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Yolk
Mary H.K. Choi. Simon & Schuster, 18.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-5344-4600-7
In this reflective, deliberately paced novel told from a younger sibling's point of view, Choi (Permanent Record) examines the relationship between two Korean American sisters. Ambitious older sister June and impulsive Jayne had a love-hate relationship throughout their Texas childhood, and though they both now live in New York City, they've become fully estranged. June is a corporate success, working in hedge funds, while Jayne attends fashion design school and struggles to make it to class. The silence between the two ends, however, when June reveals that she has cancer. For the first time, Jayne, always protected by her older sibling, plays the supportive role, cooking and cleaning June's posh Manhattan apartment. Insightful and intricately constructed, Choi's novel provides a tender look at the sisters' layered bond while addressing aspects of Jayne's experience, including sibling resentment, anxious efforts to navigate relationships, and a long-term eating disorder. If the story takes its time unfolding amid running social commentary, the result is an appreciably personal-feeling narrative about cultural identity, mental and physical health, and siblinghood's complications. Ages 14–up. Agent: Edward Orloff, McCormick Literary. (Mar.)
The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field
Scott Riley, illus. by Nguyen Quang and Kim Lien. Millbrook, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5415-7915-6
This real-life celebration of resourcefulness by debut author Riley follows Prasit Hemmin, a boy who, with his friends, found space for a soccer field on the Thai island of Koh Panyee and founded one of the most successful youth soccer clubs in Southern Thailand. Living “in a village on stilts,” Hemmin and pals use a sandbar to play when the tide is low. But watching the 1986 FIFA World Cup, they decide to construct a floating platform from scavenged materials to create a less ephemeral field. Working around the field’s limitations and forming a football club, they go on to play in a mainland tournament. Illustrations by Vietnamese team Quang and Lien emphasize light, movement, and perspective, making for a transportive read. A compelling book for football fans and readers seeking examples of ingenuity. Back matter includes an author’s note, a note from Hemmin, and a glossary of English and Thai soccer terms with pronunciations. Ages 8–9. (Mar.)
There Goes Patti McGee! The Story of the First Women’s National Skateboard Champion
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Tootie Nienow, illus. by Erika Medina. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-374-31399-9
Nienow aptly profiles Patti McGee, “the first professional female skateboarder in history,” following her as she first spots a group of boys “riding a board with wheels,” assembles a makeshift board of her own, joins a skateboarding team, and eventually earns a landmark win armed with her new trick—the rolling handstand—at the first National Skateboard Championship in 1964. Nienow makes effective use of anaphora (“When people sneered, Patti smiled. When they yelled “Get off the sidewalk,” all she heard was the click of her board”) and onomatopoeia (“ZOOM!”), while Medina features bold lines that dovetail with renditions of McGee practicing moves. An action-packed picture book biography that will engage casual skaters and non-boarders alike. Back matter includes an author’s note and bibliography. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)
An Equal Shot: How the Law Title IX Changed America
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Helaine Becker, illus. by Dow Phumiruk. Holt/Ottaviano, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-250-24195-5
Three girls in contemporary clothing peer, dismayed, at founding U.S. documents, seeing firsthand how protection against sex-based discrimination was lacking until Title IX: 1972 civil rights legislation, today known largely for its contribution to sports, that also offers girls and women equal access to jobs and educational opportunities. Becker’s concise prose is both informative and accessible (“Title IX’s thirty-seven words taught us a simple truth: Words have power”). Phumiruk’s digital art spotlights graceful, slim-limbed figures with differing skin tones engaging in a range of professions and physical activities. While the conclusion is overly idealistic (“Today, no American can be held back from living out their dream because of their gender”), this book serves as a solid starting point for anyone interested in the groundbreaking law. Back matter includes four biographies of significant female architects of the legislation, effects of the law both past and present, “More Work to Do,” and additional resources. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)
Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero
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Megan Hoyt, illus. by Iacopo Bruno. Quill Tree, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-290811-7
Hoyt relays the extraordinary actions of Gino Bartali, an Italian cyclist who won the 1938 Tour de France and went on to save around 800 Jewish people and 50 English soldiers during the Nazi occupation of Italy. Several of Bartoli’s pivotal efforts are illuminated, including his delivering fake identity packets to families across Italy and using his cycling fame to shield people as they boarded trains to freedom. Hoyt’s prose is atmospheric (“Gino pedaled up steep mountains dotted with alpine villages”), and Bruno’s bold, poster-style illustrations, rendered in pencil with digital color, prove thoroughly immersive. An engrossing look at a humble man whose efforts benefited many. Back matter includes a timeline, a note from Bartali’s granddaughter, an author’s note, and a bibliography. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)
Walking Toward Peace: The True Story of a Brave Woman Called Peace Pilgrim
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Kathleen Krull, illus. by Annie Bowler. Flyaway, $18 (40p) ISBN 978-1-947888-26-5
In this narrative nonfiction picture book, Krull presents the story of Peace Pilgrim, a woman who decided, in the wake of WWII and at the age of 44, to give up her name, former life, and possessions to walk across the United States speaking to individuals and addressing groups about peace. “Walking for twenty-eight years,” Peace Pilgrim relied on the kindness of others in order to fulfill her needs for food and shelter. Krull echoes Peace Pilgrim’s “commonsense way” in her simple prose (“Step by step, east and west, north and south, she zigzagged across the country”), while Bowler’s mellow color palette and dynamic art portray the white woman and iconic blue tunic. An intriguing portrait of a little-known activist. Back matter includes more about Peace Pilgrim. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)
Game Changer
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Neal Shusterman. Quill Tree, $17.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-06-199867-6
A straight, white, cisgender teen is confronted with his own privilege via iterative realities in Printz Honoree Shusterman’s (Scythe) ambitious speculative novel. In the first game of his senior year, defensive tackle Ash Bowman feels a strange sensation while sacking the opposing team’s quarterback. That night, he discovers that stop signs are now blue instead of red, and no one remembers otherwise. The next time it happens, Ash enters a wealthy existence where his family swaps tract housing for a gated community, and a third tackle has him attending an all-white high school in a world where segregation never ended. As each hit spins Ash further from the reality he knows, he finds himself grappling with realities of class, gender, race, and sexuality. Some gratifyingly complex character relationships help balance the action, but centering the privileged protagonist’s limited perspective means that characters with more intersectionally layered identities come off as secondary. Shusterman’s tackling of so many nuanced subjects fails to focus sufficiently on each, resulting in a thought-provoking work that only skims the surface. Ages 14–up. (Feb.)■
It’s Kind of a Cheesy Love Story
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Lauren Morrill. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-374-30621-2
Being the “Hot ’N Crusty Bathroom Baby” is 16-year-old Beck Brix’s claim to fame, and the bane of her existence. Even the local news covered her birth on a pizza parlor ladies’ room floor, and “no one grows out of anything in a small town”—especially when she takes a job at the Hot ’N Crusty to cover gas, car insurance, and her fancy friend group’s weekend shopping trips. But it’s not so bad; she starts to feel more comfortable with the pizza crew than with her cool school friends, and more able to let out her inner nerd. Plus, the brusque delivery guy, Tristan, is kind of cute. Morrill (Better than the Best Plan) makes Brix believable and likable, and gives her a distinct voice (she nearly “melts into a puddle of Beck” when her hunky crush sits next to her), even as she knows she should say hello to her co-worker at school—and doesn’t. It’s unfortunate, though, that Beck’s big lesson on being true to herself is largely courtesy of Tristan rather than her own exploration. Ages 14–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management. (Mar.)
The Immortal Boy
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Francisco Montaña Ibáñez, trans. from the Spanish by David Bowles. Levine Querido, $17.99 (176p) ISBN 978-1-64614-044-2
Two stories told in parallel converge tragically in this poignant dual-language YA novel set around Bogotá, Colombia. After a seemingly fearless boy stops a group of kids from tormenting her at an orphanage, Nina decides “to catch him and make him my friend.” There’s just one problem: the mysterious “Immortal Boy,” whom “bullets can’t kill,” prefers to avoid others’ company. Elsewhere in Bogotá, five siblings live in a single room, fighting to keep themselves fed and safe until their father’s return. But when one of them, 13-year-old Hector, is accused of stealing and loses his job, he seeks help from an untrustworthy source, with dire consequences. The novel, told in both first and third person, presents Montaña Ibáñez’s original Spanish text alongside Bowles’s adept English translation. While depictions of extreme poverty and implied gun violence may prove triggering for some readers, the stark beauty of Montaña Ibáñez’s narrative will give those who pick it up much to contemplate. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)
Called Upon
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Bethany Lee. Morgan James, $15.95 (280p) ISBN 978-1-63195-202-9
Kaitlyn, 14, has been having a hard time in school, with her former best friend orchestrating the teen’s daily torture. Her mother has a solution, though: Kaitlyn will spend the summer at Camp Overlook and hopefully make a few friends. Kaitlyn finds herself quickly adopted by her bunkmates and forms a fast friendship with Molly, who sets her sights on Jake, the cutest boy in camp. As the girls befriend Jake’s bunkmates, Kaitlyn realizes that something strange is happening at Camp Overlook, and turns to Claire, a return camper who warns of disappearances and hints at the teens’ fate as lab rats. Interweaved throughout is the story of Ashley, a pregnant teen who isn’t sure how to handle impending motherhood. Though debut novelist Lee’s too-tidy thriller relies heavily on Scooby Doo–style confessions, realistic characters give the story a grounded appeal. Ages 12–16. (Mar.)
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