Magnolia Wu is almost ten. She spends a lot of time at her parent’s establishment, the Bing Qi Ling Bubbles Laundromat. Her loneliness leads to lots of creative thinking: on one wall is her bulletin board of lost socks, lone socks left behind by customers. While new friend and California transplant Iris is visiting, a customer xenophobically Karens out on Magnolia’s mom, and Magnolia nearly throws out her sock wall in a fit of anger. But Iris proposes they start the NYC Sock Detective project, an attempt to match each lone sock with its owner. The project takes the girls all around Magnolia’s neighborhood (and beyond), where they experience the importance of community and learning more of a person’s story.
This book is SO charming and sweet and quirky. I immediately turned to the back to read about the author and was shocked to see how I recognized her name. That’s all I’ll say on THAT matter, other than I am so happy she is thriving. Magnolia Wu is her first children’s book, the book she would have preferred to write first, period. It scored her a Newbery Honor! Magnolia is such a likeable character: a little weird like kids her age can be, without it feeling inauthentic. How she processes conflict and her mixed up feelings is handled sensitively, without drama but with pathos. The narration is so earnest, and focused so well from a kid point of view. Her neighborhood comes to life with sparkling secondary characters and Miller’s humorous illustrations. The plot mechanism of the lone socks is very compelling while also silly in a good way. Some of my favorite highlights were Magnolia’s crafty way of apologizing to Iris after a fight, and Mrs. Wu’s quick thinking when Magnolia needs her Mom (screaming “CLOSED! BYE-BYE!” at a customer to get needed alone-time with her kiddo).
The book is also a great in-between book, for early elementary kids who are too advanced for transitional books like Rainbow Fairies or Magic Tree House, but not quite ready for the hefty fantasy and fiction that has come to dominate middle grade literature. Fantastic addition to your children’s bookshelf (and frankly quite a lovely read for your lunch break).