All the beloved and familiar elements of Richard Peck's writing are evident in his latest book, On the Wings of Heroes. Davy Bowman and his friend Scooter are active in "the war effort," collecting paper and scrap metal during World War II. Davy's dad is a WWI veteran, and Davy's older brother Bill has enlisted and is learning to fly B17s. As usual, Peck seamlessly combines serious and hilarious business. While Scooter's father is getting ready to leave for the War, Davy and Scooter run into Miss Eulalia Titus, who discourages their rooting around in her barn with a shotgun blast to the tin roof. Miss Eulalia's face is "like a walnut with a mustache," but she is quickly the best teacher they have ever had. Peck considers, with humor and pathos, all aspects of war: soldiers, former soldiers, parents who have lost children, the families left at home. He reiterates, as well, the profoundly important themes of his recent work--it is important to be responsible, honest, hardworking, educated, smart, and to learn from history all that history has to teach us. On the Wings of Heroes is a short book and a quick read, but Peck's brilliant structure (the kids meet all the old-timers as they are scavenging the town for usable stuff) and his economy of expression--not a syllable is wasted in this beautiful text--make it, to my mind, an instant classic.
Super Boba Café By Nidhi Chanani New York: Amulet Books, 2023. Comics. 215 pages. 14-year-old Aria is excited to spend her summer in San Francisco getting quality time with her Nainai. She loves helping at her grandmother's Super Boba Café. But she can't help but notice that her grandmother is acting strange and secretive. She refuses to let Aria into the kitchen at all and she disappears at the same time each night without telling Aria where she goes. Meanwhile, Aria is eager to drum up more business for Super Boba Café. She gets a major windfall when the shop cat, Bao, surprises them by having kittens, and Aria realizes this is a major social media opportunity. She knows this will help Nainai's shop, but she is apprehensive to get back on social media after a terrible cyberbullying experience she had back home. As the shop starts to get busier, Nainai is more and more anxious about her secret project. This prompts Aria to investigate with help from her Nainai's neighb...
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