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Marshmallow reviews Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Today Marshmallow reviews Our Missing Hearts, a novel by Celeste Ng, first published in 2022. Sprinkles has also read the book and is asking her questions, while also taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow let us start at the beginning. In your reviews, you always start by telling us who this book would be good for. So go ahead.

Marshmallow: This book would be a good choice for readers who enjoy realistic fiction. Or if you are interested in possible near-futures in the United States, especially dystopian ones, this might be the book for you.

S: Okay, I think that is a good start. Can you give us a brief summary of the plot?

M: Sure. So there is this kid whose mother ran away after her poem was used in controversial protests about this law called PACT.

S: Okay, so maybe let us stop there a bit. Tell us about the setting, and of course, PACT.

M: PACT stands for Protecting American Culture and Traditions Act. This law was, in the book, passed about ten years before the story starts. And it essentially allows the government to do things that are supposedly in the interest of preserving American culture. In reality, it is used to take children away from their families, if the families are not “American” enough. In this world, the law specifically targets Asian Americans, due to a fear of China.

S: The author may have been somewhat inspired by the USA PATRIOT Act that was passed after 9/11, and it was very controversial too, because many argue that it cut into people’s civil liberties. This PACT Act was passed after a different but very impactful crisis, right?

M: Yes, and in fact, in the book that crisis was called The Crisis. That left everyone very susceptible to xenophobia, and some people blamed China for all that went wrong, and then of course that distrust of China translated into a distrust of Chinese Americans and then spread all over to a distrust of all Asian Americans. So when the government began to remove children from the homes of some Asian American families, most of the other people remained quiet, believing that there should be a reason for the removal. And most people did not even know how many children were being taken away. The numbers and the full impact of the removals were downplayed by the media, and the families who dared to speak out were demonized.

S: But still there were some protests against the law and these removals, right?

M: Yes, and those are my favorite part of the book actually.

S: So tell us about them.

M: I liked the protests because they were so creative. For example, one involved a bunch of trees which were wrapped up with red yarn and small dolls representing the stolen children. And they were mainly emotional and only subtly political, so people would be more intrigued by them rather than immediately dismiss the message.

S: And that is where the title of the book comes in, right?

M: Yes. The poem that the main character’s mom wrote is called “Our Missing Hearts,” and the protestors took that as their motto, that they wanted their missing hearts to be brought back.

S: Okay, so let us get back to the main character and the plot then.

M: Yes, the main character is a twelve-year-old boy named Bird. Actually his legal name is Noah Gardner, but his mom Margaret Miu always called him Bird, but since she left, people are calling him Noah again. And she left because her poem became too visible with the protests, and Bird’s parents were worried that the government would take Bird away. The mother left so that Bird would at least be able to continue to live with his dad.

S: So the book starts with Bird getting a message which he believes is from his mom.

M: And it is full of cat drawings. And it triggers some memories, Bird is not sure why he knows it is from his mom, but he is sure it is from her. And that part is also very neat. but I cannot say more without spoilers.

S: I guess that is fair. Let us stop with the plot then.

Marshmallow is reading Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. — Marshmallow is reading *Our Missing Hearts* by Celeste Ng.

S: Tell us a bit about the characters.

M: Well, there is Bird, who is the boy who is looking for his mom. And there is Sadie, a half-black girl who was removed from her family because they spoke out against PACT. The law is mainly targeting Asian Americans, but anyone who speaks up against it is also in danger. So Bird meets her at school, where she is sort of an outcast. Sadie is braver than Bird, and she becomes his friend. And then we also meet Bird’s parents. Margaret plays a big role in a large part of the book; she tells her story and we learn about the Crisis a bit more from her. But anyways, Margaret is maybe more timid than Sadie and her parents, and she ran away instead of fighting, but then again, running away meant that maybe her child would be able to stay with his dad, and it could also be seen as a brave sacrifice.

S: Agreed. So did you feel like you connected with these characters? Did you like any of them a lot? Did any of them make you angry or feel something strongly? Did they feel like real people?

M: I think they were all pretty well developed. I thought reading Bird’s perspective felt like I was seeing the world through his eyes, it was a pretty bad place, but anyways, very realistic. And when Margaret told her story, you could also hear her voice very clearly. So I think the author was very successful in creating very compelling and very realistic characters.

S: I agree with you, again. Okay, so I am guessing you liked this book? I certainly did, and that is why I suggested you read it, too.

M: Yea. I really liked it. I’d rate it 100%.

S: That is high praise coming from you, Marshmallow.

M: Yes, I think Our Missing Hearts is a really good book.

S: Okay, so how do we finish this review? What would you like to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing book reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Our Missing Hearts* by Celeste Ng 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith

Readers probably already know that Marshmallow enjoys reading graphic novels which are fictional, but she has occasionally also read memoirs or biographies written in graphic novel format and reviewed them for the book bunnies blog. (See, for example, her reviews of They Called Us Enemy by George Takei and The English GI by Jonathan Sandler and Brian Bicknell.) Today she writes about a 2022 book in this genre: Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice, by Tommie Smith, co-written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like autobiographies or books about recent history, or if you want to read specifically about one of the consequential events in the history of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements in the United States, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Tommie Smith is an American athlete, who is the first person to run 200 meters in under 20 seconds. In this book, Smith shares his experiences and retells the events leading up to and after his famous 1968 Olympics Black Power salute.

The narrative starts by showing the beginning of Smith’s Olympic finals race. Then we are shown his earlier life. As a young child, Tommie and his family were sharecroppers, meaning that they worked on land owned by someone else. Tommie did chores and picked cotton with his family. Even at a young age, Tommie could see injustice. He watched his parents and siblings work so hard everyday, toiling in the sun, while the white family who owned the land had a better, bigger house and did not have to work as much. However, things soon got even worse, and mechanized equipment and the drop in cotton prices took jobs away from sharecroppers. As a result, Tommie and his family moved to a labor camp in Stratford, California. There Tommie began to attend school regularly and “had to make sense of something that made no sense at all”. The white children in his class had several privileges, and the teachers saw them raise their hands, but they never seemed to see Tommie’s.

Everything changed, however, after a momentous race with his sister. Tommie realized that he could achieve anything, and he joined his school’s track team. This led him to becoming a star, winning almost every single competition he entered. By the time he graduated high school, he had accolades in multiple sports and several scholarship offers.

Tommie became a star athlete, and eventually, he made it to the Olympics. But he never lost his sense of justice and equality. He raised his fist at the 1968 Games to protest the racism and the many injustices in the United States at the time. Afterwards, there was a lot of push-back, and Smith faced a lot of difficulties as a result, but also a lot of people felt seen and heard. The book ends in the present, mentioning a few other athletes who have made similar protests after Smith in the intervening years.

Marshmallow is reading Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice, by Tommie Smith, written together with Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. — Marshmallow is reading *Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice*, by Tommie Smith, written together with Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile.

Marshmallow’s Review: I really enjoyed reading Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice. It is very informative, and I learned a lot that I did not know before. I think it is very important to know and remember such acts of bravery and the people who committed them.

The drawings are really good. I think that they show movement, especially running, very well. I have reviewed historical graphic novels before, and I appreciated them too, but the drawing style in this one was unique and enjoyable. I also enjoyed the writing style of the author. The writing paired with the drawings made this a really good book overall.

Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice mentions horrible things that some people have done and has one image that is disturbing. Additionally, it does have some derogatory words. But the message of the book is vital. I think this is a book that every young bunny should read at least once. The story of Tommie Smith’s courageous life and his raised fist is a touching story that gives us hope for the future.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice, by Tommie Smith, written together with Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice*, by Tommie Smith, written together with Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

In the past weeks and months, Marshmallow has reviewed several books by Pam Muñoz Ryan. This week she went back and reread the very first book she had read by her, Echo. This book was published in 2015 and won Muñoz Ryan a Newberry Honor in 2016. Marshmallow originally read it for school a couple years ago, and she very much enjoyed revisiting it this week. Below she shares her thoughts on this 600-page page-turner.

(You might also like to check out Marshmallow’s reviews of Esperanza Rising (2000), Paint the Wind (2007), and Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs (2022).)

Marshmallow reviews Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan. — Marshmallow reviews *Echo* by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books based on historical events or if you have enjoyed reading some of Pam Muñoz Ryan’s other books, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): “Fifty years before the war to end all wars”, a little boy named Otto goes into the forest to hide while playing hide-and-seek and gets lost. Having recently bought a book and a harmonica from a Gypsy, he gets so intrigued by the story in the book that he does not realize how long he had stayed hidden.

The tale is about three sisters who were raised by a witch. The three sisters were in fact the daughters of a king who desperately wanted a son. Upon their birth, the king ordered the midwife to leave them in a forest. The midwife took pity on the babies and brought them to a witch, who named them Eins, Zwei, and Drei in the order they were brought to her. These girls grew up unaware of their royal origins. Years later, when the king died, his son (the sisters’ brother) learned of them. He and his mother were overwhelmed with happiness and sent the midwife to bring them to the kingdom. The midwife came and told the sisters the good news. However, the witch did not want to lose the girls, who had become useful servants to do all the work. She cursed them, saying that they could never leave the forest unless they saved someone’s life.

After tripping and hitting his head, the little boy, Otto, wakes up and discovers the sisters in the forest. The sisters, Eins, Zwei, and Drei, help Otto find his way home but ask for a favor. They each take a turn playing the harmonica, and it appears that they store their spirits in the harmonica. He promises to pass on the harmonica when the time is right.

Seventy years later, Friedrich Schmidt discovers the harmonica in Nazi Germany. Born with an unusual birthmark and a father who dislikes the new regime, Friedrich is not safe. When his father is taken to Dachau, Friedrich’s life turns upside down.

Years later, in Philadelphia, Mike Flannery is living in The Bishop’s Home for Friendless and Destitute Children. His brother, Frankie, is a fountain of enthusiasm. Mike and Frankie must stick together. When a rich woman named Mrs. Sturbridge adopts them both, it seems like all their dreams have come true. Mike soon gets his hands on a harmonica that has an unusually magical sound (and yes, of course, this is the same one Otto and Friedrich had). However, Mike eventually discovers that Mrs. Sturbridge is planning to “unadopt” them and he must figure out a way for him and Frankie to stay together.

Much later, Ivy Maria Lopez in California is excited to play a harmonica solo on the radio. The United States just joined World War II, and Ivy’s brother is off fighting in the army. Ivy soon learns that her family is moving again and she won’t be able to perform her solo. Upon moving, she faces segregation. The Hispanic children are put in a different school from everyone else. Prejudice and hate seem to be everywhere during the war. Can Ivy adjust to her new home?

Marshmallow is reading Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan. — Marshmallow is reading *Echo* by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Marshmallow’s Review: Echo is perhaps my favorite book by Pam Muñoz Ryan, and I really enjoyed (re)reading it. I especially love the end, and I really love how the separate stories are all tied up in the end. All storylines are set in different time periods, with different characters, and different plots, but they are all connected by the harmonica and wrapped together in the end. Some themes that are started in the beginning are repeated in the end, which makes it feel even more like a conclusion. It is impressive that the author could distinguish all the stories and make each a separate line but put them together in a fashion that was not clunky or confusing.

The characters are all unique, and you come to really care about them by the end of the story. They each have strong connections to music which brings them joy and empowers them to face challenges. The tragedies they face and the events that occur are all based on real history. (For example, while writing the book, Pam Muñoz Ryan researched Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District (1931), a desegregation case from California with connections to Ivy’s story. The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II also plays a significant role.)

I think another strong point of this book is the fact that it tackles several challenging issues in one place successfully. The author weaves a tale spanning from Nazi Germany to a negligent, abusive orphanage to a war-torn California. The hate, neglect, mistreatment, prejudice, and unfairness the characters face and eventually overcome all make this an even more touching story.

The only flaw with Echo one may find is the contradictory tones of the different parts of the book. The prologue is a major part of the overall plot but has a more fantasy-like, magical atmosphere. Then the vibe of the book changes significantly. The realistic, down-to-earth, historical fiction aspect of the rest of the story does not really follow naturally from the fantastic, magical, surrealist tones at the beginning.

However, I still loved Echo. I would recommend it to all readers. The writing is not particularly difficult to read but the topics and plot make it intriguing to older readers as well.

In short, Echo is a touching, majestic piece of literature that should hold a place on everyone’s bookshelf and everyone’s heart.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Echo* by Pam Muñoz Ryan 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Marshmallow first read Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising (2000) for school and liked the book so much that she wanted to review it for the book bunnies blog. About a year ago, she enjoyed reading and reviewing her Paint the Wind (2007). Today she talks about her most recent book, Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs, published in 2022.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about magic and fantastical events, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Solimar, daughter of the king of the land of San Gregorio, has watched the monarch migration since she was a little girl. However, in previous years, she would go to the oyamel forests and watch the monarch butterflies come in to hibernate from a distance. This year, before her quinceañera, she crosses the creek and sits among the butterflies when they come home. But then something mystical happens, and she finds herself with a peculiar gift.

Solimar discovers that she can correctly answer questions about the future, but she soon figures out that this ability only functions in the sunlight. Additionally, her rebozo (her silk shawl, see Wikipedia for more) gains a peculiar, shiny side. Solimar tries to tell her best friend about her new gift, but the friend, Maria, dismisses it as a combination of great intuition and clever guessing. Then Solimar tells her abuela (grandmother), who takes her to the curandera, whom Solimar believes is a witch. This woman tells Solimar that the ancestors appointed her as a guardian to protect the monarch butterflies on their way home. She must protect the young and weak butterflies with her magical rebozo.

Then Solimar’s father and brother leave on an expedition. Taking advantage of their absence, a neighboring king invades their kingdom and holds everybody hostage. This invader king plans to cut down the oyamel forest in which the butterflies live. Solimar escapes, but now she has a tough mission. Can she save her kingdom, her family, and the monarch butterflies?

Marshmallow is reading Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs by Pam Muñoz Ryan. — Marshmallow is reading *Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs* by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Marshmallow’s Review: I’ve read several books written by Pam Muñoz Ryan before and really liked them. I like her poetic writing style and the mystical aspects of her books. This book displays the same lyrical style and magic is threaded neatly into the story line.

The mission Solimar must embark upon was exciting to read about, and the descriptions throughout the book were lovely. The characters were all interesting and unique. They all stood out as separate individuals. I also liked how Pam Muñoz Ryan wove some parts of Mexican culture into the book. Some examples would include the usage of Spanish words and Solimar’s quinceañera.

I would recommend this book for bunnies of any age. There isn’t really anything that would make this book scary or inappropriate for younger bunnies.

I did feel like the book was a little short. I would have liked it a little more if the adventure was a little longer or more complicated. Also I think that the main character could have used a little bit more depth. However, Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs is a beautiful story overall, and I appreciated reading another book from an author whose writing I really enjoy.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 90%.

Marshmallow rates Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs by Pam Muñoz Ryan 90%. — Marshmallow rates *Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs* by Pam Muñoz Ryan 90%.