In the debut middle grade novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman comes a poignant and powerful coming-of-age story that follows a young girl and her new friend as they learn about family, friendship, allyship, and finding your way in a complicated world. It’s the summer of 1987, and all ten-year-old Bug wants to do is go to the beach with her older brother and hang out with the locals on the boardwalk. But Danny wants to be with his own friends, and Bug’s mom is too busy, so Bug is stuck with their neighbor Philip’s nephew, Frankie. Bug’s not too excited about hanging out with a kid she’s never met, but they soon find some common ground. And as the summer unfolds, they find themselves learning some important lessons about each other, and the world. Like what it means to be your true self and how to be a good ally for others. That family can be the people you’re related to, but also the people you choose to have around you. And that even though life isn’t always fair, we can all do our part to make it more just.
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0Gayle Forman's middle grade debut, Frankie & Bug, has a strong sense of place and time. Set in Venice Beach in the summer of 1987, it is easy to picture the sun, the surf, and the cast of interesting characters. Bug is a compelling lead, a kid who feels firmly her age -- young enough that she is often kept in the dark about the bad stuff going on around her by the well meaning adults in her life, but old enough to know they're keeping things from her.
With a main character who is mixed race, as well as an important character who is trans, it is hard to say whether or not this was a book that should have been written by a self-identified white cisgender woman, but Forman has clearly worked hard to make sure these issues are handled carefully, including employing the use of sensitivity readers.
Frankie & Bug feels a bit like a lazy summer day, one that will leave the reader wanting to have an ice cream cone, go for a swim at the beach, and maybe give their loved ones a call just to tell them you love them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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