Mango Delight

April 15, 2017
The unexpected loss of a dear friendship leads to anxiety and ultimately resilience in television writer and producer Hyman's first middle-grade novel.Mango is a thoughtful 12-year-old black girl at Trueheart Middle School when her BFF gets a new cellphone, and suddenly they are on different planes of existence. When Mango accidentally drowns the phone in the bathroom sink, the fallout includes a lost job for her dad, a lost friend, and, above all, a lost sense of self and trust in others. "From then on, I was going to be uber-careful about who I got close to and who I let get close to me." Fortunately, despite her mounting anxiety, Mango learns that not everyone is as mercurial as her ex-BFF. Izzy, an exuberant Mexican-American classmate and former preschool play date that she had lost touch with, is the first of many to show Mango what a true friendship based on honesty and trust can look like. From cast mates in the school play to mentors and parents, a diverse community surrounds Mango as she learns to believe in herself and others again. Even former enemies can turn out to be friends when one learns to be real. Though this book clearly helps fill the need for minority female leads, the universal themes it addresses give it broad appeal across ages, genders, and cultural backgrounds. A short and sweet story that will encourage deeper conversations around shame, honesty, and courage. (Fiction. 8-12)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-Mango and her BFF Brooklyn have many things in common: they love to run, they are on the track team together, neither girl is allowed to have a cell phone until she turns 13, and they have a shared dislike for the mean and shallow "Cell-Belles," led by Hailey Joanne. This all changes in the span of a day-as middle school life is apt to do-when Mango beats both Brooklyn and Hailey Joanne in a race and Brooklyn gets her cell phone before her 13th birthday. Brooklyn is immediately enfolded into the Cell-Belles, leaving Mango feeling a little left out. There is further drama when Mango intercepts a hurtful text Brooklyn has sent about Mango's mother, and she accidentally breaks Brooklyn's new phone. The rest of the story plays out in a rather predictable way: Mango must broaden her circle of friends and try new things. The writing is accessible without being trite, and Mango's inner struggle to be a better person is presented in an interesting and relatable fashion. VERDICT An appealing addition, featuring an African American protagonist, for all middle grade collections; hand to readers who enjoy friendship drama and gentle realism.-Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2017
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Twelve-year-old Mango Delight Fuller upsets her BFF Brooklyn when she wins a race during their Girls on Track club meeting, and it all goes downhill from there. Brooklyn becomes both distant and mean, and while it might seem like this novel will be all about how their friendship is rebuilt and becomes stronger than ever, that would be incorrect. Instead, Brooklyn disappears from the story, and Mango discovers a new resilient side of herself independent of her sometimes-domineering friend, thanks in part to a role in the school play and some new friends, including popular Hailey Joanne, who used to bully Mango and Brooklyn. Along the way, Mango discovers that Hailey Joanne is nice, funny, and generous, but she's also insecure, and after some missteps, Mango is the one who needs to make things right. Hyman marries traditional tween elements with a fresh and original plot, and his multicultural cast sparkles with individuality and authenticity. Hailey Joanne is much more complex than she originally seems, and Hyman's supporting characters, both kids and adults, are vivid and dynamic. Mango is as delightful as her middle name indicates, and middle-grade readers will easily recognize their own experiences in her friendship struggles. This is Hyman's first novel; here's hoping it's not his last.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)