Cross My Heart and Never Lie
Tuva (white) starts seventh grade assuming nothing has changed with her two best friends, Bao (Vietnamese) and Linnea (white)—until Linnea announces that she has a boyfriend. Bao is first annoyed and then angry when it becomes clear that Linnea has new priorities. Tuva, meanwhile, feels torn: She doesn’t want to give up the childlike games they’ve always played, but she’s intrigued by the idea of romance. The problem is she can’t think of a single boy she likes. Then she meets new student Mariam (brown-skinned) and develops a crush. Bao has no problem with Tuva liking a girl, but a big problem with Tuva being yet another friend obsessed with love. Tuva hopes a birthday sleepover at Linnea’s will be a chance for the three friends to make amends, but Bao ends up outing Tuva to the group in a moment of hurt. This spirited graphic novel examines the sometimes-challenging transition between childhood and adolescence among a group of best friends. With hand-lettered text and light-hearted illustrations ranging from full-page to panel to spot images, the fresh, diary-style storytelling includes the wonderful, often droll relationship between Tuva and her single-parent dad. While explicit acknowledgment that outing someone is never okay would have been welcome, it is implied in a story that concludes with a terrific author’s note discussing the inspiration of her childhood friendships, and what she’s learned from seeing her book translated into different languages. ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by
Nora Dasnes
Translated by
Matt Bagguley.
Translated from the Norwegian. Originally published in Norway.
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-13
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Graphic Novel
Subjects:
Change
Diaries and Journals
Fathers
Friendship
LGBTQ+ Persons
Love and Romance
Translated Books
Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans
Diversity subjects:
Asian
Brown Skin Unspecified
Publishers:
Astra, Hippo Park
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 239
ISBN: 9781662640544
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 741.5 Dasnes