannie has an epiphany about how unfair she's been to Karen--Hannie herself falls riding her bike and knocks out two teeth. She assumes her "fiancé" Scott won't want to "marry" her anymore, but he says he's "marrying" her, not her teeth. The "wedding" continues as planned, although when David Michael, as the minister, calls for the groom to kiss the bride, both Hannie and Scott protest in disgust.

Perhaps most surprising, Ricky approaches Karen...and asks if they can get "married" some day.

Continuity related to BSC books:

Emily Michelle isn't talking much.

Karen's relationship with Nannie is briefly featured, and it's sweet. I was very close with my grandmother, who was technically my step-grandmother. She passed away a few months ago, and it's nice to see a loving grandparent-grandchild relationship without regard to blood relation.

Misc:

Martin dedicates this book in honor of "the birth of Maxwell Joseph Lieb." Farina dedicates it to "everyone who is finding themselves."

I never played Lovely Ladies like Karen likes to, but a good friend and I did have "tea parties" in first grade at lunchtime. We'd pour whatever drinks into our cups and declare the "tea" a "special family recipe."

Karen's haircut in the graphic novel does look odd on her, and it's uneven. It's also so short that she can't style it much, and will take a while to grow out. But it's not the ugly mullet of the original chapter book!

I never got the thing with the fake weddings that Karen's whole class seems to do. In second grade and younger, there were boys I thought were cute and there were also boys I was friends with, but we never even pretended to date, let along have fake weddings. Although one couple got married a few months before we all graduated high school...

Claudia and the Bad Joke (GN#15)

Publication Date: 2024

Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin.

Illustrator: Arley Nopra

Synopsis:

One of my very favorite BSC books! 

Established or continued in this book:

The Girls (and Logan):

Claudia candy: The "pant brushes" make an appearance

Their Families: 

The Kishi family

The Club (and clients): 

I was hoping this version would fix Claudia owing dues from her time in the hospital, but nope. That's just rotten. Also, who has the audacity to call the BSC back to baby-sit again with no attempt to make things right after your kid causes a sitter to break her leg so badly that she needs to be in a cast for months? 

I remember this scene well from the original

SMS:

Ashley Wyeth visits Claudia in the hospital.

Claudia's homeroom calls her when she's recovering at home

PSA Time:

A good rule for practical jokes: Confuse, don't abuse. 

Misc:

Martin dedicates this book to the memory of "Lyman Chamberlain Martin--Grandpappy--who always liked a good joke."

Nopra dedicates it to "my family, who never stopped believing in me. For my grandmas, who I thought of fondly during the making of this book. For Thoa, who I could always count on to have my back. To everyone who reminded me to drink water, thank you! And for Bengee, who cheered me up when I needed it the most. You made me laugh and you are infinitely awesome for that!"

The way Claudia reacts to having her leg broken is impressive when you remember she's 13. I nearly cut off part of my finger with hedge trimmers when I was 32, and like Claudia I had to take care of the kids (my toddler and preschooler) while treating the injury and figuring out a ride (we only had one car at the time, and my husband was at work 40 minutes away). My injury wasn't nearly as bad as Claudia's, but there were logistics to consider.  And I purposely didn't call my mom until after I'd been seen at the hospital, because like Mimi, she wouldn't have been able to get to in a timely fashion and she would have just worried. Maybe Claudia's level-headedness was in the back of my mind.

Mary Anne brings a cute stuffed animal for Claudia instead of Tigger--expressly saying she wanted to bring the cat, but that this was more practical.

World By Us: Maritza: Lead With Your Heart

Author: Angela Cervantes
Illustrator: Caroline Garcia and Flavia Conley
Published in 2021

Makena, Maritza, and Evette are three middle school girls in the Anacostia area of Washington, DC. They want to make the world a better place.

Summary

Maritza "Itza" Ochoa describes herself as "Bolivian on [her] mother's side, Colombian on [her] father's side, and 100% American soccer player." She loves her heritage and culture, and she's a fantastic athlete and a good friend, if spread a bit thin at times. She has a big heart, too, demonstrated early in the book when she successfully convinces an adult in charge of a soccer tournament to let girls play too (he'd been concerned about being blamed if they got hurt playing with the boys, but most of the middle schoolers already play together anyway, and he's known for being on top of watching for danger) and when she donates to a legal fund for a man in danger of deportation. Shortly after donating, she realizes the man is her friend Violeta's uncle.

It comes out that the uncle has been working and living in the US for a decade and trying to gain citizenship, but it's been difficult. Furthermore, he brought over other family members, including Violeta--Violeta isn't a US citizen. If her uncle is deported, she likely would be too, and Violeta doesn't even remember living in another country. With Itza's help (who in turn is encouraged and cheered on by Makena and Evette), Violeta tells her story to their school, bringing more attention to the fundraisers that are going to pay for an immigration lawyer. The upcoming soccer showcase that Itza and Violeta are playing in offers further publicity, and enough funds are raised. Violeta's uncle isn't a citizen just yet, but he's working on it and he can spend that time at home with his family.

Misc

Dedicated to "my abuelos: Esperanza and Andres."

I like having a Hispanic Heritage Month, which is a relatively new thing, at least in the Pacific Northwest. I am also confused by it running from the middle one month to the middle of the next.

I wish we could know what Itza's time in the 5k was. She won the race; I bet it was pretty fast!

One of Itza's friends wears an outfit described to have traditional Mexican embroidery, which calls to mind the embroidery in Josefina's stories. Several women at my church wear beautifully embroidered skirts, although it's a Guatemalan style.

This is the second time in a couple days that the distinction between violet and purple has come up in my life. Isn't violet a shade of purple? I guess I have a different definition of the colors than others.

Megan Rapinoe is mentioned; until her recent retirement she played for my local pro women's soccer team.

World by Us: Makena: See Me, Hear Me, Know Me

Author: Denise Lewis Patrick
Illustrator: Courtney Lovett
Published in 2021

Makena, Maritza, and Evette are three middle school girls in the Anacostia area of Washington, DC. They want to make the world a better place.

Summary

After months of remote learning and online classes, Makena ("ma-KAY-nuh" Swahili for "happy one") is excited to get back to what she's used to. Everything seems ready for adventure: her whole extended family is in great moods, her uncle's food truck business (his restaurant didn't survive the pandemic) is doing well, her friends are ready. It's going to be a great school year, at her new school. After a successful first day, Makena goes with her uncle to the new community center. There, she meets two girls, Maritza and Evette, and the trio quickly form a friendship.

Makena is grateful for all the extra support when she and her friend Najee (who is also Black) have to experience racism. They're at a park and see a young White girl who's lost. They go to help her, and Najee ends up carrying her while they search for her parents. But another White woman sees them and assumes that the Black boy is kidnapping the White girl. It's all resolved quickly, and the little girl's mother even witnesses Najee making her daughter laugh, but Makena hates the assumptions that the other woman had.

Makena takes to social media to voice her frustrations. Her clear points and unique style are eye-catching, and people seem sympathetic to her concerns.

But

One afternoon, Makena and her sister (two years younger) find themselves locked out of the house. They look for the spare key, see if the back door is unlocked--and suddenly they hear sirens. Two police officers, one Black and one White, approach with guns drawn. A couple neighbors soon appear, shouting that the sisters live there, and the danger is past. It seems that a new neighbor saw Makena and her sister and jumped to the conclusion that they were burglars. 

Makena is understandably shaken, but also full of resolve. She makes a short video about the incident, challenges people to learn the facts before making assumptions, and gets her parents' approval and permission to post it online. It takes off. The new neighbor comes over, deeply ashamed of his actions, and watches Makena's video too. He humbly tells her he's going to work to be a better person.

Makena and her new friends put on a fashion show at the community center, focused on how what we chose to present to the world (rather than what we're born with) is the real statement we can make.

Misc

Dedicated to "Olympia and Avery and every girl who changes the world with style."

Ooh, the part with Makena's teacher confusing her for the only other Black girl in the class...I am so terrible with remembering faces and with remembering names (all races and colors). Because I know that, I tell people upfront and if I'm not sure of a name I don't try to guess. I hope I haven't given a poor impression to anyone.

There's a part at the end featuring Brandice Daniel, founder of Harlem's Fashion Row which showcases collections from designers who are women of color, ones who have often been left out of fashion.

World by Us: Evette: The River and Me

Author: Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Illustrator: Olivia Duchess
Published in 2021

Evette, Makena, and Maritza are three middle school girls in the Anacostia area of Washington, DC. They want to make the world a better place.

Summary

As the world emerges from the COVID-19 lockdowns and starts to find its new normal, Evette is cautiously optimistic. The caution is warranted; when she can finally attend school in person, her one-time friend Ashlyn has changed a lot. While change can be neutral, Ashlyn doesn't seem to have time for Evette any more, and says nothing when another girl blatantly scrutinizes Evette's appearance and asks with rude bluntness if Evette is Black or White (Evette's mother is Black and her father is White). That afternoon, Evette happens upon a vintage swimsuit at her grandmother's house (Evette's parents are at work; her grandmother provides help with childcare), prompting a story about her grandmother not being welcome at a swimming pool used mainly by white people. After that incident, her grandmother swam in a calm part of an Anacostia River tributary. Evette likes the sound of that, and the style of the swimsuit. Sadly, the place is now terribly polluted. And the odd comment her grandmother made about Evette's other grandparents...what was that about?

No time for questions now. Evette, her younger brother Bud, and their grandmother are taking some of the harvested fruits and vegetables from the garden to the community center. There, Evette is happy to meet Maritza, a soccer enthusiast, and Makena ("ma-KAY-nuh"), a girl she knows from social media. The three don't have long, but quickly begin a friendship.

Back at home, Evette asks her mother about the perceived tension between the two sides of her family. Her mother will only say that something happened a long time ago but won't go into details. Her dad won't talk either. But her other grandmother tells her: when Evette's parents announced their engagement and wedding plans, her paternal (white) grandparents insisted on holding the reception at their home instead of at her maternal (black) grandparents' house, citing safety and the fear of theft. Evette's paternal grandmother realizes now that her assumptions were coming from a racist mindset, but feels it's too late to make amends. She tried in years past, but her attempts were never reciprocated. 

While talking with Itza and Makena at the community center, Evette gets an idea. There's a group dedicated to cleaning up the environment, and she suggests cleaning up the place where her grandmother used to swim--and inviting her other grandparents to the event too. For bonus points, Ashlyn wants to come, too, AND her new friends aren't as rude as they first appeared. The cleanup goes great...except that Evette's maternal grandmother doesn't show. Evette has to be brave and upfront, and finally helps her grandmothers reconcile, with a sincere apology from her paternal grandmother. Fittingly, it happens at the swimming hole. 

And while there, Evette sees the mechanic her father patronizes...illegally dumping. Evette knows he's struggling financially, but there has to be a better solution. Itza and Makena help her figure it out: they use the worn-out tires to make planters, selling them for $25 each. The mechanic apologizes and agrees to dispose of his shop's waste responsibly.

Misc

Dedicated to Sheri Dennis Isaac and Dr. Shelley Glover, "two essential workers in my family during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic."

While not commonly eaten, some flowers are edible. For example, chamomile tea is made from dried flowers.

The author picked good occupations to explain Evette's parents' busy schedules. Her mom is a pediatric cardiologist and her dad is in construction. Both have been incredibly busy careers in the last few years.

A blurb in the back of the book mentions a trio of fifth-grade students who transitioned their school cafeteria from using disposable utensils to reusable ones.

Were I the author or illustrator, I would have included face masks among the litter. It's absurd how many I saw on the ground in 2020 and 2021.

Meet Isabel and Nicki

Authors: Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy (yes, they are twins)
Illustrator: Maike Plenzke
Published in 2023

Summary

It's December of 1999, and nine-year-old twins Isabel and Nicki Hoffman have different reactions to the coming year. Isabel is excited, but Nicki is worried. One concern is the Y2K Bug (yes, it was a huge worry; my father-in-law was one of many computer programmers who helped mitigate the issue, just like the twins' mom is in the book). Isabel is far too involved with her many friends to worry, especially since one of them got the group space to dance in Seattle's New Year celebration--Nicki included! Plus the sisters just got pets for Hanukkah; a dog named Blossom for Nicki (after the Powerpuff girl) and a cat named Buffy for Isabel (for the vampire slayer).

Soon, it seems the twins' perspectives have flipped. Nicki stumbles across a group of young skaters, finding a whole new group of great friends. Meanwhile, Isabel's friends start to drift away, influenced by a stuck-up mean girl. They even kick her out of the New Year dance performance. The twins' differences are feeling more magnified too, leading to fights. Isabel's feeling pretty lost until she also finds a new friend, Kat--one who appreciates her for who she is and doesn't try to change her. The sisters even make up, agreeing to learn to communicate better.

Then Nicki falls while skateboarding, spraining her ankle badly. Isabel rallies to her aid, and together the twins bond, growing closer over their school's winter break than they have in a long time. Both girls find themselves gaining confidence--Nicki is making a zine to pass out with her skateboarding friends at the New Year's party, and Isabel stands up for herself to the mean girl.

A spanner's thrown in the works when the party is cancelled (that really happened; Seattle's mayor called it off, citing safety concerns in light of the WTO protests). Nicki and Isabel are bummed, but soon they realize that the mayor didn't say people couldn't celebrate, just that the official party was cancelled. Their dad owns a coffee shop--what better place for Seattle-ites to celebrate? They quickly plan a party and invite their new friends. Admission is one book, to be donated to patients at the nearby hospital that treated Nicki's sprain. The party is a blast, and Isabel even makes up with her friends who ditched her (it's brief, but I think it's handled well; Isabel doesn't let them get off scot-free and they're properly chagrined for their actions). The mayor even stops by to donate books!

Nicki and Isabel ring in the new year as friends, confident in their future and excited to see what it holds for them.

Inside Isabel and Nicki's World

This is a brief description of pop culture and news from the late 90s, focusing on Seattle. Y2K is mentioned, as is the advent of the 24-hours news cycle, which sensationalizes and often catastrophizes. Special focus is given to the rising representation of girls and women in the media, including the American Girl magazine.

Misc

The authors dedicate their book to the readers.

There was no year 0. It started at AD 1 or 1 CE depending on which you prefer (yes, the AD goes first). 2000 was the last year of the millennium. When it ended, then a new one began. (rant over)

I was born a few years before Isabel and Nicki, and grew up in the greater Seattle area. One thing that stood out as accurate before even opening the book was an alien symbol. Aliens were EVERYWHERE here in the 90s. Frankly, twins made sense to me too. In my tiny high school class of under 70 people, nearly a tenth of the students were twins. And considering one of my grandmothers is a twin, I thought twins were way more common than they really are.

Nicki and Isabel are fraternal twins. Once my kids and I saw a dad at a store with two toddlers, a boy and a girl. One of my kids speculated to me that they might be twins and the dad confirmed that they were twins. I asked him how often people wonder if they're identical, and he said I might be the first person to NOT ask that.

Hanukkah ran from December 3 to December 11 in 1999. The Hoffman family also exchanges gifts on Christmas, but no religious observation is mentioned.

If you find yourself in need of crutches, don't lean on them with your armpits. You're meant to have them a couple inches below your armpits. You end up with callouses on the side of your rib cage, not chafing in your armpits.

Accurate Seattle things: 
-It gets dark early in December. Sunset is around 4:15-4:25 most of the month.
-Grunge!
-"My cousin who goes to school in Olympia taught me how to make [zines]." Yep, that'd be Evergreen College, and yep, it'd have zines.
-Having a sprained ankle sounds right. I did that all the time. My parents ended up buying a pair of crutches after renting them so many times, and my nickname on the soccer team was The Broken Wonder.

Maybe inaccurate Seattle things:
-I've never known a Seattle-area adult born after about 1945 who had kids address them as Mr/Mrs/Ms LastName unless outside of a classroom.
-Having only lived in the Pacific and the Hawaiian Time Zones, I've never worried about the world ending at midnight on a given day. I'd have a heads-up because early time zones would get hit first: if Australia's still there when I wake up, the world didn't end.

Inaccurate Seattle thing:
-Mt. Rainier is too far west in the picture of the Hoffmans on the Space Needle observation deck. I understand wanting to include it because it's iconic and it seems nitpicky, but for someone who's very used to seeing the tallest peak in the state (more than 14,000 feet!), it immediately looks wrong to see it that close to Puget Sound. It needs to be a few inches to the left.