#cbr11bingo #Listicle 2015 Caldecott Honor (List of Caldecott books of 2015
This is a snap shot of two girls during the summer their innocence is partly-lost, one comes of age and both learn that growing pains take on different forms. This premise of This One Summer by cousin collaborators, Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki, has been seen before, but the characters make it fresh.
Rose is an only child, slightly older than her summer friend Windy. Her parents, while modern, do have a more conservative attitude about them. Windy, on the other hand, is adopted, has parents that are free spirted and went to “Gaia camp”. But whereas Rose thinks she is mature, Windy does seem to have a grasp on life more. Yet, Windy is still the child both the girls were “last year.” But of course, Rose is still a child rushing to grow up. The lack of sophistication of both girls is interesting: Rose calls the camp Windy went to “lesbian camp;” both girls do not understand the implications of the word “slut” when said about an older girl. They think the older boys are “cool” and the girls like the way they are treated, but the reader can see the ways this is probably less than appropriate.
The black and white illustrations and the tone of the text give this book an almost 1960s coming-of-age feel. Or even, a feeling that it is set in the 1980s with seeming not to be “modern” or “now.” Yet, the inclusion of themes and the technology, there is no question it is set today.
The themes, language and situations are realistic. There is some mature language and while no actual sexual scenes are shown, images can be sexual and there are overtones to having sex and pregnancy. Therefore, this is for mature/strong ages 13 to adult. Due to these themes, you can use this for your banned/challenged book.