Mystery and Adventure

 

Day, Christine. I Can Make This Promise. Harper Collins, 2019. $18.99. 9780062871992 Gr 3-7.

This book is unique in that the main character Edie is not solving a present-day mystery, but rather trying to unearth the truth about the past. Christine Day uses the mystery of Edie’s family history to teach readers about the Native experience in the U.S., especially before the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. There are two main points of tension for Edie in this book. First, in the attic she finds photos of a woman, Edith, who looks like her and realizes that her parents are hiding information about this woman. She and her friends spend time looking through the attic for more clues about who Edith was, and towards the end of the novel, her parents finally come clean about Edith. The other main point of tension is Edie’s relationship with her friend Amelia and their disagreements on what their film should be about. Edie slowly realizes that their friendship has changed, and Amelia isn’t a good friend anymore. This peer conflict is one that many children can relate to. The larger conflict of discovering the truth about Edith is resolved in a major cathartic journey that takes place over several chapters. The mystery of Edith is also the mystery of Edie’s ancestry on her mother’s side, so discovering her heritage and information about her relatives has a profound impact on Edie’s understanding of her identity. The truth about her mother’s adoption is heartbreaking, but it is tied to devastating realities of our country’s history that are important for children to learn about. Luckily, Edie has loving family members who are able to support her as she processes the information.

The plot is mostly moved forward by Edie reading Edith’s letters chronologically and learning more and more about her. Some readers’ interest may wane because of a lack of action. But readers who love history and learning about the past will be invested and interested in each new letter Edie reads. Additionally, this book may be valuable to children who have questions about their identity or ancestry. Although readers may understand why Edie’s parents didn’t want to tell her about past trauma until she was ready, there may still be lingering questions as to why they couldn’t even tell her what tribes she was from. Her whole life she has been grappling with the question “Where am I from?” Her mother’s explanation at the end doesn’t feel completely convincing, especially since her mother had to wait until adulthood to learn anything about her origins. But the plot’s resolution is a gentle teaching tool about Indigenous tribes in the Seattle area, important historical events, and the sad truths about our country’s treatment of Native children. The book may not be the most engrossing mystery, but it is an important book, nonetheless.

 Heidicker, Christopher McKay. Scary Stories for Young Foxes. Illustrated by Junyi Wu. SquareFish, 2021. $9.99. 9781250250445 Gr 4-7.

This book, with its echoes of Grimm fairy tales and graphic depictions of violence and gore, fits squarely in the horror genre. The tension is very high as fox kits listen to a mysterious storyteller tell tales of young foxes like them who faced the world’s horrors. Readers begin to see that the tales are slowly starting to connect, and, if they can stomach the descriptions of intestines and blood, will be anxiously turning pages to find out what happens to the young foxes in the stories. Rabies, predators, starvation, and a diabolical Beatrix Potter are scary enough, but even more disturbing is the brutal treatment fox parents inflict on their own children. In this sense, the book is certainly an accurate descendant of the original Grimm tales. Personally, I would be surprised if readers younger than 5^th grade find this book appealing, and sensitive children could be very upset by its content. The ending, where the storyteller reflects on her experience, clearly expresses a message to parents that they need to tell children the truth about the dangers of the world so that they can be prepared to face those dangers. Children shouldn’t be shielded or protected from reality. While I do agree with that message, I doubt that it will register meaningfully to children reading this book. I think this is a good fit for older children who can handle gore and want to be introduced to true horror. But adults should make children aware of the content so that readers who prefer tamer mystery or adventure won’t be upset.