Introduction by Heavy Medal Award Committee Member Gabrielle Stoller
Sometimes, you encounter a book that surprises you. Can a book in a mere one hundred thirty-something pages make waves in a Newbery sense? Is that enough time to grow character arcs? What about creating a setting that you feel immersed in? Upon reading MAGNOLIA WU UNFOLDS IT ALL, Chanel Miller did this and more.
Magnolia Wu is a hilarious character. The inner monologue given to readers made me crack up laughing a couple of times, even while out in public. Family dynamic vibes reminded me of a show I watched called “Kim’s Convenience” where an Asian family owns a small business–and all the interesting people that walk through its doors. Here EVERYONE can relate to socks missing their mates (I’m not convinced there isn’t a sock monster living in my dryer) and trying to reunite them. It is a great setting with which to introduce topics like making friends, making space for others, AAPI hate, and acceptance. Every single character encountered, from the bellman to the bully, had a strong voice. I wanted to linger with each of them in other settings.
Speaking of settings, the reader is transported to a laundromat and indeed I could picture it. I could taste the smells of New York City. I was experiencing new surroundings along with Iris; Magnolia was a fantastic guide. Was she a fantastic friend? I leave that for others to decide but using kitty litter to help apologize says a lot about a person.
The plot and pacing was enjoyable. As someone who went in with very low expectations of this book, I found MAGNOLIA WU UNFOLDS IT ALL could be a sleeper hit with Newbery–just as it was for me. What about you?
Heavy Medal Award Committee members and others are now invited to discuss this book further in the Comments section below. Let the Mock Newbery discussion begin!