Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 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)

Horn Book (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

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

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

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)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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. (Apr.)