Rating: Not for me

Reading Level: Early Elementary

Concerns:

  • The use of Tai Chi (see below)
  • References to school being boring or harsh (e.g., Cody gives up on her “boring summer reading book,” Ms. Spindle the teacher is portrayed as mean and oppressive, “Explaining things that are boring is how a genius is nice to you.”)
  • References to wanting tattoos, or tattoos being cool
  • Violence; a bully talks about giving a “knuckle sandwich”
  • A kid’s dad is an exterminator, and Cody says, “Murder is murder” – even if it’s bugs. My (amazing) sister has a huge heart, and she might agree with Cody! But seems worth mentioning if you know exterminators or don’t like this attitude toward pests.

Overall, the writing itself is lovely and I wish it was easier to recommend.

On Tai Chi. My biggest issue is that the grandmother does Tai Chi, which is a purposeful movement with meditation originating from Taoism, a religion that claims the world has a universal binding life-force/energy, called chi (or qi). Engaging in Tai Chi is believed to strengthen one’s inner chi, giving health and longevity. Taoism doesn’t acknowledge God or the Messiah, but perhaps the most common Taoist influence on our pop culture is the ideas of yin and yeng, those black and white sperm-like pollywogs that form a circle in rotational symmetry.

None of the Tai Chi in this book goes too deep. In fact, I’d suggest it doesn’t go much deeper then other context might present yoga, which is a similar meditative activity from Hinduism. Nevertheless, it still is worth at least having a conversation with your kid about Taoism if you’re going to let them read this chapter book.