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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Rating: yellow
CWs:
Okay, I was not expecting this to be magical historical fiction. It had lots of little surprises. I like a good summer story and a good middle grade fiction, and this was both.
I’ve got a lot of thoughts about Bear’s dad and how he was portrayed sympathetically, but also not excusably. I was surprised to find I had a lot of compassion for him. I feel for anyone who suffers from trauma so much that they accidentally hurt the people they love. I’m not necessarily talking about abuse, I’m talking about someone being so afraid of being hurt again that they hold on too tight—in this case figuratively and literally. Bear’s dad is so afraid of Bear leaving him that in his alcoholism he won’t let him go anywhere and holds onto him too tightly. Rhodes did an excellent job portraying that nuance.
I also like being reminded that even if someone doesn’t mean to hurt their child, it doesn’t excuse their behavior or make it right. I love that we see Bear’s dad taking the first steps to being a better pa—and a better person. He’s not forgiven instantly and it doesn’t change the horrible way he treated Bear, but it does mean something when he confesses his mistakes, apologizes, and tries to alleviate Bear’s guilt by saying Bear deserves better. Because he does. Any child going through that much emotional and physical pain deserves better.
This book makes me very excited to read more books Jewell Parker Rhodes. Her writing is so creative and accessible and just all-around fun to read and there’s so many books to choose from! I read [b:Black Brother, Black Brother|51942425|Black Brother, Black Brother|Jewell Parker Rhodes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576627445l/51942425._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72936697] earlier this year and loved it. I think my next read by her will be [b:Ninth Ward|7118768|Ninth Ward|Jewell Parker Rhodes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1267819800l/7118768._SX50_.jpg|7379610]. This is the beginning of a beautiful readership.
CWs:
Spoiler
alcoholism (parent), anxiety, death of a loved one, depression, domestic violence (physical and emotional), environmental degradation, grief, oil disasterOkay, I was not expecting this to be magical historical fiction. It had lots of little surprises. I like a good summer story and a good middle grade fiction, and this was both.
I’ve got a lot of thoughts about Bear’s dad and how he was portrayed sympathetically, but also not excusably. I was surprised to find I had a lot of compassion for him. I feel for anyone who suffers from trauma so much that they accidentally hurt the people they love. I’m not necessarily talking about abuse, I’m talking about someone being so afraid of being hurt again that they hold on too tight—in this case figuratively and literally. Bear’s dad is so afraid of Bear leaving him that in his alcoholism he won’t let him go anywhere and holds onto him too tightly. Rhodes did an excellent job portraying that nuance.
I also like being reminded that even if someone doesn’t mean to hurt their child, it doesn’t excuse their behavior or make it right. I love that we see Bear’s dad taking the first steps to being a better pa—and a better person. He’s not forgiven instantly and it doesn’t change the horrible way he treated Bear, but it does mean something when he confesses his mistakes, apologizes, and tries to alleviate Bear’s guilt by saying Bear deserves better. Because he does. Any child going through that much emotional and physical pain deserves better.
This book makes me very excited to read more books Jewell Parker Rhodes. Her writing is so creative and accessible and just all-around fun to read and there’s so many books to choose from! I read [b:Black Brother, Black Brother|51942425|Black Brother, Black Brother|Jewell Parker Rhodes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576627445l/51942425._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72936697] earlier this year and loved it. I think my next read by her will be [b:Ninth Ward|7118768|Ninth Ward|Jewell Parker Rhodes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1267819800l/7118768._SX50_.jpg|7379610]. This is the beginning of a beautiful readership.
This is a deftly written story starring a smart, capable Black girl full of agency, love, and laughter. Nature is nearly a character, with the bayou setting both peaceful and beautifully intriguing. The friendship she has with a boy her age really brought the story together. A loving community with joy and laughter is a backdrop for personal growth as she develops her connection to magic.
In the second half, the book takes a sharp turn towards some serious topics. (Spoilers)
An abusive, alcoholic, absent parent is portrayed - who somehow still means well and is forgiven, in a way that made me nervously queasy. No plan is made for his recovery, which is perhaps appropriate from a child's point of view, but made me simply worry. Then there's a huge environmental disaster and dead pelicans are everywhere. This is resolved in a rapidfire single chapter, and the sadness and horror of the oil spill far outweighed the emotional resonance of the ending to me. That may have been intentional; and I can also imagine the hard conversations that this book will cause parents to have. Perhaps good, necessary, hard conversations. I'd just caution against reading just before bedtime to allow those conversations to unfold.
In the second half, the book takes a sharp turn towards some serious topics. (Spoilers)
An abusive, alcoholic, absent parent is portrayed - who somehow still means well and is forgiven, in a way that made me nervously queasy. No plan is made for his recovery, which is perhaps appropriate from a child's point of view, but made me simply worry. Then there's a huge environmental disaster and dead pelicans are everywhere. This is resolved in a rapidfire single chapter, and the sadness and horror of the oil spill far outweighed the emotional resonance of the ending to me. That may have been intentional; and I can also imagine the hard conversations that this book will cause parents to have. Perhaps good, necessary, hard conversations. I'd just caution against reading just before bedtime to allow those conversations to unfold.
A wonderful middle grade work about the powerful connection of culture, place, and people.
Friendship, family, history, and ecological awareness.
Friendship, family, history, and ecological awareness.
Listened to the audio book read by Bahni Turpin. The story really came alive and was engaging.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this book. I loved the story and the reminder that with our imagination and hope and hard work, we can make a difference. Maddy was such a sweet child, unsure of herself and her place in the world, but the bayou is in her blood and there is more than she ever imagined. More to her and more to her family and so much more in this world.
Her best book yet, and I should know- I helped research it!
4/5 stars for this magical middle grade read
Great atmospheric setting, great characters, and such a good heartfelt story to go along with it. Narrated by the amazing Bahni Turpin
Great atmospheric setting, great characters, and such a good heartfelt story to go along with it. Narrated by the amazing Bahni Turpin
Maddy goes to spend the summer at her grandmother's, who lives in the bayou, and in doing so she finds out who she really is, what makes her special, and where she belongs. There's friendship, magic, community, and an oil spill. The oil spill's damage is lessened through magic, if only these things could be handled that way in real life. Still, this story makes clear on a middle grade level all that is at stake when a part of the environment is lost, the lives, jobs, and communities effected.
I've found out in recent weeks about Mami Wata, and she appears in this story. Turns out, not all mermaids look like Ariel, and they never did.
I think one of the most important messages we can impart on children is to not worry about the people who find them odd, but to know there is a place for them in the world, they just need to find it.
I've found out in recent weeks about Mami Wata, and she appears in this story. Turns out, not all mermaids look like Ariel, and they never did.
I think one of the most important messages we can impart on children is to not worry about the people who find them odd, but to know there is a place for them in the world, they just need to find it.
I will always happily read anything Jewell Parker Rhodes writes. I have been in love since Ninth Ward. Bayou Magic continues the trend with Madison (or Maddy), the youngest daughter off to meet her grandmother for the first time in the bayou of Bon Temps, Louisiana. In this magical place, Maddy will discover things about herself and the world.
There was one section that I found to be more unbelievable than others, even in a magical realism story, about Bear and his pa. I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers, but it resolved too easily for me.
There was one section that I found to be more unbelievable than others, even in a magical realism story, about Bear and his pa. I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers, but it resolved too easily for me.