This year six books were awarded the Caldecott Honor award. One of those books was a graphic novel called This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki. At first I was excited to see that a graphic novel had won an award. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the book. The illustrations in the book are nice, but the content, in my opinion, is terrible.
Rose’s family always spends their summers at Awago Beach. Rose spends most of her summer days at the beach with her friend Windy. It isn’t long before the content of the book becomes edgy. Lots of swear words, including multiple F-words. Lots of talk about boobs and their size. The relationship between Rose and Windy is blurry: are they friends, or does Windy like Rose more than that? Rose likes a boy in town who has gotten a girl (Jenny) pregnant. As the story progresses, jealous Rose slut-shames Jenny. Jenny eventually attempts suicide. Rose’s parents fight, which leads to her dad leaving the beach house for most of the summer and Rose blaming her mom for it.
I don’t mean to suggest that all of the bad things that happen in the book aren’t real life things that shouldn’t be in children’s literature (except for the F-word. Do we really need the F-word in children’s lit?). My ultimate problem with the book is that Rose never seems to learn anything or become a better person as a result of the difficulties she encounters. There are no consequences for bad behavior. In the end, Rose is pretty much a bratty daughter who shuns her mom who has just miscarried, talks badly about a girl who has made a mistake, worships a boy who got a girl pregnant and isn’t willing to be responsible for the fact that he got a girl pregnant. and is not good friend to Windy. The story ends with the last two pages being all about boobs and if Rose will have them next summer.
I recognize that the Caldecott is primarily given for art, but I sure wish that content had been weighed more heavily, at least in this instance. Teachers and parents often use Caldecott Honor and Award winners as a first resource when giving books to children. This One Summer is hardly a book I would encourage a child to read or look at.
These are the discussion questions I can imagine asking a child after reading the book: Why did Windy stay friends with Rose when she was such a rude person and didn’t respect her wishes? Why was Rose such a rude person? Why didn’t Rose’s mom put her on timeout after Rose yelled at her? Is it okay to treat people the way Rose did? Do you have questions about boobs that we can just get out-of-the-way so you don’t need to obsess over them with your friends?
Parent’s guide:
- Sex: Sex is alluded to. A girl gets pregnant by her boyfriend. Boys talk about ‘getting laid’. Things like birth control, condoms, boobs/breasts, calling girls sluts/hos
- Violence: Young girls watch horror movies. A girl attempts to drown herself.
- Language:Diety, F-word, lots of other swear words
- Adult Themes: A woman drinks alcohol.
[amazon asin=159643774X&template=iframe image]
The One Summer
Teen Literature/Graphic Novel
First Second
May 6, 2014
Graphic Novel
320
Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It's their getaway, their refuge. Rosie's friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. One of the local teens - just a couple of years older than Rose and Windy - is caught up in something bad... Something life threatening.
It's a summer of secrets, and sorrow, and growing up, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.
