A Duet for Home

Starred review from February 7, 2022
Following the unexpected death of her father, her mother’s subsequent retreat into silence, and an eviction, viola-playing June Yang and her Chinese American family move to Huey House, a Bronx shelter for unhoused people. Sixth grader Tyrell, who is Black and Chinese, knows Huey House “better than anyone,” having lived there for three years; to atone for a cafeteria prank gone wrong, he offers to help June find a place to secretly practice her forbidden viola. Brief, alternating third-person chapters detail June’s struggle to adjust, navigating a lengthy bus commute and her embarrassment about the family’s new circumstances, alongside Tyrell’s mastery of the shelter’s rhythms and inhabitants. When Tyrell overhears a plot by the Huey House director to push families out of the shelter after only 90 days “to see lower homeless numbers,” he and June know they must act to save it. Inspired by her years of work in the New York City shelter system, Yan Glaser’s (the Vanderbeekers series) bighearted standalone moves quickly through its complex plot without forsaking strong characterizations of Huey House’s many staff and residents, concluding with a potent message about the power of direct action. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ginger Clark, Ginger Clark Literary.

February 15, 2022
Grades 4-6 After her father's death, 11-year-old June, her little sister, and their mother, who has withdrawn into a cocoon of grief, move from Chinatown into Huey House, a homeless shelter offering social services for residents. Tired of looking after herself and her sister, June resents her mother's inability to cope. Her initial outrage with the shelter's rules (musical instruments are not allowed in residents' apartments) subsides when she finds both staff and residents conspiring to ensure that she can not only play her viola but also take lessons from a professional violinist living nearby. June values her growing friendships with a boy named Tyrell and the shelter's staff, who are quietly helping her mother take responsibility for her family again. Drawing on her experiences working in a New York City homeless shelter, Glaser excels in her vivid, individual portrayals of the characters and their relationships. While the conclusion is not entirely convincing, the novel offers readers a heartening story as well as a memorable vision of homeless shelters as complex, supportive communities working toward positive change.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2022
Eleven-year-old June, an accomplished viola player; her little sister, Maybelle; and their mom land in Huey House, a family shelter in the Bronx, after they lose their apartment. There June meets Tyrell, a boy who loves listening to classical music and is a three-year resident of the shelter. Glaser (The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, rev. 11/17, and sequels) writes with warmth and understanding about the complexities of family housing instability. Chapters alternate between June's and Tyrell's points of view. Tyrell offers June a new community, and June brings music to Tyrell. The drama unfolds as the mayor's proposed policy for ending homelessness actually threatens the children's safety net, and the protagonists work together to convince the mayor to rethink her plan. With sympathetic characters, a satisfying ending, and young people who take strong action to help themselves and others, the novel is readable and engaging and provides a valuable glimpse into a complicated social issue. Maeve Visser Knoth

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from February 15, 2022
New York City tweens June and Tyrell bond while living at a family shelter. After the unexpected death of her father, 11-year-old June Yang, her dog-obsessed little sister, Maybelle, and their depressed mother are evicted from their Chinatown apartment and relocated to a homeless shelter for women and children in the South Bronx. Sixth grader Tyrell Chee, who has been at Huey House for three years, thinks getting three hot meals a day and living in the same building as his book-loving best friend, Jeremiah, beats the uncertainty of life alone with his unreliable mother. Despite a messy first impression, June and Tyrell become fast friends--especially after they discover a shared love of classical music (she plays the viola, he appreciates their mysterious neighbor's nightly violin practice). The dual-perspective narrative offers alternating points of view on navigating life in a shelter. Although the author doesn't shy away from the trauma endured by children in the system and the various mental health, financial, educational, and social challenges the families face, this is a hopeful and inspiring story about the lives of children who are rarely represented in middle-grade fiction. The young people engage in activism that is both thought-provoking and profound. The wonderfully diverse multigenerational cast of characters includes Chinese American June, Chinese and Black Tyrell, and mostly Black and brown supporting characters. A powerful, heartwarming, and thoughtful tale of kids cultivating chosen families during challenging circumstances. (author's note, music list, note on Cantonese) (Fiction. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2022
Eleven-year-old June, an accomplished viola player; her little sister, Maybelle; and their mom land in Huey House, a family shelter in the Bronx, after they lose their apartment. There June meets Tyrell, a boy who loves listening to classical music and is a three-year resident of the shelter. Glaser (The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street rev. 11/17, and sequels) writes with warmth and understanding about the complexities of family housing instability. Chapters alternate between June's and Tyrell's points of view. Tyrell offers June a new community, and June brings music to Tyrell. The drama unfolds as the mayor's proposed policy for ending homelessness actually threatens the children's safety net, and the protagonists work together to convince the mayor to rethink her plan. With sympathetic characters, a satisfying ending, and young people who take strong action to help themselves and others, the novel is readable and engaging and provides a valuable glimpse into a complicated social issue.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)