Iveliz Explains It All. Andrea Beatriz Arango. 2022 [September] 272 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: Why is it that principals
love giving second chances?
Love reminding me they were kids too?
Love acting like they're doing me a favor,
doing my mom a favor,
by sitting me down all serious
and asking what they can do?
Well, guess what.
This is seventh grade now,
And I don't need anyone's help but my own.
I've moved on from everything
that happened,
I've made lists and I've made goals,
and if I"m in the principal's office,
you can 100% bet
that it wasn't my fault.
Premise/plot: Iveliz Explains It All is a verse novel that is a Newbery Honor book. Iveliz is writing poems in her diary/journal. (As well as writing lists of goals in her diary). This coming of age novel unfolds a bit like a mystery. Readers aren't quite sure why Iveliz is always [or nearly always] getting in trouble at school, why she always has in-school suspension or actual suspension, why she struggles to keep friends or to make friends in the first place. Readers may not have the answers to these questions by the end of the novel, but, perhaps they will have walked in her shoes and gotten the chance to understand/empathize.
This verse novel is a "problem" novel. Iveliz, our heroine, is struggling with life in many ways. At home, she struggles to get along with her mother and her grandmother. Her issues with her mother are complex, for sure. Her issues with her grandmother are simpler. She has dementia and stays a bit out of touch with reality. But when she is "with it" if you will, she strongly disagrees with the decision that Iveliz is taking medication for her mental health. At school, she struggles with getting along with anyone/everyone. Even her friend(s) have a hard time dealing with her impulsive [sometimes violent] reactions.
My thoughts: I'm debating my thoughts and reactions. On the one hand, part of me is curious. What is her diagnosis? What exactly is going on with Iveliz? How strongly is it connected with the trauma that is revealed so incredibly slowly? On the other hand, is it really any of our business? Do we really have to know the specifics in order to be kind and compassionate and empathetic? We are not "owed" an explanation.
Is this one that will appeal to children? actual children? I'm curious--super curious. So often the books that do win Newbery awards or recognized as honor books don't necessarily appeal to actual children. [They appeal to adults--to teachers, to librarians, to parents.] They often feel "Significant" or "Important." I do think that at the very, very least this one would be a good fit for adults who work with children--teachers, librarians, principals, etc. I think it is a thought-provoking read in that regard. No person can know everything going on in the private, personal lives of their students. This gives a good, long pause. A reminder that so much can be going on underneath the surface.
Just because I feel adults might be a better fit doesn't mean that I think this one is inappropriate or out of place for younger readers. It's just a slightly heavy novel.
© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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