This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
The circumstances in which I encountered This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki was in the midst of the golden fall, the season of change, transforming into the biting cold of winter. In that afternoon of reading, my heart was warmed while my eyes were glued to the page, trying to focus on each moment frozen within the purple-blue panels. Even after having known the critical acclaim the graphic novel had received, particularly as a recipient of the Caldecott Honour Award, nothing could have prepared me for the way I was enthralled by the narrative of two pre-pubescent girls, Rose and Windy, their friendship, and transition into the unpredictable world of adulthood over the course of a summer at the beach. Aside from the strong feelings of nostalgia that Tamaki’s text immersed me in, where I was reminded of the tumultuous emotional highs and lows I experienced as a teenager, the book provides a healthy discussion surrounding sexuality and growing up. With its Asian American protagonist, many young Asian Americans have the opportunity to see themselves in stories exploring empathy, patience, and self-discovery. It frustrates me that this psychologically nuanced text should be banned for being deemed profane, sexually explicit, or including LGBT characters.
This One Summer is available for sale on Macmillan Publishers, among other sources.
