Molly By Any Other Name
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International Reading Association Reader's Choice AwardAn adopted Asian-American teen searches for her birth mother in this classic adoption story, Molly by Any Other Name.School Library JournalGr 7-10-- Molly, 17, is an Asian-American who was adopted as an infant by Caucasian parents. Having lived unquestioningly with her curiosity about her birth parents, she decides to try and locate them. At first her adoptive parents are hurt and angry, but they eventually decide to support her and to accompany her when she meets her birth mother and half-brother. Molly's best friend, Roland, also an Asian-American, boosts her morale through most of this process, but then seems to be interested in someone else. By the book's end, their relationship has grown from friendship to love. Arranged in three sections, the story relates Molly's search, her birth mother's reactions, and their eventual meeting. Much like Hadley Irwin's Kim/Kimi (McElderry, 1987), the main character finds she is of Japanese-Canadian descent. Okimoto's treatment of the subject, however, does a far better job of describing the feelings and emotions of the characters, particularly the adults. A book that goes beyond the adoption topic to encompass family feelings and dynamics. --Bonnie L. Raasch, C. B. Vernon Middle School, Marion, IA
