Book Review: The Diamond Explorer by Kao Kalia Yang

Publisher’s description

From APALA-winning author and Guggenheim Fellow Kao Kalia Yang, a middle-grade debut about a Hmong American boy’s struggle to find a place for himself in America and in the world of his ancestors.

Malcolm is the youngest child of Hmong refugees, and he was born over a decade after his youngest sibling, giving him a unique perspective on his complicated immigrant family.

In the first part of the story, we meet Malcolm as an elementary school kid through the eyes of the adults in his life—his parents and siblings, but also the white teachers at his Minnesota schools. As middle school begins, we encounter Malcolm in his own words, and suddenly we see that this “quiet, slow Hmong boy” is anything but. Malcolm is a gifted collector of his family’s stories and tireless seeker of his own place within an evolving Hmong American culture, and his journey toward becoming a shaman like his grandparents before him is inspiring and revelatory.

Amanda’s thoughts

Well, this was a beautiful read. I read in order of publication date and generally write my reviews a few weeks before they publish on the blog. So right now, at the time of this writing, I’m just days away from moving my kid to college, and sort of constantly on the verge of tears, which may partially explain why I kept tearing up while reading this book. But the writing is truly lovely and the voices of Malcolm, his living family members, and his ancestors are powerful. If I’m reading an ARC, I dog-ear pages, which I would never to do a finished book, and I folded down so many pages while I read so I could go back to them.

There is not much Hmong representation in books for children. In fact, I’d probably have to sit here a really long time and likely do some research to even come up with another middle grade title with a Hmong main character. Like the author, I live in Minnesota, just outside of St. Paul, and the Hmong population in the Twin Cities area is quite large. I am grateful for this book and the much needed representation it provides for the many children who almost never get to see themselves in books published by major publishers.

Malcolm is a sensitive, gentle, deeply thoughtful kid who is often not really seen or appreciated by those around him (other than his family members). His kindergarten teacher calls him shy and doesn’t think the school is a good fit for him, someone with “more kids like him.” When his family makes this change, it requires Malcolm to move in with this sister and her family, seeing his parents only on the weekends. The new setting is not a magic solution. He still encounters insensitive and racist teachers. He still is kind of a loner. Thankfully, it is not all bad, and really, school is only one tiny part of his story.

The bulk of the story focuses on Malcolm’s family, both the living ones and his ancestors. They take turn narrating chapters, filling in pieces of their own stories, sharing the trauma and struggles that they have faced. He connects with everyone, learning more about the world, his family’s past, and his place in things. After we go through his first few years of school, Malcolm takes over some narrating duties when he is 11, in 2016. Watching the livestream of Philando Castile’s murder is just one of the many upsetting scenes. In addition to this violent act, he learns of stories of rage, abuse, attempted murder, robberies, and violence in his family’s history. Malcolm feels frustrated, scared, and burdened by all of this pain and violence all around him. He feels helpless, unable to save everyone—unable to save anyone. He wonders what point of it all is. It is not an easy road, but Malcolm eventually comes to find his voice and understand his calling. A beautifully crafted and layered look at identity, connection, culture, death, and belonging.

Review copy (ARC) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9781984816337
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date: 09/17/2024
Age Range: 10 – 13 Years

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