Clairboyance

February 19, 2024
Frustrated by her inability to understand boys, especially her estranged best friend Leo, Hawaiian-born Clara, who lives with her grandmother on the North Shore of Oahu, wishes upon her family ‘umeke (“You can ask the ‘umeke any question.... But the answer could surprise you,” her grandmother explains) to know what boys are thinking. Suddenly, she can hear boys’ thoughts. Clara sees her newfound gift as an opportunity to reconnect with Leo while managing the complicated dynamics of sixth grade. But it might be too late: she may be leaving Hawaii soon to live with her father and his fiancée in Arizona, something she’s wanted ever since the school year started. Fearful that she’s running out of time, she tries helping those around her by acting upon their thoughts, but the more she interferes, the more she seems to mess up. Now Clara must find a way to put things to rights and decide where her future lies. Focusing on family, friendship and forgiveness, Kahakauwila crafts a love letter to Hawaiian culture, identity, and landscape and captures the uncertainty and confusion of navigating middle school, fashioning a heartfelt debut that emits positivity, optimism, and warm vibes. Ages 8–12. Agent: Markus Hoffman, Regal Hoffman & Assoc.

April 1, 2024
A girl tries to make things better with the help of a little magic but only makes her life more complicated. Clara grew up moving all over the U.S. thanks to her mother's military job, but following her parents' divorce, she's lived with Tūtū, her grandmother, on the island of O'ahu in Hawai'i. She's happy there, but recent family tension over her dad's move to Arizona has been stressful. Worse, her best friend, Leo, ditched her at the beginning of sixth grade. One night, lonely Clara asks a question of her family's heirloom 'umeke, a special wooden bowl: "What are boys thinking?" On the school bus the next morning, she discovers that she can hear the boys' thoughts. Clara tries to use her new power to solve her friendship problems (for example, getting Leo's friends to stop teasing her), but she causes more trouble for everyone. Vowing to fix everything before Dad moves her to Phoenix, Clara learns, with the guidance of trusted adults, to truly listen and open up to different perspectives. She forges new friendships and unearths feelings about her home and the family she'll be leaving behind. This heartfelt story centers around listening both to others and your own heart. Clara and new friend Pua struggle with belonging; both girls are Native Hawaiian but grew up on the mainland. 'Ōlelo Hawai'i, the Hawaiian language, is woven throughout the text, which captures the rhythms of local speech. A beautiful celebration of Hawai'i, including family, community, history, and the land. (Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from May 3, 2024

Gr 4-7-This hilarious and heartfelt middle grade novel answers the age-old question: What are boys really thinking?! Protagonist Clara, a Hawaiian tween, is gifted with the answer. After gaining the magical power of listening that has been passed down in her family for generations, Clara is finally able to understand what the boys around her are thinking-she becomes 'clairboyant.' Clara gains these powers early on in the novel, giving the story momentum. Despite some funny bumps along the way, Clara learns how to use her powers for good, helping her male friends work through their insecurities while gaining confidence in herself and learning powerful lessons about honesty, vulnerability, and trust. Clara's roots in her native Hawaiian culture is an equally powerful theme in the novel, as she engages with community elders like her grandma Tūtū and her bus driver Kumu Maka, who is māhū (gender nonconforming), to strengthen her connection to the natural landscape and people on the island she calls home. VERDICT Providing necessary AANHPI representation, humor, and instant middle school appeal, this novel is a first purchase.-Maria Bohan

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2024
In this novel set in O'ahu, Hawai'i, Clara is having a rough start to sixth grade and wishes she could move to Arizona to live with her dad. Her best friend, Leo, has not spoken to her since the beginning of the school year, and Clara, confused and hurt, wishes she knew why. One night, she asks the 'umeke, a wooden bowl that her family has passed down for generations, "What are boys thinking?" The next day, Clara can hear the thoughts of all the boys around her. Clara tries to use her new abilities in helpful ways but ends up causing more trouble. When her Tutu (grandmother in 'olelo Hawai'i, or the Hawaiian language) has a serious asthma attack, Dad wants to move both Clara and Tutu to Arizona, and Clara finds herself using her Clairboyance (Tutu's name for the ability) to convince her dad to move back to Hawai'i instead. Kahakauwila's middle-grade debut introduces readers to the history, culture, and language of Hawai'i. Characters smoothly switch among English, Creole English, and 'olelo Hawai'i, and Tutu teaches Clara how to care for the land (flora and fauna are vividly described) and the ancestors. Readers are reminded of the importance of family, history, and culture in the context of an entertaining tween narrative. A welcome addition to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander literature for young people. Nicholl Denice Montgomery

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
In this novel set in O'ahu, Hawai'i, Clara is having a rough start to sixth grade and wishes she could move to Arizona to live with her dad. Her best friend, Leo, has not spoken to her since the beginning of the school year, and Clara, confused and hurt, wishes she knew why. One night, she asks the 'umeke, a wooden bowl that her family has passed down for generations, "What are boys thinking?" The next day, Clara can hear the thoughts of all the boys around her. Clara tries to use her new abilities in helpful ways but ends up causing more trouble. When her Tutu (grandmother in 'olelo Hawai'i, or the Hawaiian language) has a serious asthma attack, Dad wants to move both Clara and Tutu to Arizona, and Clara finds herself using her Clairboyance (Tutu's name for the ability) to convince her dad to move back to Hawai'i instead. Kahakauwila's middle-grade debut introduces readers to the history, culture, and language of Hawai'i. Characters smoothly switch among English, Creole English, and 'olelo Hawai'i, and Tutu teaches Clara how to care for the land (flora and fauna are vividly described) and the ancestors. Readers are reminded of the importance of family, history, and culture in the context of an entertaining tween narrative. A welcome addition to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander literature for young people-.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)