Continental Drifter

March 1, 2024
A writer and artist navigates her Thai and American heritage. Opening in the mid-1990s, when MacLeod was 11, this graphic memoir traces her emotional and physical journeys of searching for connection and belonging while making sense of her blended family and her bicultural luk khrueng ("half child" in Thai) identity. Despite having a Thai mother and growing up in Bangkok, Kathy, who attends an international school where you're not allowed to speak Thai, feels like she lives in an "American bubble." She counts down the days until her family's annual trip to coastal Maine, where clam chowder, lighthouses, blueberries, and the relatives on her dad's side await. Once stateside, however, Kathy's self-conscious feelings of being different return, and she finds herself balancing hypervisibility with wanting to be "just invisible enough." Her constant negotiations between places and perspectives will be familiar to anyone who's experienced feelings of isolation, highlighting the story's core lesson that the path to finding oneself is full of obstacles, and the key is to explore--even embrace--each and every element of one's own identity. Just as both her mom's curry and her aunt Barbie's strawberry shortcake taste like home, Kathy learns that each dimension of her personal and cultural background offers much on its own without overshadowing other parts. The simple yet expressive art style is charming and at times poignant, showing the family dynamics and the secrets locked within people's hearts. A heartfelt story honestly and evocatively told. (afterword, photos) (Graphic memoir. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 15, 2024
Grades 3-6 Eleven-year-old Kathy lives in Bangkok, Thailand. She is a luk khrueng, a child of mixed race--her mom is Thai, and her dad is a white American. In Bangkok, an international city, Kathy's story makes sense. But when her family goes to Maine for summer vacation, their differences stand out. Her family also doesn't seem like a typical, close-knit American family. They live separate lives like islands: her 16-year-old sister, Jennie, is more secretive lately; her mom usually works a lot back home; and her father likes to hole up in his office alone in the evenings. When Kathy heads to an American summer camp, she struggles to make friends and worries that she will never find the place where she belongs. MacLeod's memoir blends cartoonish, rounded figure design with a resonant account of the challenges of growing up biracial and navigating two worlds, especially how lonely it can be. Readers will be heartened by the message that, while some families don't always seem like they make sense, they still have a lot of love for one another.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2024

Gr 5-8-Kathy isn't quite sure who she is. She loves parts of her life in Thailand while missing her favorite things in the United States. She loves being in America but struggles to find the right group of friends and ways to blend in with the culture. Kathy explains that sometimes, "the outside doesn't match what's inside." Watching her parents and sister navigate their two homes differently adds to her confusion, and each home's location has its benefits and drawbacks. As her sister grows up and becomes more distant, Kathy's sense of isolation increases. She turns to her diary to try to process the challenges and insecurities she faces, but even the kind kids can seem mean when they don't understand or know the real Kathy. As with all families, the dynamics in Kathy's have their ups and downs-growing apart while forming deeper understandings. The illustrations are simple and straightforward, helping readers understand Kathy's thoughts and feelings. Everyone who has been embarrassed by themselves or their family will relate to Kathy's shyness and will appreciate her tender realizations as she finds her path in both of her worlds. Educators looking for books to build empathy may find several helpful scenes throughout. It also lends itself to geography extension activities. VERDICT Continental Drifter offers honest, sometimes painful, insight into growing up as part of two cultures and will help anyone who has ever felt lonely in their own family, or even with friends, process the emotions that come with trying to fit in.-Darby Wallace

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2024
This introspective graphic memoir explores bicultural identity and the path toward self-acceptance. Like many students at her international school in Bangkok, Thailand, eleven-year-old Kathy is "luk khrueng," or "half child." Her father is American, and her mother is Thai, but Kathy identifies more as American and, though she appreciates Thai culture, she feels that she's not Thai enough. She looks forward to summers with her father's family in Maine, but this year she's acutely aware of how her family stands out there. She's also excited to spend three weeks away from her family at summer camp, but once there she struggles to fit in as campers ask rude questions about her heritage. ("Where is that?" "Do you mean Taiwan?") Kathy learns to embrace the unique qualities that connect her to both sides of her family and to her own mixed identity. Sprinkled throughout are elements of Thai culture and Thai language, depicted in Thai text with English translation, adding depth and cultural context. The pastel-toned panels, black-and-white flashback scenes, and cleanly drawn and expressively detailed characters complement the youthful, gentle tone of Kathy's internal dialogue. In an afterword, MacLeod shares her process making the book, comics she wrote as a child, and family photos. Kristine Techavanich

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2024
This introspective graphic memoir explores bicultural identity and the path toward self-acceptance. Like many students at her international school in Bangkok, Thailand, eleven-year-old Kathy is "luk khrueng," or "half child." Her father is American, and her mother is Thai, but Kathy identifies more as American and, though she appreciates Thai culture, she feels that she's not Thai enough. She looks forward to summers with her father's family in Maine, but this year she's acutely aware of how her family stands out there. She's also excited to spend three weeks away from her family at summer camp, but once there she struggles to fit in as campers ask rude questions about her heritage. ("Where is that?" "Do you mean Taiwan?") Kathy learns to embrace the unique qualities that connect her to both sides of her family and to her own mixed identity. Sprinkled throughout are elements of Thai culture and Thai language, depicted in Thai text with English translation, adding depth and cultural context. The pastel-toned panels, black-and-white flashback scenes, and cleanly drawn and expressively detailed characters complement the youthful, gentle tone of Kathy's internal dialogue. In an afterword, MacLeod shares her process making the book, comics she wrote as a child, and family photos.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)