Generation Misfits

by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Overview

Generation Misfits by Akemi Dawn Bowman is a heartwarming, fish-out-of-water own voices story about an eleven-year-old Japanese-American girl who finds her true friends—through the power of J-Pop!

Millie is attending a real school for the first time, and she dreams of finally having friends and a little bit of freedom. She finds her chance when she joins an imitation band of her favorite J-Pop group, where she's thrilled to meet a group of misfits who quickly become a tightknit group of friends that are like family.

But Millie soon realizes that one of them is dealing with problems bigger than what notes to hit when it comes time for their performance. Can Millie help her friend, even when their problem feels too big to say out loud?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374313746
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	06/29/2021
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.40(d)
Lexile:	680L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Akemi Dawn Bowman is a critically-acclaimed author who writes across genres. Her novels have received multiple accolades and award nominations, and her debut novel, Starfish, was a William C. Morris Award Finalist. She has a BA in social sciences from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and currently lives in Scotland with her husband and two children. She overthinks everything, including this bio. Visit Akemi online at her website or on Instagram.

Editorial Reviews

★ 07/01/2021

Gr 5 Up—Eleven-year-old Japanese American student Millie Nakakura is starting her first day of school at Brightside Academy, a K—12 magnet school for visual and performing arts. The day gets off to a rough start when Millie, a former homeschooler, is late to several of her classes, spills her lunch on the most popular girl in school, and struggles to make friends. Spotting a flyer in the hallway, Millie shows up to J-Club, a Japanese cultural appreciation group. There, she meets Tina Suzuki (Zuki for short) and the two become fast friends. Hoping to increase membership, Zuki and Millie hold open auditions to turn J-Club into a cover band of their favorite J-pop girl group, Generation Love. Soon they are joined by nonbinary student Ashley Seo, shy theater student Rainbow Chan, and popular dancer Luna Acevedo. The band of self-described misfits sets their sights on trying out for the Pop Showcase, a school talent show, but along the way they form lasting bonds of friendship. Millie struggles to balance schoolwork, J-Club, and practicing the flute for the school band with her parents' high expectations of excellence. Meanwhile, Zuki begins seeing the school counselor regularly for problems related to her home life, Rainbow is tormented by bullies, and Luna and Ashley must face a tough conversation stemming from a misunderstanding in their past to resolve tension in the present. The novel's strength lies in writing that respects the emotional lives of adolescents, and in the realistic and honest portrayal of young people supporting one another on their journey to becoming their true selves. VERDICT This character-centered coming-of-age novel features authentic dialogue with a fully realized cast of diverse characters, and celebrates the power, importance, and value of friendship. Highly recommended for school and public library collections.—Samantha Lumetta, P.L. of Cincinnati and Hamilton Cty., OH

School Library Journal

2021-05-11
Fandom and interpersonal struggles combine in this story of middle schoolers who form an unlikely bond.

Lonely Oregon 11-year-old Millie Nakakura has been home-schooled by intense parents who pressure her to excel at the flute, something she has grown to hate. They finally allow her to enroll at an arts academy, where she is overwhelmed by teachers’ unstated expectations. Socially adrift, she finds solace in her passion for Japanese pop quintet Generation Love. Then she meets Tina “Zuki” Suzuki through after-school J-Club. The club of two grows to five as social misfits Ashley Seo and Rainbow Chan and popular girl Luna Acevedo find their way in. But it’s not smooth sailing: Zuki is hiding serious problems at home, Ashley and Luna have an obviously tense history, Luna keeps her participation secret from her queen bee friends who viciously bully vegan Rainbow, and Millie lies to her parents about her failing grades and forbidden extracurricular activity. Their decision to enter a school show as a Generation Love cover act complicates matters; figuring everything out involves self-awareness and genuine contrition. At times the characters’ voices sound too mature for sixth grade, but everyone in this well-paced story grows emotionally, showing what loyal, courageous, and humanly imperfect relationships look like. Millie is half Japanese (her other half is not specified); other characters’ ethnicities are cued by their surnames, and Ashley is nonbinary.

A sincere story about being true to oneself and others. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

"A heart-warming story about friendship that will have readers cheering for Millie and her friends." —Debbi Michiko Florence, author of Keep It Together, Keiko Carter

“A rhythmic, melodic story of friendship and bravery. You’ll not only root for Millie and her misfits—you’ll want to join them.” —Ashley Herring Blake, author of Stonewall Honor Book Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World

"Akemi Dawn Bowman's debut middle grade novel hits all the right notes with this authentic, vulnerable, and triumphant tale of coming into your own space with courage and grace." —Jessica Kim, author of Stand Up, Yumi Chung

"This character-centered coming-of-age novel features authentic dialogue with a fully realized cast of diverse characters, and celebrates the power, importance, and value of friendship. Highly recommended for school and public library collections." —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"...the book is uncondescending and happily celebratory about the fandom experience and what it means to the kids. Never mind cool: sincerity and enthusiasm rule here in a book that believes fervently in the value and joy of friendship." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB), STARRED REVIEW

"One of the great themes of the book is how everyone is going through something ... Bowman also gets into the good, bad, and ugly of what it means to be a friend. A great read for both misfits and insiders, this encourages readers to embrace their true selves." —Booklist

"A sincere story about being true to oneself and others." —Kirkus

From the Publisher