We Still Belong

Day, Christine. We Still Belong
August 1, 2023 by Heartdrum

ARC provided by Follett First Look

Wesley Wilder lives with her mother, a hair stylist, her cat, Vader, and her aunt's family (including adorable 8 month olf cousin Zoe, in Everett, Washington. They all live with her grandfather, who is a retired postal worker and a member of the Upper Skagit community. The house is a little crowded, but everyone gets along well. Wesley plays the violin, loves computer games, and has written a poem for Indigenous People's Day that is running in the school newspaper. She's very excited about this, and hopes to raise awareness in her school. She's even gone to a meeting of the Native/Indiginous People's Union, only to find that the school has denied their application because they didn't have the required number of people. Wesley also has a huge crush on fellow gamer Ryan Thomas. The two have chatted a bit, and get along well, so Wesley is working up the courage to ask him to the school dance. Her friend Hanan encourages her, but also keeps her updated about what's going on with the dance invitations on social media. Things are a bit financially tough, and Wesley doesn't have a phone. Her father hasn't been in the picture, and a meeting with him a few years previously didn't end well. Her family is amazed that amount of money Gemma, a gaming streamer that Wesley likes to watch, is able to crowd source so much money to help students for Indigenous People's Day. Sadly, Wesley doesn't get a good reception for her poem at school; she had hoped that her teacher would have her read it out loud and give her extra credit, but he claims that it didn't meet his criteria for this. At the same time, she finds out that Ryan has accepted an invitation to the dance from another girl. Wesley tries to focus on the positive despite her disappointments, and she gets some good feedback on her poem, when she and her family attend a local powwow, and she connects with a teacher and another student, Skye Reynolds, who revive her interest in the Native/Indiginous People's Union. She also has some good moments with Ryan, and they clear up their misunderstandings and start a sweet romance. 

Strengths: This was a very well balanced book. We see just the right amount of Wesley's home life to support her school life. She likes gaming, but has other interests. She doesn't have social media, but her friend Hanan does. The school doesn't have a large Indigenous population, so is lacking in awareness, but isn't completely averse to learning more. Ryan is a great kid, and he and Wesley have a solid friendship as the basis for a romance of equals. He is crushing on her as much as she is crushing on him! There is even a great scene where Wesley is nice to a popular blonde girl who is crying in the bathroom, and the girl turns out to be struggling with her own issues and decently nice herself. As someone who is blonde and named Karen, I appreciate that this did not devolve into easy stereotypes. I really liked the messages of resilience and of Native joy. 
Weaknesses: I am very sorry that Wesley was often mistaken for another girl who looks similar to her and also plays the violin, but I don't think this is as racially focused as she might believe. I appreciate that Day brings this up, but is understanding. (One teacher is depicted as weary, with her glasses off, when she calls Wesley the wrong name.) This year, there are two white boys I cannot tell apart unless I really focus, because Boy A looks more like Boy B's older brother than Boy B does! I always apologize, and my standard process is to offer the students I mistake for others a pencil every time I do, which helps me be better at getting the names right. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy Day's other titles, or who want books with some social activism, like Moore's A Good Kind of Trouble.