Borders
story by Thomas King
illustrations by Natasha Donovan
Little, Brown and Company, 2021. 184 pages.
Review written October 22, 2021, from a library book
This short graphic novel is presented as a boy remembering what happened when he was twelve. He and his mother set out from their home in Canada to visit his sister in Salt Lake City, who had moved away some years before.
But when they cross the border and get to the United States entry point, the guard asks their citizenship. His mother answers, “Blackfoot.”
No matter what the guard asks and how they explain, his mother doesn’t claim any nationality except Blackfoot. Finally they’re turned back.
But when they try to get through the guard station to go back to Canada, the same thing happens.
And so they’re stuck in the small area between the borders with the food they brought with them plus what they can find at the duty-free shop.
The story is simple, but thought-provoking. It was adapted from a short story published in 1993, and I think the graphic novel format makes it even more engaging, especially for kids.
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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