As I navigate the new surreal abnormal normal, I’ve finally felt like reading and have gotten through two books recently. Both are easy reads and couldn’t be more opposite in subjects. And I just got a few more in the mail, so I’m ready to tackle them!
First up: Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun
Fabled Films Press. Age range 8-12. Pub date: February 2, 2020.
From the website: A Contemporary Reimagining of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for Middle Graders
Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a surprising basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself.
Pippa struggles with popularity and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. Juggling jealous Queen Bees, old and new friends, and an unrequited crush is hard enough. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media things begin to spiral out of control.
If you like basketball, friendships, crushes, secrets, and Korean American culture, you’ll like Pippa Park. It has all things familiar: the popular clique, the cute, rich boy, the girl from the poorer side of town. Pretending to be something you’re not doesn’t usually work out, especially in middle school, but sometimes you just gotta try. And Pippa does. Eventually, she starts to figure out who she is and who she wants to be, and that’s when her true friends are found. There are a couple of twists that show Pippa’s heart. Her voice is also perfectly middle school.
Second Book: Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe
Little, Brown Young Readers: August 2020
From the publisher (I’ve shortened this first paragraph from the original):
Eva Evergreen is determined to earn the rank of Novice Witch before she turns thirteen years old. If she doesn't, she'll lose her magic forever. The only problem? Eva only has a pinch of magic.
When she lands on the tranquil coastal town of Auteri, the residents expect a powerful witch, not a semi-magical girl. So Eva comes up with a plan: set up a magical repair shop to aid Auteri and prove she's worthy. She may have more blood than magic, but her "semi-magical fixes" repair the lives of the townspeople in ways they never could have imagined. Only, Eva's bit of magic may not be enough when the biggest magical storm in history threatens the town she's grown to love. Eva must conjure up all of the magic, bravery, and cleverness she can muster or Auteri and her dreams of becoming a witch will wash away with the storm.
I have a total soft spot for MG witch books. They are always fun, fantastical, magical and you know what? Witches go through the same things we all go through. Figuring out friendships, not disappointing anyone, learning about themselves and their strengths and weaknesses. Maybe this book isn’t so different from the other one – just fantasy vs contemporary.
I know many people have compared this story to Kiki's Delivery Service, but I found it reminded me of The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol.
There are lots of subplots, layers, and obstacles. This is a long book for MG and there is some repetition, but when you arrive at the end, you are rooting for Eva and her friends and family. And the setting of Auteri is a place you’d like to visit. Lots of wonderful characters make this story enjoyable.
