CONTINENTAL DRIFTER, by Kathy MacLeod, First Second, April 2, 2024, Hardcover, $22.99, Paperback $14.99 (ages 8-12)
A biracial girl struggles to find where she fits in in Continental Drifter, a contemporary middle-grade graphic novel by Kathy MacLeod.
With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. She spends most of the year in Bangkok, where she’s secretly counting the days till summer vacation. That’s when her family travels for twenty-four hours straight to finally arrive in a tiny seaside town in Maine.
Kathy loves Maine’s idyllic beauty and all the exotic delicacies she can’t get back home, like clam chowder and blueberry pie. But no matter how hard she tries, she struggles to fit in. She doesn’t look like the other kids in this rural New England town. Kathy just wants to find a place where she truly belongs, but she’s not sure if it’s in America, Thailand . . . or anywhere. —Synopsis provided by First Second
Author Kathy MacLeod drew from many years of her own experiences in crafting Continental Drifter, which mostly focuses on one summer in particular. It’s a poignant graphic novel that explores family dynamics and cultural identity.
Continental Drifter feels very much like a diary with Kathy sharing her innermost thoughts and desires. MacLeod’s writing is heartfelt and honest, and it stands well on its own. However, it is much enhanced by MacLeod’s muted panel illustrations. Every detail has been considered down to the custom font created from MacLeod’s own handwriting.
Continental Drifter is the sort of book a kid might pick up on a whim — the cover certainly draws you in — and feel the need to finish. It’s thoughtful and meticulously executed. It’s honest look at cultural identity should appeal to a large group of readers.
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