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A review by littlelionslibrary
Dawn Raid by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith
5.0
Thank you to Levine Querido for the copy!
I don’t typically read middle grade books (unless I’m doing my yearly PJO re-read) but I’m so glad I decided to pick this one up! This is told through the lens of journal entries written by Sofia Savea, a 12 year old girl living in New Zealand in the ‘70s. It covers all your regular pre-teen girl woes—annoying brothers, wanting a pair of shoes so bad you might die if you don’t get them, mean girls, finding your place in the world, finding your passion in something new. What makes this so different is the educational edge this story holds. In the midst of reminding us what it’s like to be young, this book teaches its readers about what it meant to be an Islander (specifically Samoan) in New Zealand in the 70s and how the Civil Rights era effected the fabric of a country different than our own (in my case, America.) In my opinion, this book does a great job of illustrating the “you don’t think it could happen to you until it does” mentality for readers who might not have the life experience to understand these topics when explained in academia/by adults—the topics become more accessible when told in a voice they can relate to and Smith does a great job of finding her pre-teen voice. I’ve seen people say that for the topic, it lacks teeth and bite, but I’d argue to say that this book is seeking to evoke less of an over-the-top emotional response and deliver a more educational package, which it succeeds in doing. Outside of that, I enjoyed how Smith included translations of Māori and Samoan terms as she used them as it helped to bring more of an understanding to the content. I loved that I was able to use this book as a conversational tool with my husband, who is Samoan and grew up in Apia, to learn more about history as it relates to Samoa and its relationship with New Zealand. This will be staying on my shelf for my future children (and myself.)
Also, there’s a part where they discuss foods that have cultural significance to their families and it ended with me craving sapasui so, I’m gonna go bug my man and ask him to make it for dinner soon.
I don’t typically read middle grade books (unless I’m doing my yearly PJO re-read) but I’m so glad I decided to pick this one up! This is told through the lens of journal entries written by Sofia Savea, a 12 year old girl living in New Zealand in the ‘70s. It covers all your regular pre-teen girl woes—annoying brothers, wanting a pair of shoes so bad you might die if you don’t get them, mean girls, finding your place in the world, finding your passion in something new. What makes this so different is the educational edge this story holds. In the midst of reminding us what it’s like to be young, this book teaches its readers about what it meant to be an Islander (specifically Samoan) in New Zealand in the 70s and how the Civil Rights era effected the fabric of a country different than our own (in my case, America.) In my opinion, this book does a great job of illustrating the “you don’t think it could happen to you until it does” mentality for readers who might not have the life experience to understand these topics when explained in academia/by adults—the topics become more accessible when told in a voice they can relate to and Smith does a great job of finding her pre-teen voice. I’ve seen people say that for the topic, it lacks teeth and bite, but I’d argue to say that this book is seeking to evoke less of an over-the-top emotional response and deliver a more educational package, which it succeeds in doing. Outside of that, I enjoyed how Smith included translations of Māori and Samoan terms as she used them as it helped to bring more of an understanding to the content. I loved that I was able to use this book as a conversational tool with my husband, who is Samoan and grew up in Apia, to learn more about history as it relates to Samoa and its relationship with New Zealand. This will be staying on my shelf for my future children (and myself.)
Also, there’s a part where they discuss foods that have cultural significance to their families and it ended with me craving sapasui so, I’m gonna go bug my man and ask him to make it for dinner soon.