Audience: 8-12 years
Review by Sarah Bihn (she/her)
MLIS Student, Kent State University iSchool
Annie may only be a middle-schooler, but she has big dreams and they include performing on stage. After she is told during her elementary graduation that she can be anything she wants to be, Annie decides that she is going to try out for the community theater’s summer production of “Annie,” and does not understand why others laugh when she states she is trying out for the lead. Why should the fact that she is Asian-American have anything to do with what parts she can play? Unfortunately, for a small town in the 80s, it has everything to do with what parts she can act.
Brown writes in such a startlingly clear voice that readers cannot help but connect to Annie. At the beginning of Annie’s story, I was wary as her internal dialogue seemed a bit passive, but as the book progressed and Annie grew into herself, her dialogue (internal and external) changed to reflect that, and she became a force to be reckoned with but never lost sight of who she was.
In the past, I have noticed that many middle-grade books that touch on issues of racism and microaggressions tended to shy away from stating outright what the issues are, and instead lean on the reader’s ability to read between the lines. Brown does no such thing and instead faces these issues and more head-on. This is one of those books where reading certain passages were uncomfortable, and in that emotion, Brown has created a story that should be read by all. For those who have faced racism and microaggressions, they can see themselves reflected in Annie and her struggles, and for those who have lived in the comfortability of always seeing themselves in books, movies, and media “Dream, Annie, Dream,” leads to a reflection of self, past actions, and what must change in the future so that all children can see themselves in the materials they consume.