Lisa Joyal

Received a free copy of this book for review as a former What If? reviewer.

Just because a book is geared towards preteens doesn't mean that it can't include heavy issues. Swahili for Beginners by Lisa Joyal is proof of this.

The book starts off typically enough: girl writes to pen pal with ridiculous questions about country, pen pal writes back and blows away preconceived notions. But it doesn't end there. This book has many endearing and thought provoking aspects that set it apart.

The main character, Georgie, is a spunky, adventurous girl with big plans and dreams. With her red hair, active imagination, and caring heart, she's like a modern day Anne Shirley. And, much like Anne, she's not without her problems. With the support of her Tanzanian pen pal, Ellie, Georgie struggles to come to terms with everything from her parents' divorce to her first crush.

The most engaging part of the novel is the exchange of letters between Eliie and Georgie (the author creates a lot of moving parallels -- for example, juxtaposing eating disorders with famines). This isn't just educational, it inspires the reader to learn more about the world.… (mais)

Swahili for Beginners follows the story of twelve-year-old Georgie, an intelligent, athletic Canadian girl who decides that she would like to travel to Tanzania to visit her new pen-pal, Ellie. Georgie works hard to make her dream a reality, getting a job as a paper-girl, and working as a leaf-raker and snow-shoveler in order to save money for the trip. While she works up the courage to ask her mother for permission, Georgie also struggles to come to terms with her parents' divorce and her new step-family, offer support to her best friend Jodi, whose family is being torn apart by an older sister's anorexia, and sort out her feelings for Dylan - her first friend who is also a boy.

Joyal's overall story is engaging enough, and the reader quickly becomes involved with the characters - anxious to see things turn out well. The juxtaposition of anorexia with the issue of hunger in Africa was thought-provoking, and Georgie's larger awakening to some of the less pleasant realities in the world was well handled. That said, the writing was somewhat uneven, with the author's good intentions vis-a-vis social issues sometimes manifesting itself in expository passages that seemed designed more to integrate her didactic purpose than to further the story. I was disappointed, moreover, by the fact that Swahili for Beginners concludes before Georgie actually gets to Tanzania, as the book seems to be building toward that "reward."… (mais)