Bound To Stay Bound

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 Full cicada moon
 Author: Hilton, Marilyn

 Publisher:  Dial Books for Young Readers (2015)

 Classification: Fiction
 Physical Description: 389 p.,  22 cm.

 BTSB No: 445386 ISBN: 9780525428756
 Ages: 8-12 Grades: 3-7

 Subjects:
 Novels in verse
 Racially mixed people -- Fiction
 Gender role -- Fiction

Price: $6.50

Summary:
In 1969 twelve-year-old Mimi and her family move to an all-white town in Vermont, where Mimi's mixed-race background and interest in "boyish" topics like astronomy make her feel like an outsider.

Accelerated Reader Information:
   Interest Level: MG
   Reading Level: 4.70
   Points: 5.0   Quiz: 175992
Reading Counts Information:
   Interest Level: 6-8
   Reading Level: 5.20
   Points: 11.0   Quiz: 66625

Reviews:
   Kirkus Reviews (+) (06/15/15)
   School Library Journal (+) (08/01/15)
   Booklist (+) (09/01/15)

Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 08/01/2015 Gr 4–8—Mimi tells her story in this novel in verse that will resonate with fans of Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming (Penguin, 2014). The seventh grader describes arriving in small-town Vermont from Berkeley in 1969. While filling out a form, the teen is perplexed by which ethnicity to check off: her father is a black college professor, and her mother is Japanese (they married when he was a soldier stationed overseas). In 1969, mixed race is not an option on the form, nor is Oriental the same as Japanese. Mimi is fascinated by space and the moon landing. She designs a science project for school that requires the use of power tools—all this during a time when girls were not expected to be interested in science and were required to take home economics rather than shop. When Mimi bucks convention, there are repercussions and punishments. She weathers these with support from a smart girlfriend as well as a loyal and tender boy next door. Mimi's parents are engaged in and support the budding scientist's projects. This novel stands out with its thoughtful portrayal of race and its embrace of girls in science and technical fields. The verse, though spare, is powerful and evocative, perfectly capturing Mimi's emotional journey. VERDICT An excellent addition to the growing shelf of novels in verse with culturally diverse protagonists.—Amy Thurow, New Glarus School District, WI - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/01/2015 *Starred Review* Mimi Yoshiko Oliver and her family just moved from Berkeley, California, to Hillsborough, Vermont, where she immediately encounters barrier after barrier to overcome. Mimi’s goal is to become an astronaut; however, it’s 1969, a time when young girls are encouraged to become mothers, secretaries, teachers, or nurses. She also wants to fit in at school. That was easy at her school in Berkeley, where there were kids from every background, but in white-populated Vermont, she stands out as the only half black, half Japanese student. Mimi also goes against the grain by entering the science fair and protesting (via courteous civil disobedience) not being allowed to take the shop class instead of home economics. Persistent like raindrops on granite—drip, drip, drip—she makes friends, finds solutions, and, in being true to herself, gains respect. Written as a novel in verse, the book captures the key snapshots of Mimi’s journey through a transitional time in our history. Mimi’s voice as narrator is clear and focused: she must figure out who she is, instead of answering the question, “What are you?” Out of respect for her parents, the decisions she makes pull from both halves to make a whole. Perfect for readers who straddle societies, feel they don’t fit in, or need that confirmation of self-celebration. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

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