Hurricane Child, written by Kheryn Callender, reviewed by Caroline Rabideau

Summary: Caroline Murphy was born during a hurricane, which left an imprint on her personality. She is rough, tough, and often finds herself in trouble. But it doesn't take long to realize that Caroline is being bullied every day at school, not only by the other girls, but also by her teacher. To add insult to injury, her mom left her and her dad to fend for themselves, and Caroline is desperate to find her and correct her life. She is miserable and alone, until a new girl starts at school. Kalinda is amazing and somehow manages to tame even the worst of the school bullies. Caroline can't seem to understand why, but Kalinda wants to be her friend. Soon Caroline recognizes that the feelings she feels for Kalinda are more than just friendship, but maybe even love. Caroline's life is suddenly filled with choices. Should she tell Kalinda, or keep her feelings a secret? Should she search for her mom, or accept her fate? And how will her decisions impact the rest of her life? This is a touching story told through the raw emotion-filled eyes of a 12 year old grappling with growing up.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This story touched my heart in two very personal ways. First, Caroline's family has been torn apart, not by divorce, but when her mom leaves overnight without saying goodbye. At first she sends post cards from foreign countries, but when they stop coming, Caroline finds out her dad threw them away after she read them. She starts to question, how could her mother have left her? Doesn't she love her? How can she surviv
e without her mom? There's so much pain behind these questions, and that sadness is beautifully written throughout the story. I think any child who has dealt with losing a parent from their home or their life will really identify with that part of Hurricane Child. Caroline is desperate to seek the answer to these questions, yet fearful that perhaps the answer won't be the one she hopes. Secondly, Caroline is coming to terms with her first crush. Though their relationship begins as a simple friendship, she quickly recognizes her feelings are more powerful than that of friends. She is physically attracted to Kalinda, wanting to hold her hand everywhere they go. Her mind is consumed with thoughts of her friend, and all she wants is to spend time with Kalinda. Kalinda has openly expressed her disapproval of same-sex relationships, but Caroline holds out hope that there may be some chance for a relationship with her friend. Somehow Callender explores this first love with both hesitation and passion, making the reader wonder if Caroline is brave enough to defy society and stand up for the relationship that brings her such joy. Throughout the book I continuously found myself searching for a historical time frame. The book opens with the school teacher using physical discipline on her students as frequent punishment. Also, it is established early on that the school teacher has light skin, the majority of the kids in Caroline's class have light brown skin, and Caroline has the darkest skin in her class. Because of the color of her skin, Missus Wilhelmina likes Caroline the least and purposely targets her for punishment. These two facts quickly set the seen for a historical setting. Later in the book it is expressed that lesbian couples are not acceptable in society, which further adds to the historical context. Yet a year is never stated, and I found myself desperately searching for any clues to the year. Caroline's mother often sings a song, identified at the end of the book as Blackbird by Nina Simone, which was released in 1966. Her mother states that this song expresses how she felt when Caroline was young. I'm assuming that this book is set in the early 1970s, but I am completely guessing this, and I found that frustrating through the entire book. Aside from the way Caroline is treated in school, this could be a realistic fiction novel, and I found myself picturing the characters in a school similar to the one I work in. Yet, the way Caroline was treated at school always kept me wondering what year it was really set in. The cover of the book is beautiful, it would attract attention on any display, but would be great to feature on a LGBTQ display. I hesitate to recommend it as historical fiction because the time frame was not set. I do believe this would be a great book to suggest to students grappling with seperation within their home or their sexuality. It approaches both topics from a safe and love-filled perspective. Never was there an inappropriate situation that might cause a student to feel embarrassed or awkward. Both topics were handled delicately and with kindness. I am excited to recommend this book to many of my students and add it to our school library. I think this will be a book the social workers, councilors, teachers, and I can all recommend for so many students who are trying to find their place in their family and their own relationships.