Full Cicada Moon

Book 39 of my 2019 Reading Challenge

read from May 30 - June 13

Full Cicada Moon

by Marilyn Hilton

Summary (via the book jacket)

published 2015

As the Apollo 11 mission prepares to go to the moon, Mimi Yoshiko Oliver gets ready to move to a new state. But in 1969, Vermont is mostly white, and for half-black, half-Japanese Mimi, her appearance is enough to make her feel alien. She struggles to fit in with her classmates, even as she defies stereotypes by entering science competitions and trying to take shop class instead of home ec. And though teachers and neighbors balk at her "unconventional" family and her refusals to conform, Mimi's dreams of becoming an astronaut never fade - no matter how many times she's told no.

Judged because of her skin color, and boxed-in because of her gender, Mimi is determined to break the mold. 

This lyrical novel-in-verse follows her journey to fit into the world - and to better it.

My Opinion
4 stars

I read this after my 15 year old daughter finished it and said I had to read it immediately.  

The style of prose was really good for this story because it covers heavy topics in a light way for young audiences but there is still enough there to read between the lines for those with more experience to see it.  I've read a few books by different authors in this style and think it should be used more often.

Randomly, Mimi celebrated her 13th birthday on June 14th in the book and my youngest daughter's birthday is also June 14 and turned 13 this year (and I finished it on June 13 so it was definitely on my mind reading it).

Lots of quote-worthy lines, I can see why my daughter wanted me to read it and will be passing it along to my other children as well.  

A Few Quotes from the Book

"But I am not Other;

I am

half my Japanese mother,

half my Black father,

and all me."

"The Apollo 8 astronauts

watched Earth rise above the moon

and were changed.

Now I am seeing what they saw,

and it is changing me."

"That is why I've decided

that even after I hand in my journal to Mr. Pease

in June, I'll keep writing in it.

I don't want to forget,

and I don't want someone else

to tell a different story about me."