2018 School Spending Survey Report
Dream On, Amber by Emma Shevah | SLJ Review
SHEVAH, Emma. Dream On, Amber. illus. by Helen Crawford-White. 272p. Sourcebooks 
Jabberwocky. Oct. 2015. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9781492622505. Gr 4-6–Eleven-year-old Ambra Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto (please, just call her Amber) navigates middle school embarrassments, awkward friendships, a first crush, an intimidating bully, and the realities of being a biracial tween in this smart and funny middle grade debut, first published in the UK. Half Italian and half Japanese, Amber has always felt a bit different than her peers in South London. Her loving and free-spirited mum; maternal grandmother, Nonna; and boisterous little sister, Bella, keep Amber on her toes. But she longs to know more about her Japanese ancestry. Unfortunately, Amber's father left the family when she was six, and it's a loss that feels like a "black hole" in her very center. Determined to protect her younger sister from the pain she feels, she begins forging letters from her father to Bella. Things quickly spiral, and what seemed like a white lie intended to help may wind up causing more harm than good. Amber comforts herself and works through her insecurities through her artwork and by creating an imaginary "Dream Dad" with whom she shares her deepest fears. Amber's authentic voice (including snort-worthy hyperbole and preteen melodrama balanced with tender moments of self-reflection) will resonate with kids. Shevah breathes life into this middle schooler, her lively family members, and her classmates and teachers. Amber confronts racial insensitivities (for example, students comment on her "exotic" appearance and ask her to "say something in Japanese") with frankness and realistic annoyance. The conversational first-person narration is enhanced by black-and-white doodles throughout. VERDICT By turns playful and poignant, in both style and substance, this coming-of-age novel will hook readers from the first page to the last.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal This review appears in SLJ's October 2015 issue. 
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