THE SEA IN WINTER by Christine Day

release date: January 5, 2021

primarily marketed for: Middle grades

The Sea in Winter by Christine Day is a gift to its readers. It is a book of quiet strength with much to offer.

Maisie is a ballet dancer who feels most herself when she is at the dance studio. However, at the start of this story, Maisie is coping with a serious knee injury that prevents her from dancing long-term. She misses her friends from dance and struggles to maintain those connections when she is no longer part of the dancing life they shared.

When her mom and stepdad plan a road trip to the Olympic Peninsula to visit sites of familial and cultural significance, Maisie stubbornly overworks her healing knee. She is determined to heal and return to the studio faster than expected. Although her knee is the only focus of Maisie's wellness journey, it turns out there is more to healing than physical fitness.

Maisie is a quietly compelling character, but I was surprised to find myself swept up in the setting and the stories it evoked. Maisie's mom is Makah and her stepdad is Piscataway. Their memories as well as historically accurate details concerning Indigenous culture and the environmental impact of the cultural oppression enacted by the U.S. government inspired me to learn more. Day's author's note is helpful in providing further background on topics addressed.

I am looking forward to sharing this one with my sixth graders. It is reassurance that we can endure, that it is okay to feel lonely, that we can start over.

READING THREADS:

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson

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