Bound To Stay Bound

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 Magical imperfect
 Author: Baron, Chris

 Publisher:  Feiwel and Friends (2021)

 Classification: Fiction
 Physical Description: 323 p.,  21 cm

 BTSB No: 091681 ISBN: 9781250767820
 Ages: 9-12 Grades: 4-7

 Subjects:
 Novels in verse
 Family life -- Fiction
 Friendship -- Fiction
 Jews -- Fiction
 Eczema -- Fiction
 California -- Fiction

Price: $21.88

Summary:
Etan has stopped speaking since his mother left. When Etan is asked to deliver a grocery order to the outskirts of town, he realizes he's at the home of Malia Agbayani, also known as the Creature. As the two become friends, other kids tease Etan for knowing the Creature. But he believes he might have a cure for Malia's eczema condition, if only he can convince his family and hers to believe it too.

Accelerated Reader Information:
   Interest Level: MG+
   Reading Level: 4.50
   Points: 6.0   Quiz: 514900

Reviews:
   School Library Journal (06/25/21)
   Booklist (+) (06/01/21)

Full Text Reviews:

Booklist - 06/01/2021 *Starred Review* As Baron’s novel opens, middle-school student Etan is literally speechless following his mother’s recent mental health hospitalization. The grandson of Jewish émigrés who made their way from Prague to a new life in the U.S. through Angel Island, Etan is deeply connected with the families who settled his Oakland neighborhood, but they, like his family, are at a loss as to how to get him to talk. Then, one day, while delivering groceries, he meets Malia, aka “The Creature.” Living with acute eczema, Malia, who is Filipina American, stopped attending school when the bullying became too much. She lurks behind her front door in her remote family home, concealing herself both in terms of her appearance and her talents. The two lonely outcasts form a friendship that gets them through worries, school, and family troubles—even surviving the 1989 World Series playoffs earthquake! Throughout this novel in verse, Baron uses every word to advantage, capturing the fears and joys of two young people, who are stronger than they realize. Though this is quick to read, readers will want to savor the magic in the words and the delight of the resolution. Highly recommended, this historical novel satisfyingly blends empathy, a range of diversity, and youthful possibility with serendipity’s sparkle. Perfect for readers of Wonder (2012) and Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe (2017). - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 06/25/2021 Gr 3–7—The whole town eagerly watches the 1989 baseball playoffs, but Etan is unable to fully engage. Since his mother left, Etan has neither the energy nor the will to speak. He spends most of his time with his grandfather in his jewelry shop on Main Street and with the shopkeepers who are accepting of his silence. Delivering a package to a house outside of town, Etan encounters Malia, known by kids as "the Creature" because of the eczema that covers her body. She invites him in to meet her grandmother, a refugee from the Philippines who befriended Etan's Jewish grandparents when they were escaping the horrors of the war in 1940. As this new friendship grows, Etan wants to help Malia's eczema get better with his grandfather's special clay, and to help her gain the confidence to sing at the local talent show. An earthquake that hits that day shakes everything up, but ultimately leads to Etan finding his voice, and Malia using hers to share her story. VERDICT Written in first person, this lyrical novel-in-verse invites readers into Etan's world, who will be drawn in by his very silence and how friendship relies on listening just as much as speaking.—Connie Williams, Petaluma, CA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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