Frank Cottrell Boyce is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. His previous books, including Millions and Cosmic, are about kids who find themselves in hysterical, whimsical, larger-than-life situations. In the The Unforgotten Coat, Boyce writes a story that is no less magical, if a bit more rooted in reality. Julie is your average insightful Year Six gal in Bootle, near Liverpool, England. She has the typical concerns you would expect from an average insightful Year Six gal, like being invited over to Mimi’s house after school or getting Socky to notice her. But that all changes when two Mongolian immigrants, Chingis and Negrui, join her class and ask Julie to be their “good guide.” Printed in full-color on pages resembling loose-leaf notebook, The Unforgotten Coat chronicles Julie’s friendship with the two brothers as they learn slang and football terms and acclimate themselves to their new community. Chingis shows Julie some Polaroids of nomadic life in the “exotic” Mongolian desert–Polaroids that later include shots of the fields, and alleys of Bootle. Seeing her town through the eyes of her Mongolian friends, Julie has a newfound appreciation for her home in addition to Mongolian customs and dress. This is such an an amazing book about immigration, diversity and community, and how friendship crosses borders and cultures and enriches everyone’s lives–even with the inevitable (but still hopeful!) ending.
