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A review by moonytoast
We Still Belong by Christine Day
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
We Still Belong is such a beautiful, bite-sized story about a young girl whose big dreams for Indigenous People's Day—people reading her poem about the holiday in the student newspaper and asking her crush, Ryan, out to the middle school dance—don't go according to plan.
This is my first foray into reading anything by Christine Day, but she just writes in such a genuine and thoughtful way to where the heart of the main character, Wesley Wilder, just leaps off the page. Reading it feels like a warm hug and a promise of belonging, despite everything the world may say or throw at you.
NOTE: I haven't read much middle grade since I was the target age demographic, but I want to read more now that I'm working in a public library and want to provide more diverse reading options for these kids, since it's a pretty small town and the resources for reading outside the library are fairly limited.
This is my first foray into reading anything by Christine Day, but she just writes in such a genuine and thoughtful way to where the heart of the main character, Wesley Wilder, just leaps off the page. Reading it feels like a warm hug and a promise of belonging, despite everything the world may say or throw at you.
NOTE: I haven't read much middle grade since I was the target age demographic, but I want to read more now that I'm working in a public library and want to provide more diverse reading options for these kids, since it's a pretty small town and the resources for reading outside the library are fairly limited.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Racial slurs