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A review by lauriehnatiuk
The Sea in Winter by Christine Day
4.0
The Sea in Winter is my first book to read written by Christine Day, and I know I need to go back and read her debut I, Can Make This Promise. I loved her descriptive writing, especially when the main character Maisie and her family took the ferry and went on a mid-winter family getaway near the Makah community where her mother grew up. I love the trees and the Pacific Northwest, so I slowly savoured those descriptions and felt that I was there with them.
Maisie loves ballet. It is who she thinks she is and what she wants to do with her life. But, things, as we all know, do not always go as planned. Not quite a year later, Maisie is still trying to overcome a knee injury and struggling at how hard it is and how painfully slow it is.
Despite improvements, she feels like time is slipping away - her friends Eva and Hattie are connected to dance and making dance-related summer plans. Not going to auditions and not dancing is so frustrating that it spills over into how she acts around her family. Maisie knows how she treats her family is wrong, but it seems the harder she tries, the worse it gets.
Overcoming an injury and believing that your identity is only one thing will connect to many readers. And this is what shines for me - Maisie has to come to realize that she is more than ballet. And that's hard to figure out as a seventh-grader, but Maisie is lucky because she has the supports she needs - her family, friends, teachers and a therapist are there.
Christine Day reveals how those people are on the sidelines waiting to help Maisie when she is ready, and this is how the story goes beyond overcoming an injury but figuring out all the parts of your identity.
I liked the family dynamics within the family and the special relationship between Maisie and her stepfather. It was apparent how much he cared for Maisie but at the same time was not going to let her be disrespectful and allow her injury to excuse her declining marks in school. Ms. Day also skillfully weaves Maisie's biological father in answering questions readers will have about Maisie's "real dad." It is clear that they have strong family ties and are a busy family.
One of the things that I appreciated is that we saw that Maisie's parents both wanted to share the history and traditional knowledge of her Indigenous cultures. The parents' issues and values were naturally woven into their everyday life. Subtle as it is, it helps Maisie see another part of her identity. The Author's Note is also worth reading, sharing and discussing as Ms. Day explains chapter titles, the artifact findings that now reside in the Makah Cultural and Research Center and the dam removal project that blocked the Elwha River. Often these perspectives are overlooked or absent, and sharing the note can lead to further discussion and inquiry.
I was happy to see that Maisie recognized and pursued her other passions; her love of reading and writing. I hope she sees more of the resilience and the culture of her ancestors and relatives. Although she may no longer be able to be a ballerina, perhaps down the road, she may become involved in her Makah and Piscataway cultures and part of traditional dances, whether it be dancing or sewing and beading the dresses. Perhaps we will see Maisie again, and I am hoping we do.
FIRST LINE: I'm late to homeroom.
SIMILAR TITLES: No Ballet Shoes in Syria, Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids and The Barren Grounds
OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR: I Can Make This Promise
RECOMMENDED: Gr. 5+
Maisie loves ballet. It is who she thinks she is and what she wants to do with her life. But, things, as we all know, do not always go as planned. Not quite a year later, Maisie is still trying to overcome a knee injury and struggling at how hard it is and how painfully slow it is.
Despite improvements, she feels like time is slipping away - her friends Eva and Hattie are connected to dance and making dance-related summer plans. Not going to auditions and not dancing is so frustrating that it spills over into how she acts around her family. Maisie knows how she treats her family is wrong, but it seems the harder she tries, the worse it gets.
Overcoming an injury and believing that your identity is only one thing will connect to many readers. And this is what shines for me - Maisie has to come to realize that she is more than ballet. And that's hard to figure out as a seventh-grader, but Maisie is lucky because she has the supports she needs - her family, friends, teachers and a therapist are there.
Christine Day reveals how those people are on the sidelines waiting to help Maisie when she is ready, and this is how the story goes beyond overcoming an injury but figuring out all the parts of your identity.
I liked the family dynamics within the family and the special relationship between Maisie and her stepfather. It was apparent how much he cared for Maisie but at the same time was not going to let her be disrespectful and allow her injury to excuse her declining marks in school. Ms. Day also skillfully weaves Maisie's biological father in answering questions readers will have about Maisie's "real dad." It is clear that they have strong family ties and are a busy family.
One of the things that I appreciated is that we saw that Maisie's parents both wanted to share the history and traditional knowledge of her Indigenous cultures. The parents' issues and values were naturally woven into their everyday life. Subtle as it is, it helps Maisie see another part of her identity. The Author's Note is also worth reading, sharing and discussing as Ms. Day explains chapter titles, the artifact findings that now reside in the Makah Cultural and Research Center and the dam removal project that blocked the Elwha River. Often these perspectives are overlooked or absent, and sharing the note can lead to further discussion and inquiry.
I was happy to see that Maisie recognized and pursued her other passions; her love of reading and writing. I hope she sees more of the resilience and the culture of her ancestors and relatives. Although she may no longer be able to be a ballerina, perhaps down the road, she may become involved in her Makah and Piscataway cultures and part of traditional dances, whether it be dancing or sewing and beading the dresses. Perhaps we will see Maisie again, and I am hoping we do.
FIRST LINE: I'm late to homeroom.
SIMILAR TITLES: No Ballet Shoes in Syria, Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids and The Barren Grounds
OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR: I Can Make This Promise
RECOMMENDED: Gr. 5+