I Wanna Be Your Shoebox

Christina Garcia seems to have created the ultimate in non-didactic multicultural literature in the central character of her novel I Wanna Be Your Shoebox. Yumi Ruiz-Hirsch is part Cuban, part Japanese, and part Jewish. But she is also part musician, part surfer, and part historian. Yumi's eighth grade year seems to be more than a little filled up. Within the span of a few months, she has found out that her school will be cutting her beloved orchestra from its budget, her mother is remarrying, and her grandfather is dying. As Yumi listens to her grandfather Saul tell his life story, she also begins to learn to fight for the things she wants as she works with her classmates, father, and soon-to-be step-father to organize a punk rock orchestra fundraiser. She also quickly realizes that life doesn't always turn out the way you planned - sometimes you just have to make do the best you can and join in the dance.

Episodes from Yumi's year are beautifully described by the author, who was a National Book Award finalist in 1992 for her adult novel Dreaming in Cuban. Garcia's experience as an adult author shine though clearly in her first mid-grade novel, giving Yumi's narration a literary tone that will appeal to most, but could potentially turn away some less-experienced, less-patient readers. Overall, however, this novel's characters are beautifully drawn and Yumi's adventures show a delicious combination of youthful vigor and wise understanding. Saul's own narration of his life story, presented at the end of each chapter, is given a very distinct voice which makes his character stand out and adds a dynamic all its own as the reader learns along with Yumi about how his experiences have shaped the man he became.

Overall Grade: A-

One Voice Please

Many readers may recognize Sam McBratney as the author of beloved picture books, including my own personal favorite Guess How Much I Love You. Now, McBratney has put together a collection of short stories for older readers under the title One Voice, Please. In the books introduction, McBratney explains how he once heard this phrase silence a crowded pub so that one man could share a story with the entire crowd. This is a fitting title, given the nature of the book's collection of tales. Many of these fables will be familiar to readers, including the story of the ion and the mouse, and the Pied Piper of Hamlin. However, most of these stories were unfamiliar to me. This pleasant combination of the familiar and the unfamiliar made the transition from story to story smooth and comforting. Each tale is a sort of fable with a lesson or moral at the end, but the collection is not overly moralistic, preachy, or didactic. The writing is smooth and pleasant, and as indicated by the subtitle, would be perfectly suited to be reading aloud.

The stick-like illustrations found within the text are the work of another well-known picture book author/illustrator, Russel Ayto. The sketches are an edgy yet whimsical accompaniment to this smooth text. This book is truly a good transitional book, with aspects that will be greatly appreciated by readers ranging from preschoolers who are being read to, to grade schoolers looking for a simple, comforting text, to the adults who share this book with their children.

My only criticism is the fact that while this collection contains stories from all over the world, no note is ever made of the stories' origins. Granted, it is somewhat refreshing to not have multiculturalism slammed down our throats in an obvious way, and this lack of information almost makes the stories blend together a bit more seamlessly. The stories come together under the category of "story" rather than under the guise of "world cultures" - which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, it may have been nice to at least have a note or appendix at the end of the text with this information so that readers can easily investigate a story or its culture more thoroughly should they desire.

Overall Grade: A