I learned about this book from Feiwel & Friends Associate Editor Foyinsi Adegbonmire at a recent SCBWI workshop and I immediately found an e-version from a nearby library. How did I not know about this book before? I loved it!
This is a great book for anyone who feels like a misfit or that they don't belong. Although I know nothing about J-Pop, it didn't matter because the characters really came alive for me. They were so much like real people I got completely immersed in this story about Millie, a girl who was previously home-schooled starting middle school for the first time.
As Millie began to find herself and make friends, we got to know four other girls with different backgrounds and experiences as well. This story touches on many common issues that kids struggle with including friendships, academic performance, parent expectations, bullies, gender, and being brave enough to be yourself.
Generation Misfits by Akemi Dawn Bowman is a heartwarming, fish-out-of-water own voices story about an eleven-year-old Japanese-American girl who finds her true friends―through the power of J-Pop!
Millie is attending a real school for the first time, and she dreams of finally having friends and a little bit of freedom. She finds her chance when she joins an imitation band of her favorite J-Pop group, where she's thrilled to meet a group of misfits who quickly become a tightknit group of friends that are like family.
But Millie soon realizes that one of them is dealing with problems bigger than what notes to hit when it comes time for their performance. Can Millie help her friend, even when their problem feels too big to say out loud?
Generation Misfitsby Akemi Dawn Bowman was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in 2021. I read an e-book from my local library.
Additional Resources:
Teachingbooks.net has some resources such as how to pronounce the author's name and a story map lesson.
For more great middle grade reads, visit Marvelous Middle Grade Monday organized by Greg Pattridge or check out some of the blogs in my sidebar.
It’s great
to see a book that shows kids the way they are, with the things they notice and
the way they actually talk! I especially loved the scenes with her family and
how they quietly supported her. Another great back-to-school story that is also
good for a preschool or kindergarten classroom book collection.
On
Vanessa’s first day of school, her parents tell her it will be easy to make
friends. Vanessa isn’t so sure. She wears her fanciest outfit so her new
classmates will notice her right away. They notice, but the attention isn’t
what she’d hoped for. As the day goes on, she feels more self-conscious. Her
clothes are too bright, her feather boa has way too many feathers, and even her
name is too hard to write.
The next day, she picks out a plain outfit, and
tells her mom that her name is too long. She just wants to blend in, with a
simple name like the other girls–why couldn’t her parents have named her Megan
or Bella? But when her mother tells her the meaning behind her name, it gives
her the confidence she needs to introduce her classmates to the real Vanessa.
Becoming
Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley Newton was published by Alfred A. Knopf
in 2021.
My thoughts as a creator:
This is a
great mentor text for writers and illustrators! This book gave me insights into
creating voice and creating believable side characters. I especially liked how
the other kids in the class were curious and blunt, but didn’t come across as
mean. Vanessa Brantley Newton is a master at using details to add personality
and interest to her stories and to her illustrations.
My thoughts as an educator:
I
liked this different take on a back-to-school story. I’m looking forward to
sharing this with my kindergarten students and discussing how the main
character’s clothes expressed her personality and feelings. Vanessa solves her
problem in her own way, even though her family is there to support her.
Ages: 3-7
Grades: preschool
– grade 2
Themes: starting
school, feelings, being yourself
Activities:
Family
connections: Ask you parents what your name means or why
they gave you your name. How do you feel about that?
Writing:
What is your favorite thing to wear? How do you feel when you are wearing it?
Draw a picture of yourself in your favorite outfit.
Math
Connections: How many butterflies are in this book? Count them! Draw a picture of
your own with lots of butterflies (or caterpillars) to count.
Social-Emotional
Learning: What do you do when you don’t feel like talking about something yet?
Discuss.
Additional
Resources for Educators:
On
KidLit TV, Vanessa Brantley Newton discusses her life and her art style:
