As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(2)
4-6
Héctor Muñoz's life is upended when his family relocates from San Francisco to the Sacramento suburbs. He enters his new middle school with high hopes of finding his people in the drama club, only to realize that his new school is nothing like his old one, which was more diverse and accepting. Accustomed to bold fashion choices and having a larger-than-life presence, Héctor quickly finds himself at the "Table of Misfits" in the cafeteria. After he is bullied for being openly gay and Mexican American, Héctor discovers an unexpected escape in the form of a janitor's closet. The room turns out to be a magical portal to respite when it's needed--and also a means of support, as the portal transports students in similar situations from other schools to the same room. Oshiro brings readers close to the protagonist--and to common middle-school experiences--through a running narration of Héctor's internal dialogue. The story is infused with thoughtful references to Mexican American life in California, from Héctor's learning how to make tamales from his abuela to chilled glasses of horchata providing just what the doctor ordered while he hides from his tormentor. The story's plot is fantastical, but the lessons imparted about standing up for yourself and asking for help will resonate with anyone who has experienced bullying. An appreciation of intersectional identity and a story of resilience.
Reviewer: Nicholas A. Brown
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2021
463 pp.
| Doherty/Tor Teen
| May, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-1-250-16702-6$17.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-250-16704-0
(3)
YA
Students are injured by police--and African American protagonist Moss's boyfriend is killed--in a series of escalating altercations in California's West Oakland High School. Moss, who suffers panic attacks due to his father's earlier murder by police, finds the courage to fight back. A large, diverse cast of characters and many plot threads shed light on issues related to police brutality from multiple angles, and the climax is compelling.