Alice Rice knows everything about her family’s trip to Florida this year will be different. She is going to be ten–double digits–and that is a very important change. Maybe she’ll even find a rare Junonia seashell during their trip. After all, when you turn ten, anything is possible.
But as old friends fail to arrive and new visitors run the risk of ruining everything, Alice starts to wonder if her tenth birthday will be memorable for all of the wrong reasons in Junonia (2011) by Kevin Henkes.
With end papers and chapter caps illustrated by Henkes, the book brings Alice’s trip and her story to life. With his meditative, deliberate writing Henkes has created a story that perfectly captures the excitement and, yes, sometimes the sadness that comes with being a young child.
Junonia is a subtle, understated book. Focusing more on vignettes of Alice’s trip than on a singular plot, the book might not appeal to children looking for action or page-turning excitement. Readers who do stick with the story will be rewarded with a charmingly contemplative and at times effervescent book.
Possible Pairings: Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall, Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary, Fashion Kitty by Charise Mericle Harper
Miss Print 