ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Lê, Minh

Enlighten Me

144 pp. | Little/LB Ink | September, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9780759555471 $24.99 | Paper ISBN 9780759555488 $12.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780316395526 $9.99
(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Chan Chau. Middle-schooler Binh isn't happy about his Vietnamese American family's trip to a silent Buddhist meditation retreat. His beloved Game Boy is taken away, and, worse, Binh has to write an apology for shoving the school bully to the ground after he'd directed anti-Asian racist remarks at Binh. During the retreat, through Sister Peace's skillful teachings and meditation, Binh learns to set aside his angst and anger and find the inner wisdom, strength, and community to handle life's challenges. Frequent cool colors in dynamically composed panels made for a sweet and surprisingly soothing comic. Siddhartha Gautama's path to enlightenment and the Jataka tales (fables connected to Buddha's prior forms) are made accessible by framing them through Binh's perspective, with some video-game allusions and nature imagery, talking animals, and spirits. Both reader+s who are unfamiliar with the religion and those who practice it will enjoy this refreshing, modern Buddhist primer, complete with a bibliography that lists other educational texts. As Sister Peace says, "The journey to becoming a B uddha is long, and not one that should be traveled alone."
Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

RELATED 

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

The Republic of Birds
by Miller, Jessica
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Atlantis
by Mone, Gregory
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

It Doesn't Take a Genius
by Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls
by Rivera, Kaela
INTERMEDIATE FICTION

Soul Lanterns
by Kuzki, Shaw
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?