A Song for Bijou

Gr 5–8—Alex never cared very much about girls. Sure he has had them as friends, and has attended the dances where the St. Christopher boys mix and mingle with the St. Catherine's girls. But then he sees beautiful Bijou. She survived the earthquake in Haiti and now, three years later, has moved to New York to live with her aunt and uncle, and her uncle holds to old Haitian traditions of family and propriety. Bijou is to go to school and be a good girl. She isn't to talk to boys who are not related to her. When she and Alex meet, nothing goes as either of them expects. They face the clash of the two cultures and deal with bullies, a video scandal, and major misunderstandings. Bijou deals with multiple themes. There is the awkwardness of first love in middle school, learning about different cultures, the importance of staying loyal to friends even when a girlfriend enters the picture, and remaining true to yourself and what you believe. Even so, the story is well crafted, and the alternating points of view between Bijou and Alex keep it interesting. The bullies are accurate in their cruelty, and the dynamics among the characters are well done. Great for discussion.—Melyssa Kenney, Parkville High School, Baltimore, MD