A rather strange book about a young boy who becomes infatuated (obsessed?) with the woman who sells sandwiches at the local store. There's this undertone of sadness and longing throughout.

I hadn't heard of this book or its author before. But the title and the fun cover caught my eye while I was browsing my library's Libby catalogue.

It's a coming of age novella, a story about growing up and feeling different and learning to cope with all these strange new emotions and feelings.

Kind of moving, in that subtle and quirky Japanese way. ( )

fiction/novella (translated into English from Japanese)
themes of grief/loss and saying goodbye, explored in the sparsely worded feelings of a lonely young boy. ( )

It's a sweet and quirky little tale about friendship, regret, and longing. The narrator is an eight-year-old boy who is smitten with a woman who sells sandwiches in a local supermarket. However, there is always something that hinders him from talking to her. Accompanied by his best friend, he finds the meaning to cherish people while he still has the chance.

I devoured the book in a day since it's a short book, and I couldn't put it down. It made me realize the importance of keeping in touch with my family and friends while I'm able to, especially in this pandemic. If you like the narration in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, you'll love this one.
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A simple yet powerful story about friendship, love and the hardships of growing up ( )

I had really very little idea of what to expect when I picked this book up at Prairie Lights. I had been admiring the fun, bold design of this series from Pushkin Press for a while on social media, and when I saw that the author of this one was a woman (and it was almost #witmonth!), I had to pick it up.

Honestly, I don't know how I could have been prepared for this quirky little novella, as it defies easy categorization. The protagonist is in fourth grade, so it almost comes across as MG, but at the same time it really doesn't. It's not that there is anything inappropriate for kids here, or that the voice is too mature or that the themes wouldn't be relatable... (indeed, later I read this book to my kids for family story time) I mean, it's about embracing uniqueness and the importance of getting to say goodbye -- two themes that seem like they should have solid appeal in upper elementary. I guess there is just a thoughtfulness to it that makes it feel like it was intended for adults -- or at least adults, too.

The book leaves questions unanswered and mysteries unexplained -- but then, so does life. As much as I'd like to know certain whys -- I like the position of the book that it doesn't really matter. You like who and what you like, and it's best to just remain true to that.

Surprising but lovely. ( )