"The story takes place primarily over the course of four days, during which we get to know Maisie’s family uncommonly well through quotidian details and worldview-encompassing conversations; secondary characters, too, are nuanced and vividly drawn. Maisie’s pain is specific to her experience while being relatable to many readers going through big life changes. Her alienation, denial, and despair make her eventual opening up feel cathartic and narratively earned. The Pacific Northwest setting is atmospherically described and indicative of this Native blended family’s formative experiences."
"The Sea in Winter is a refreshing and moving story of grief and healing from one of middle grade’s brightest rising stars."
BookPage (starred review)
"Day’s contemplative #OwnVoices novel adeptly explores Maisie’s grief and identity, both as a dancer and as a Native American, with the latter organically highlighting variations within Native cultures. An inaugural title of the Native-centered imprint Heartdrum, this finds strength and beauty in life’s quiet moments and opportunity in the unexpected."
"Day’s contemplative #OwnVoices novel adeptly explores Maisie’s grief and identity, both as a dancer and as a Native American, with the latter organically highlighting variations within Native cultures. An inaugural title of the Native-centered imprint Heartdrum, this finds strength and beauty in life’s quiet moments and opportunity in the unexpected."
"Most of Maisie’s tale is compressed into a period of several days over winter break, and as readers share her inner monologue, they’re keenly aware that failure to follow professional advice and accept the support of teachers, family, and friends (who have demonstrably not deserted her) is turning her into her own worst enemy. Day lifts the narrative beyond the tribulations of another angsty tween heroine by offering an eminently reasonable path forward, paved with physical healing, emotional therapy, and reconnection with friends."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Most of Maisie’s tale is compressed into a period of several days over winter break, and as readers share her inner monologue, they’re keenly aware that failure to follow professional advice and accept the support of teachers, family, and friends (who have demonstrably not deserted her) is turning her into her own worst enemy. Day lifts the narrative beyond the tribulations of another angsty tween heroine by offering an eminently reasonable path forward, paved with physical healing, emotional therapy, and reconnection with friends."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
★ 11/30/2020
Day (I Can Make This Promise ) tackles an important and timely issue in her sophomore novel: how to start over when a dream is no longer possible. Middle schooler Maisie, who is Makah/Piscataway, wants nothing more than to dance—it’s been her obsession since her first ballet lesson at age four. But an accident tears her ACL and isolates her from her ballet friends, and Maisie sinks into a depression that results in slipping grades and familial tensions. Around a family road trip to the Olympic Peninsula, though, Maisie learns how her Makah ancestors brought “their community together, despite horrible events,” and how her mother healed after her father’s sudden death. Slowly, she also takes her own steps toward healing—forgiving a friend, learning to rely on family, and talking about her feelings of loss. Day, who is Upper Skagit, creates tension in this quiet novel by gradually unspooling the backstory of Maisie’s injury and her father’s death in Afghanistan. It’s a contemplative and emotional story of resilience and reinvention whose dedication sums it up well: “To anyone who needs a reminder that pain is temporary.” Ages 8–12. (Jan.)
"This thoughtful, honest sophomore novel invites readers to reckon with life's messy complexities while reassuring them that every ending brings the seeds of new beginnings." — Shelf Awareness
This meditative story about a middle school girl’s courageous journey toward healing follows a family as they navigate the complexities of supporting a tween’s life-changing injury. In her second novel, Day offers a heartening glimpse into the immense patience and love required to endure limitations, build strength, and repair damage. An insightful, stirring read about healing and resilience. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Most of Maisie’s tale is compressed into a period of several days over winter break, and as readers share her inner monologue, they’re keenly aware that failure to follow professional advice and accept the support of teachers, family, and friends (who have demonstrably not deserted her) is turning her into her own worst enemy. Day lifts the narrative beyond the tribulations of another angsty tween heroine by offering an eminently reasonable path forward, paved with physical healing, emotional therapy, and reconnection with friends." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"A contemplative and emotional story of resilience and reinvention whose dedication sums it up well: 'To anyone who needs a reminder that pain is temporary.'" — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Day’s contemplative #OwnVoices novel adeptly explores Maisie’s grief and identity, both as a dancer and as a Native American, with the latter organically highlighting variations within Native cultures. An inaugural title of the Native-centered imprint Heartdrum, this finds strength and beauty in life’s quiet moments and opportunity in the unexpected." — Booklist
"The story takes place primarily over the course of four days, during which we get to know Maisie’s family uncommonly well through quotidian details and worldview-encompassing conversations; secondary characters, too, are nuanced and vividly drawn. Maisie’s pain is specific to her experience while being relatable to many readers going through big life changes. Her alienation, denial, and despair make her eventual opening up feel cathartic and narratively earned. The Pacific Northwest setting is atmospherically described and indicative of this Native blended family’s formative experiences." — Horn Book Magazine
"The Sea in Winter is a refreshing and moving story of grief and healing from one of middle grade’s brightest rising stars." — BookPage (starred review)
"Most of Maisie’s tale is compressed into a period of several days over winter break, and as readers share her inner monologue, they’re keenly aware that failure to follow professional advice and accept the support of teachers, family, and friends (who have demonstrably not deserted her) is turning her into her own worst enemy. Day lifts the narrative beyond the tribulations of another angsty tween heroine by offering an eminently reasonable path forward, paved with physical healing, emotional therapy, and reconnection with friends."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
12/01/2020
Gr 4–6— Maisie loves ballet. The studio where she dances is her "sanctuary," the place where there are no bad days. Now that she's torn her ACL, a key ligament, she experiences depression. At times, she feels disconnected from her family, and her grades suffer. During an annual midwinter vacation to her stepdad's native home, she realizes that her dreams of being a dancer may not come true. With the help of her family and therapist, Maisie learns that even though life may not work out the way she wants, she can still move forward. Maisie is Native American. Her mother is Makah, her father was Piscataway, and her stepdad is a citizen of the lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. The scenery of the Pacific Northwest is beautifully painted in this insightful #OwnVoices novel, and the text offers some important history. All the characters are relatable, especially Maisie, her stepdad, and brother. However, her experience with depression is very briefly addressed as a passage in her journal and oversimplified. There is also an unrealistic plot point. Recovering from an ACL tear would deter a lot of families from walking on uneven terrain. Yet on their vacation, Maisie and her family walk on rocky beaches, dig for clams in the ocean, "stumble through clay-like mud," walk up winding boardwalks, and trudge through snow. Maisie is so worried about her ability to dance; it doesn't seem plausible that her parents would risk her getting hurt again, which inevitably happens. VERDICT Resonant and well-represented Native American characters, and a few flaws make this a choice for many middle grade collections. Some fans of realistic fiction will enjoy.—Rebecca Fitzgerald, Harrison P.L., NY
Narrator Kimberly Woods’s soft voice draws out the roiling emotions in an audiobook about recovery, loss, and hope. Maisie is a 12-year-old Makah and Piscataway girl whose identity has revolved around ballet for years, but now she’s injured and facing an uncertain future. Woods’s youthful voice embodies Maisie, whose anger and anxieties are beginning to overwhelm her despite the loving support of her family. When they take a vacation on the Olympic Peninsula, Maisie finds a connection with her resilient ancestors but still feels hopeless, which is shown by the way she keeps snapping at her parents. Young listeners who are facing loss and a year like no other will find this quiet audiobook provides comfort and catharsis, as well as a role model for learning to express strong emotions and to ask for help. E.E.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Narrator Kimberly Woods’s soft voice draws out the roiling emotions in an audiobook about recovery, loss, and hope. Maisie is a 12-year-old Makah and Piscataway girl whose identity has revolved around ballet for years, but now she’s injured and facing an uncertain future. Woods’s youthful voice embodies Maisie, whose anger and anxieties are beginning to overwhelm her despite the loving support of her family. When they take a vacation on the Olympic Peninsula, Maisie finds a connection with her resilient ancestors but still feels hopeless, which is shown by the way she keeps snapping at her parents. Young listeners who are facing loss and a year like no other will find this quiet audiobook provides comfort and catharsis, as well as a role model for learning to express strong emotions and to ask for help. E.E.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
★ 2020-10-22
Maisie Cannon’s knee injury has disrupted her happy life in Seattle and kept her from doing what she loves most: ballet. Now, instead of practicing arabesques with friends, Maisie’s after-school activities have been taken over by physical therapy and awkward conversations with her parents about struggles at school. Ever since her injury, Maisie has been unmotivated and restless in class. During a family trip to the Olympic Peninsula, Maisie’s stepfather, Jack (Lower Elwha Klallam), shares a bit of history about contact between the Duwamish people and early colonizers. When Maisie tells him she doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he asks, “What the heck kind of history are they teaching you in school, then?” She replies, “The Treaty of Paris.” It’s the same in her other classes; none of what she’s learning seems relevant to her. Her grades have dipped, her relationships with her friends feel strained, and she’s gotten snippy with her parents. She feels bad about her behavior, but all she can think of is resuming dance classes. This meditative story about a middle school girl’s courageous journey toward healing follows a family as they navigate the complexities of supporting a tween’s life-changing injury. In her second novel, Day offers a heartening glimpse into the immense patience and love required to endure limitations, build strength, and repair damage.
An insightful, stirring read about healing and resilience. (author's note, publisher's note) (Fiction. 9-13)
