Jean Davies Okimoto

Meeting girls and going to school and hanging out with friends shouldn't be that tough. But it is if you're fifteen and you're biracial and your name is Moonbeam and you live on a commune with your mother and a bunch of granola-munching, tie-dyed, tofu-eating, sandal-wearing hippies! All Moonbeam wants is to be normal. But as Moonbeam is about to discover, life for a normal teenager is anything but.

From Explorations:
"A must red for all ages!"


From VOYA - Elaine McGuire:
Moonbeam and his mother Abby are moving from a defunct commune to an uncertain future on the Canadian Pacific Coast. Thanks to a helpful passerby, Moonbeam and Abby get not only a jump for their stalled vehicle, but leads for jobs and romances. Abby is quickly enamored with Harvey, the helper, and Moonbeam takes a job at an island resort where he falls for a guest, Michelle. Abby shuns the resort, as it caters to the rich timber execs she actively fights. Moonbeam takes advantage of his new freedom and changes his "granola" name to Reid. Ignoring his mother's warnings, Reid pursues Michelle and is completely humiliated. He and Abby have a tearful showdown, and he eventually accepts his hippie past while furthering his independence, with Abby's approval. The unique elements of this mother/son story outnumber the clichés. Boy having to choose between right and wrong girl, and teenage boy bristling at Mom kissing her boyfriend are true but overdone premises. The interesting stuff involves the Canadian environment, which may force curious American readers to consult the atlas. Abby and friends are protesting both tree cutting and bear hunting. Reid's exploration of his native heritage is fascinating. Best of all is Reid's obsessive inner dialogue, constantly questioning his every move and leading him to warped wonderings. If the cover is inviting, Moonbeam's saga will attract some pleased readers.



From School Library Journal:
Gr 7-10--The story of 15-year-old Moonbeam Dawson's search for his identity--for who he is and where he belongs--exquisitely captures the tension between the boy's love for his mother and his need for independence. After spending five years in a commune on Heather Mountain in British Columbia, Moonbeam and his mother travel to the gulf islands in search of work and a place to live. All Moonbeam wants is to go to a normal school rather than be home schooled, have friends, eat meat and junk food, and meet girls. When he gets a kitchen job at the posh Stere Island Lodge, his mother refuses to work for the rich clientele, whom she finds totally offensive. Moonbeam rebels, taking the job, which comes with an apartment for himself. In an attempt to redefine himself, he takes a new name, "Reid," that has interesting connections to his half-Haida Indian background. Snubbed by the pretty daughter of a timber executive, Reid realizes that in redefining himself he has in some respects come full circle, returning to the core values he has lived with all his life. He has changed, but more importantly, he has come to accept these values as his own. Moonbeam/Reid is an endearing character whose unique upbringing has given him a quirky and amusing perspective on life. Teens will find themselves cheering him on, suffering with him in his oh-so-embarrassing moments, and figuring out with him the meaning of family, first love, and friendship.--Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME