“Pinoys, Pinays
unseen, unsung
untold
but we learn from them
how to survive, thrive.”

One of the reasons why Filipinos can basically be found all over America is not only in search for jobs, because also because of the stark difference in livable wage between the US and the Philippines and the subsequent labor diaspora. In the US some earn around $10 an hour versus in the Philippines most earn around $10 a day. And so, a lot of Filipinos strive for employment outside of the country because earning a livable wage elsewhere equates having the means to be able to send even a tiny amount that with conversion, means a lot of money for their entire family back home.

This middle grade novel-in-verse tells the story of 12-year-old Isabel whose mother left the Philippines to work as a caregiver for a family in New York. She’s grown up in the provinces of the Philippines having only a monthly care package, known as a “Balikbayan box,” that’s sent to her and her grandparents as a symbol of her mother thinking of her and returning home in spirit. One day, she’s told that she needs to pack it all up cause she’s going to California to live with her mother. Thus begins the story of a young girl trying to find her way carrying the weight of the Filipino-American diaspora experience on her shoulders. This is a story of love, and friendship, of hopes and dreams, and of finding and making a home wherever you may find yourself.

There’s such gentleness in the verses. I was so surprised at how effortlessly Respicio was able to tell the story of this little girl who possessed such kindness and vulnerability. Isabel was an unbelievable complex and full-bodied character. Her sadness and loss and reached out through the pages and tugged at my heartstrings. The bullying and racism she also experienced from kids her age, even from fellow Filipinos, was heartbreaking to see. While Isabel understood the enormity of mother’s sacrifice, she also keenly felt how five years and an ocean apart could turn them into strangers. Her internal monologue was truly beautiful to read and it really showed Isabel’s pureness and strength of character.

I loved the sprinkling of Filipino history, with the origin of certain plants in the Philippines, to the arrival of the first Filipinos in America. I loved the respect for the elderly, the puns and play on words, and the subtle queer representation. I loved the way she saw gardening as a chore in the Philippines but what her grandfather told her resonated with her, it became a symbol of her home. I loved how Respicio created this little girl who thrived despite being thrust in a whole new place, full of new people of different cultures, with a mother she no longer knows. Most of all, I loved how this book embodied the resiliency, strength, and adaptability of all Filipinos; how we all try and try again and find ways and means to make whatever it is work for our loved ones.

This is an absolute must read for all Filipino Americans. It’s so simple and so pure and so beautiful. It made me ache for home. I highly encourage everyone to read this elegant novel-in-verse as it offers such a lovely glimpse into Filipino culture, Filipino-American history, and the Filipino-America diaspora experience through the eyes of a child.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Wendy Lamb Books, and Mae Respicio for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

This book is a testament to resilience, to finding your place in the world, and to growing and thriving even in difficult situations.

Novels in verse always seem to hit me particularly hard and this one is no different. The poem "Back by Box" had me tearing up, as did the entire last act as Isabel and her mother truly reconnect and see one another for who they are in that moment.

From a teacher perspective, I loved the wide variety of poems used - visual poems, tanagas, haikus - and screenshotted several to refer to as I teach poetry later in the year. I also love how Uncle Angelo gives Isabel (and readers) a mini history lesson about how Filipinos ended up in the United States, starting with those who landed in Northern California in 1587. It's a gentle reminder that Filipinos and other people of color have been intertwined with American history before the country even began.

Twelve-year-old Isabel Ligaya has moved from her grandparents' home in the Philippines to reunite with her mother in San Francisco, but everything is so different and she feels out of place. Isa remembers her lolo's advice to find what is familiar, and as she adjusts to her new school, she decides to join the cooking club and also to seek refuge in the old school garden, where she slowly brings a jasmine plant back to life. With the encouragement of new friends, she also revives the school's garden club and a connection between the school students and the folks in the local senior home.

This lovely novel-in-verse covers not only the loneliness and separation that comes with immigration but also the beauty of friendship and the community built by honoring the generations. Isa often draws on the wisdom of her grandparents, who remind her to "bloom where you are planted," and she overcomes her shyness to make friends across the ages. A lovely story that also plays with various poetic forms (and provides an author's note that encourages young readers to try writing with those same forms). 4 stars.

Thank you, Random House Children's Books and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

The heartfelt journey told in verse of a girl who moves from her home in the Philippines to the U.S. and her attempts of fitting in and finding her own place, through the nourishment and growth of a special garden. Isabel has lived her whole life in the Philippines but when her mother gets a job in the US and moves her there with her, her entire world is changed as she is forced to try and understand a culture she knows nothing about and try and fit in. From learning to make new friends to finding her own space where she can be herself and find connection, this is a wonderful book. I really felt for Isabel and her journey of trying to assimilate and find her own space in a whole new culture was really interesting to read. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a really heartwarming story! The novel-in-verse format of this book was really interesting and it brings you a little closer to Isobel's thoughts and feelings. Overall, a really great read.

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Wendy Lamb Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*