Dawn Raid

January 15, 2021
Sofia Christina Savea shares what life is like during times of political unrest in 1970s Wellington, New Zealand. Through diary entries, readers are introduced to vibrant Sofia, who is growing up biracial--pālagi (White) and Samoan--as she turns 13 and starts to consider the shifting world around her. Protests against dawn raids, as police hunt for Pacific Islanders who have overstayed their visas, and activism to encourage Māori land and language reclamation start to frame her perspectives around equality. Sofia's developing awareness bridges her transition to becoming a teenager as she takes on a job to be able to buy her own things but also contributes to her family's financial well-being. She is invited into conversations around civil rights in her community, particularly through her family's involvement with the Polynesian Panthers, modeled after the Black Panthers. Vaeluaga Smith skillfully balances the joy Sofia experiences when she tastes McDonald's for the first time or is learning Māori songs and games with thoughtful considerations of state violence against Pacific Islanders and how it intimately affects her family and friends. The accessible language allows space for Sofia, and readers, to tip in and out of complex ideas and politics that hold present-day relevance. Hunkin's charming illustrations provide visual insight into the world presented so vividly in the text. A comprehensive historical note presents real-life heroes whose humanity is well-emphasized through the diary format. Well crafted and wonderfully fresh. (historical note, glossary, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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February 1, 2021
Grades 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Sofia lives with her family in a small New Zealand town. In diary entries, she chronicles her day-to-day experiences: her younger brothers' multiple trips to the emergency room, the result of "stupid" accidents; her development as a writer and participation in a public-speaking contest; and her older brother's growing involvement with the Polynesian Panthers. Set in 1976, Smith spotlights an era characterized by both a resurgence of Maori culture and early morning sweeps of Pacific Islander residents suspected of "overstaying" their visas. The raid on Sofia's extended family (her father is from Samoa) results in violence, incarceration, and much fear, despite the fact that all those arrested are New Zealand citizens. The Panthers (like their U.S. namesakes) provide legal assistance, school tutoring, and hot meals, and aid in Sofia's growing understanding of human rights. Lighter moments are also noted, especially Sofia's love of go-go boots and the job she gets in order to afford them. An illuminating look at racism down under; Kiwi expressions and history are explained in the generous back matter.

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Starred review from April 2, 2021

Gr 5-8-Go-go boots, eating your first McDonald's burger, and watching the Sunday night Disney movie were major life happenings for many tween girls in 1976, including those living outside of the United States. So it is for Sofia, a 12-year-old New Zealander whose close-knit family of seven creates daily drama, making for engaging and entertaining diary entries. Sofia's father is Samoan and her mother is white. Sofia's life currently revolves around a speech contest at school, scoring a milk run to make money, and iconic 70s fashion. Yet Sofia's cultural and political interest is piqued when her older brother Lenny mentions the government Dawn Raids focused on deporting Pacific Islanders who have overstayed their visas, and the Polynesian Panthers, an organization fighting to help their victims. Eventually, Sofia's interests and mixed ethnicity collide as she comes to realize that she has a voice she can use to confront injustice. Vaeluaga Smith's debut chronicles ethnic bias through the honest lens of a preoccupied preteen narrator. The diary format preserves Sofia's inner thoughts, yet authentically bounces to major teen life happenings, at times diluting the plot's rising action. Readers will gain an understanding of the ethnic and cultural bias of this period along with the naive narrator, providing a soft introduction to a complicated and ongoing issue for those unfamiliar. The illustrative doodles add emphasis to major events and will appeal to tween readers. Text is peppered with New Zealand terms and phrases; a glossary offers opportunities for American readers to learn new words. VERDICT Smith's timely novel encourages empathy and understanding while spotlighting underrepresented history, and providing an example of how young people can take action. Highly recommended.-Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis Sch., Salt Lake City

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