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Continental Drifter
CCBC Review:
At Kathy’s international school in Bangkok, the diverse student body celebrates Culture Day by wearing traditional clothing from their cultural backgrounds. The “American” getup Kathy’s mom makes her wear, though, feels incomplete—like Kathy, “not one thing or the other.” She is biracial—in Thai, a luk khrueng (“half child”). She speaks only English, which distances her from her Thai-speaking mother. Kathy loves American culture, food, and television shows; she’s counting down the days until she and her family leave for a summer in coastal Maine, where her white father’s family lives and where she’ll be attending summer camp. But the summer is more complicated than she expects it to be. Although she’s overjoyed to be reunited with extended family members, she feels self-conscious in the mostly white town. It turns out she and her parents and sister have nothing to talk about, and she realizes she knows very little about her parents—especially her father, who was married twice before meeting Kathy’s mother. Even camp is a disappointment as other kids ask racist, intrusive questions. There are uplifting moments of connection, though, before the summer ends: She meets second cousins who are fun and welcoming, and she learns that her sister is also struggling with loneliness. By the time summer ends, she’s sad to leave Maine but looking forward to returning home to Bangkok. This relatable, honest graphic memoir excels in its depiction of feeling “in between” cultures, homes, and identities. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Kathy MacLeod
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Graphic Novel
Subjects:
Autobiography/Memoir
Families
Multiracial Characters/Families
Thais and Thai Americans
Diversity subject:
Asian
Publishers:
First Second, Roaring Brook
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 206
ISBN: 9781250813749
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 741.5 MacLeod