Mimi Oliver is starting seventh grade at a new school, and she isn't sure what to expect. She didn't want to leave her friends and cousins in Berkley, California, but it was time for her mother and her to join her father in Vermont where he recently joined the faculty of a small college. Mimi is used to fitting in and now she will be the odd one in this small community.
People are always asking Mimi "what she is." She answers that she is American, but she knows they really expect her to say that she is black like her father and Japanese like her mother. That's true, but Mimi knows she is just Mimi.
Adjusting to her new school, a grumpy neighbor, and working toward her future dream of becoming an astronaut keep Mimi busy. Being a seventh grade girl in 1969 means that most people think Mimi should be doing "girl" things like taking home economics not wishing she could be in shop class with the boys. She does find a few friends who understand her and even join her attempt to respectfully protest the school not allowing girls to take shop.
As the year passes in her new home, Mimi learns more about family, friendship, and standing up for what she believes in. She also eagerly watches the new advancements in the world around her as she longs to be a part of the changes she observes.
FULL CICADA MOON by Marilyn Hilton is written in verse and packed with emotion, humor, and bits of 1969 history. As I read it, I could easily envision it as the centerpiece of a STEM/STEAM/STREAM unit for middle grade readers. It's a quick read with enormous discussion potential.
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