Genius Jolene

Gr 3-5–Every year eight-year-old Jolene travels with her truck driver father on one of his deliveries. This year is a little different. Jolene’s father and mother are no longer married. Instead of Jolene’s mom wishing them safe travels, it’s her father’s boyfriend, Joey. Yet much remains the same. Jolene and her father continue their tradition of acting as unofficial food critics, evaluating onion rings at each eatery they encounter, and share deep ruminations about the origins of words and phrases. The climax of the book occurs when Jolene must confront a stranger’s homophobia. She learns from her father to respond with kindness. This is a valuable lesson but feels somewhat unresolved, and as if the conflict was not fully thought out. The worth of this title lies in the representation of a multicultural cast of characters.