Dream, Annie, Dream by Waka T. Brown
Published by Quill Tree Books on February 8, 2022
ISBN: 0063017164
Pages: 352
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

Annie Inoue is excited for 7th grade, and she’s looking forward to all the opportunities she has—basketball tryouts, trying out for the school play, and her first crush. When Annie is cast in the school’s production of The King and I, she’s ecstatic until she hears murmurs at school that she only got the part because she’s Asian. This hurts her, but it also emboldens her to show her classmates that she’s really deserving of the part.

This story has a lot of good intentions but somewhat misses the mark. The story is slow and wandering, and it feels about twice as long as it needs to be. It does tackle issues surrounding racism toward Asian Americans, and that part of the story is important. Readers will also identify with Annie’s typical 7th grade insecurities and anxieties. Recommended for readers 4th grade and up and for collections needing to bolster their Asian American representation.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME