Review by Booklist Review
Written by two authors, this epistolary novel about two pen pals combines two richly detailed, separate stories while showing the essential connections shared between the young people. Born in India, Meena, 12, lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Chinatown, New York. While preparing for the citizenship exam, her mother works as a nanny, and her father searches for work elsewhere, only returning home one weekend a month. In rural Kentucky, River, 12, faces hardship when his coal-miner father loses his job and has to move far away, and his depressed mother barely gets out of bed. His support is Mamaw, his half-Cherokee grandmother, who is a passionate local environmental activist. Through e-mails, and occasional snail mails, both kids help each other through painful family tensions and struggles, and both suffer community prejudice as hillbillies and immigrants looking for a handout. Readers will be held by the kids' challenges, along with the warm bond they share.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Even better than reading a refreshingly honest story by one talented writer is reading one by two such writers. House (Eli the Good) and adult author Vaswani (Where the Long Grass Bends) alternate between the voices of Meena-a 12-year-old girl who lives with her recently immigrated Indian family in New York City-and River, who lives with his environmental activist grandmother in rural Kentucky. The two connect as pen pals, and their letters reveal the unusual intersections (like okra) and the stark contrasts in their lives. The preteens reflect on everything from prejudice and religion to politics and music, but their voices are so open, true, and even humorous that the story never feels heavy or preachy ("You are the best person I know," River writes. "But I'm sorry, I still don't like to talk about shaving your legs and all that. That is something we will have to agree to disagree on"). Meena and River don't have all their troubles worked out by book's end, but readers will feel confident that their friendship will get them through whatever lies ahead. Ages 9-up. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Meena, a recent immigrant from India, lives in Manhattan's Chinatown with her family. Through a program arranged by their schools, she becomes a pen pal with River, who lives in rural Kentucky and is the son of a coal miner. They exchange letters via snail mail and, as a result, learn about each other and themselves. Sharing day-to-day activities, secrets, opinions, and questions, Meena and River start to break down barriers and talk about their lives. Their letters reveal their many similarities and differences. They both have a close relationship with their grandmothers, love dogs, and their fathers work far away in order to provide for their families. They maintain their correspondence as they go through some difficult moments in their lives such as when Meena faces the death of her grandmother in India and when River's town faces environmental concerns related to coal mining. The novel (Candlewick, 2012) is perfectly narrated by authors Silas House (River) and Neela Vaswani (Meena), further invigorating the story with their Southern and Indian accents. This tale about debunking cultural stereotypes, friendship, and finding common ground will resonate with listeners.-Katie Llera, Sayreville Middle School, NJ (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Meena, an Indian immigrant girl in New York, and River, a boy from coal-country Kentucky, become pen pals. Through their letters, they help each other cope with family struggles, environmental disasters, and even death and homelessness. While occasionally heavy-handed regarding the issues, each letter writers voice is strong and distinct with the passion of budding adolescents. Sporadic visuals are included. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
(Fiction. 9-13)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
