What I Carry

Starred review from November 11, 2019
Having grown up in foster care, Muiriel—“Muir”—is good at packing. Per writing by her namesake, John Muir, she carries the bare minimum, and following 20 placements, has folding down to a science. After one more year, she’ll be 18 and out of the system. In an effort to have some control over her life’s uncertainties, Muir has also mastered keeping people at arm’s length by being helpful, staying out of trouble, and keeping her grades up. She’s not so good at making friends, trusting people, and talking about her feelings. But her new placement, a ferry ride away from Seattle on Bainbridge Island, stands to play havoc with all of that. Her new foster mother is smart and kind, and Muir makes a real friend, gets a job that she loves, and meets a boy who really likes her. But Muir, used to packing emotionally lightly as well, will have to make changes to be able to let people in. Longo (Up to this Pointe), a foster and adoptive parent, wrote the book for her adopted daughter, who wanted a “hopeful, happy” tale; she provides it—and the book, well-written and heartfelt, is a pleasure. Ages 12–up. Agent: Melissa Sarver White, Folio Literary Management.

Starred review from November 1, 2019
At 17, Muiriel needs to make it through one more placement, then she will age out of foster care and into state-sanctioned self-sufficiency. Muir is white, woke, and keenly aware that her experience of not knowing any family from birth isn't representative of most foster kids. She meticulously follows the wisdom of her hero and namesake, John Muir, and keeps her baggage light. However, it quickly becomes apparent that her new temporary home will challenge her resolute independence. The island forest beckons to her. Francine, her latest foster mother, is insightful and socially aware. Kira, a heavily tattooed artist, is brimming with best friend potential. And then there's Sean, the beautiful boy who understands that the world can be terrible and wonderful at the same time. As these people show up for Muir, the survival strategy she clings to--don't get attached--diminishes in validity. This is terrifying; Muir has only ever learned to depend on herself. The trauma she contends with is not perpetrated by a villain; it is the slow boil of a childhood in which inconsistency has been the only constant. The power of relationship--both those experienced and those denied--is expertly explored throughout this novel with nuance and humanity. The central characters are immensely likable, creating a compelling read sure to leave an imprint. Most main characters are white; Kira is Japanese American. An exceptional addition to the coming-of-age canon. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2019

Gr 7 Up-Soon-to-be 18-year-old Muiriel (Muir) has been in Seattle's foster care system since infancy. Moving to her final foster house before aging out, she knows exactly what to do: keep her head down, don't get attached, and pack only what she can carry. When Muir's new housing situation starts to feel like a real home, she must figure out if some things she carries are okay to let go. This novel begins as the story of a teen girl in the foster care system that blossoms into a book full of diverse stories on tough topics. Muir's experience in lifelong foster care has led to attachment issues, but other characters have their own baggage to share. Her best friend, Kira (who is of Japanese descent), is bullied in school and is healing from her family's history of being prisoners in internment camps. Zola, Muir's former foster sister, is moved back and forth from foster homes to her family and faces prejudice as a black child in foster care, which is highlighted alongside Muir's experience as white child. An author's note provides more resources on the foster system and how the author's experience inspired this story. VERDICT Well-researched and thoughtful, this novel packs a lot into its emotional yet humorous story. Add to collections for fans of Emery Lord and Sara Zarr.-Anna Taylor, Darien Library, CT

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2020
Grades 8-11 Found in a hospital lobby as an infant, Muiriel has only ever known life in the foster system. Soon, she'll be 18 and free from Child Protective Services, but her habit of moving from foster family to foster family could sabotage her. This time, she's determined to stay, but to do so, she'll have to learn to trust others and let them in. The narrative is solidly written and contains a series of anecdotes about items Muiriel has taken from each of her foster homes, which helps to illustrate her character. Further character development is interestingly tied to lessons on famed mountaineer John Muir, whose life acts as a foil to Muiriel's. Some elements of the novel, including bully antagonists and an incident with the foster family dog, are formulaic and tropey, but the strength of the plot and prose overall make these shortcomings easy to dismiss. Longo's (Up to This Pointe, 2016) novel is a rare and conscientious look into one experience of foster care that will linger with readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)