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Reviewed by: Lisa Rice, Middle School Librarian Title: Linked Author: Gordon Korman Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2021 Good for Grades: 4-8 Genre/Type of Book: mystery, friendships, realistic fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: brief, general description of the Holocaust Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I have not read much Gordon Korman and his books are pretty popular in my middle school library, so I thought it was time for a Korman! This book was also brought up as a potential choice for our school-wide read next year, and it came highly recommended. Also, I know Gordon Korman is known for his humor and this book is about swastikas appearing in a school. I was interested in how he was going to pull this off. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: As Caroline says, "You can talk about a problem all day long. But coming up with a solution? That's a lot harder." (p.69)
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Review:
In the small town of Chokecherry, Colorado, Michael sneaks back into school to get his forgotten cell phone. He sees a swastika painted on the wall in a staircase. "It's not there to help tell a story or to educate. It's the real thing, painted in anger or hatred. " (p.13) Soon after another swastika appears, and then another, and another. Who is behind these racist, anti-Semitic acts? A student? An adult? No one knows! Suspect lists are formed.
We hear the story from multiple viewpoints- Link (Lincoln) Rowley is the "big star athlete" on campus, and he hangs out with his prankster friends Jordie, Pouncey, and some of the popular girls. As they partake in their prank, "Operation Dino-doo-doo," they acknowledge that dinosaur poop is temporary, but a swastika is forever." (p.20) Dana Levison is the "new kid" and is the only Jewish kid in school- until Link discovers his Jewish heritage. It is interesting to see Link discover what it means to be Jewish. We also learn that the town has a past involving the KKK that no one wants to address.
Student Council decides to make paper chains, 6 million of them, to represent the six million Jewish people killed in the Holocaust. Principal Brademas agrees but warns students how incredibly difficult this will be. In fact, the school shortly runs out of construction paper! Little did he know, the school would end up getting donations from all 50 states and eleven different countries. When the chain eventually reaches 6,000,023 links, everyone cheers (even me). When we all realize what each of these links represent, there is silence at the school (and tears in my eyes). I loved the quote from Caroline on page 106- "It seems to me that if schools spend money on field trips and football equipment, they should spend just as much on something that's a million times more important."
One of the best parts of the book for me was after the first swastika was discovered and the adults and educators do as adults and educators will do- immediately start a tolerance education unit in the school. The description of this from the students' point of view had me laughing out loud! It definitely made me rethink how I could have handled things better as a teacher when these teachable moments happen- and we beat it to death. "And now what do we do all day every day? We look at swastikas," and another student acknowledges that "Our tolerance for tolerance education has reached its limits." (p.30)
This book is witty and funny and yet manages to tackle a serious subject. It has a message of tolerance and remembrance. There are oh-so-funny parts and parts that brought tears to my eyes. It is also a mystery- who IS drawing all the swastikas? There are a lot of suspects. And yet the entire book is grounded in reality. The conclusion could happen in any school. This entire event could happen in any school. I absolutely loved it.
I hope many of my middle schoolers will read it whether it is picked for our school-wide read or not. It is timely for sure, on many levels. I think they will be able to relate to the characters and the events, and hopefully learn something about acceptance along the way. I highly recommend this book.
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