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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Chau, Alina

Marshmallow & Jordan

384 pp. | Roaring Brook/First Second | October, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-250-30060-7 $22.99 | Paper ISBN 978-1-250-30061-4 $15.99
(2) 4-6 In a graphic novel with broad appeal set in Indonesia, wheelchair user Jordan remains the captain of the Kahawaii Multicultural School basketball team after an accident two years ago but is no longer permitted to play because the league does not allow mobility devices. One day when she is feeling particularly discouraged, Jordan finds an injured baby white elephant at a nearby playground, brings him home, and befriends the dejected pachyderm, whom she names Marshmallow. This new friend helps her discover water polo, a sport she can play for her school--but she has to sacrifice basketball. While the story includes light fantasy elements--the anthropomorphized Marshmallow is loosely based on Airavata, a Hindu god of clouds and rain--there are no magical solutions for Jordan. Though she is an exceptional athlete, she must work diligently to master her new sport even as it causes friendship fallouts and other tween turbulence. From the first page, author-illustrator Chau's background in animation is clear: her soft and saturated watercolors immediately situate readers in the story's setting and close-knit community, with little text. Clever compositions and notable lack of motion lines give readers what only the pause button can: perfect suspensions of climactic sports action. Extensive back matter includes facts about Indonesia and its regional foods, an author's note, a glossary of Indonesian words, and more.
Reviewer: Niki Marion | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

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