Barbara's Reviews > Buckle Up

What a clever way to handle tough topics! In this graphic novel with a variety of sizes of panels and different colored text for different speakers, middle grader Lonnie is struggling to accept his parents' divorce and having two different homes as well as issues of identity, being different from classmates whose parents live together, and how to deal with conflict. These are hard topics, often shunned by parents and their offspring, and after his father picks him up after school each day, Lonnie buckles up for the ride and broaches some of those issues. Many readers will be familiar with the experience of being trapped in the car with a parent and how that affords them the chance to talk things out or simply remain silent and ignore any issues that might be troubling them. Kudos for Lonnie for holding his father accountable for his words and actions, including careless, dismissive remarks about a classmate's two moms and about therapy and mental health. The facial expressions of the characters speak volumes, and this book could serve as a starting place for other families such as Lonnie's as they have those challenging conversations. This is a fast but important read, easily enjoyed by its intended young audience but the adults in their lives as well. I loved how Lonnie's mother reprimanded her son and daughter, Nicole, for calling each other stupid, instead insisting that they are "young, gifted, and Black" (p. 10), and how they pick up on her assessment. While the conversations with Mom driving her children to their destinations aren't as deep as those Lonnie has with his father, they're still important as well.