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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Bowes, Arnolda Dufour

Maggie Lou Meets Her Match

232 pp. | Groundwood | August, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9781773067742 $14.99
(2) 4-6 Maggie Lou series. Illustrated by Karlene Harvey. In this sequel to Maggie Lou, Firefox (rev. 11/23), Bowes (Metis) adds a character who rivals the feisty narrator Maggie Lou: her new cousin by marriage, Rosie. The two girls are so similar they are "almost like twins," and at first their competitiveness is a little mean-spirited. But soon, like the sister stars in the story their kohkom (grandmother) tells them, they agree that "maybe if they stopped fighting, they could be bigger and brighter together." Maggie works hard to learn to ride a horse the way Rosie does, and Rosie eventually accepts Maggie's leadership of their relay-race team. Bowes's lively writing carries readers through Maggie's adventures, with occasional black-and-white illustrations by Harvey; and the portrayal of strong female Indigenous characters is both lighthearted and inspiring. Details drawn from real life, such as family storytelling, eating bannock, and smudging running shoes to protect against tripping, also introduce aspects of Metis culture to those unfamiliar with them. A rodeo, horseback riding, farm chores, canoeing, hunting, and other such elements may hold special interest for kids who live in rural areas. The inclusion of Northern Michif words normalizes the use of Native language, and a helpful glossary is appended.
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

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