Hurricane Child

 

Bibliography

Callender, K. (2018). Hurricane child. Scholastic. 

Plot Summary

One year and three months ago, Caroline’s mother left her and her father. Bullied at school and hated by her teacher, Caroline has made it her mission to find her mother. Then a new girl arrives at school and Caroline thinks that maybe she has found a friend and someone new to confide in. 

Critical Analysis

Hurricane Child follows Caroline who was born during a hurricane and whose mother has left her. She is bullied incessantly at school not only by other students but by her teacher as well. “Seeing that I’m the littlest girl with the darkest skin and the thickest hair in the whole Catholic school, Missus Wilhelmina doesn’t like me- no, not at all. I get a smacking on my bum for everything…” (pg 10) 

The setting is unique as it takes place within the Virgin Islands. “Water Island is supposed to be a part of the United States Virgin Islands, but we were never sainted like Saint Thomas or Saint John or Saint Croix, and so everyone forgets we exist.” (pg 45) In order to go to school, Caroline has to take a water or safari taxi. Her father often forgets to give her money.

Colorism is addressed in this book, particularly with Missus Wilhelmina. “Missus Wilhelmina had a white great-great-great-grandpa from Saint Martin that she likes to talk about all the time because he made her clear-skinned. Missus Wilhelmina says that Saint Thomas and Saint John and Saint Croix...and all the other islands in the Caribbean are no good, seeing they’re filled with so many black people. In class, she says that the Caribbean is almost as bad as Africa itself” (pg 9). Wilhelmina goes as far as to tell Caroline that it will be hard for her to find someone to marry because of how dark her skin is. The character of Missus Wilhelmina establishes the idea that the lighter color skin you have, the more superior or sought out you are. This is an antiquated idea and harms children like Caroline. 

When a new girl appears at her school, everyone flocks to her. It’s not often that there is a new schoolmate. Kalinda is from Barbados. They moved to the island because her deaf father was having trouble finding work. Encouraged by the belief that Kalinda can see the spirits that she can, Caroline gets the courage to speak with Kalinda. The two develop a deep friendship. They’re together so much they get a blended name like Carolinda. When Caroline finally asks Kalinda if she sees the spirits, the two discuss sending Caroline to the spirit world in three months, but Kalinda is upset at the idea of helping Caroline with this. Guilty, Caroline writes the other girl a note confessing her true feelings. “I love you, Kalinda, and I wish that we could one day be married and live together for the rest of our lives. I would love to wake up and see you in the morning, and lie down for bed at night and have you be the last thing I see before I close my eyes” (pg 119). But the note is intercepted at school by the bullies, and Kalinda’s reaction is not what Caroline was expecting. There was foreshadowing to Kalinda’s reaction when she first brought Caroline home and they saw two female tourists. Eventually, Kalinda admits to having the same feelings but has to move back to Barbados. 

Throughout the novel, Caroline is processing her grief over losing her mother. For a while, they received postcards from her mother’s travels, but they slowly stopped. She has a plan to find her mother. At some point, with Kalinda’s help and the help of her school administrator, she finds her mother...on the same island she’s been attending school on. After learning of her husband’s affair that resulted in a child, she attempted  taking her own life. When her stay at the hospital was done, her mother chose not to return. “‘I’ve thought of coming to see you countless time,’ she says, ‘but I worried for myself - for my own health, worried that coming back would trigger something - and I worried about you too.’” (pg 184). 

Callender has provided readers with a dense middle grade novel that opens up the conversation about skin tone, mental health, abandonment, and LGBTQ+ representation within what some readers may consider an exotic setting. 

Review Excerpt(s)

Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s Young Adult Literature Award 2019

Lambda Literary Award LGBTQ Children’s/Young Adult 2019

Whippoorwill Award 2019

 "Lush descriptions bring the Caribbean environment to vivid life...An excellent and nuanced coming-of-age tale." -- School Library Journal

Connections 

-Activities

• Show a map of the Virgin Islands to students and ask which region they believe it belongs to. 

• Math can compare the distances between the five islands or of the land. 

• Social study the different aspects that make up the islands such as the history, government, people, etc. 

• Research Topic: Colorism in Film 

• Read the picture book or share the Netflix read aloud provided by the Netflix Jr. channel on YouTube of Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o. A comparison can be made with Sulwe and Caroline as they both have such dark skin and experience something magical. 

• Share information about pronouns and representation. The author, Kacen Callender, is a demiboy and uses the pronouns they/them. Express the importance of identity. 

• The multiple themes and topics touched upon within this book offer up an opportunity for a Socratic seminar. 

• Caroline and Kalinda both witnessed something traumatic in their youth and believe that is when they lost their childhood. When do you believe childhood is left behind?  

• Kalinda’s father had a dream that he couldn’t follow after a disease took his hearing. “‘That seems like a most difficult thing to do. Finding a dream alone is hard. I’ve spent many days wondering what my dream should be. But I’m not sure I have any dreams yet. Maybe my dream is to find a dream. Find something to live for. Can you imagine, doing all that work to find something to live for, and then being forced to find another dream at the end of it all?’” (pg. 85) What is your dream for your life? If you had to change dreams, how do you imagine you would do that? 

• Share this novel in a presentation or display of LGBTQ+ reads

• Have students respond with their thoughts after Caroline sees her mother. The scene is an emotional one and students may have strong opinions ore emotions of their own.