Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All

February 5, 2024
Though 10-year-old Magnolia Wu regularly sees her classmates at her Chinese immigrant parents’ New York City business, Bing Qi Ling Bubbles Laundromat, she wouldn’t consider any of them friends, especially not bully Aspen, who often makes comments about Magnolia’s parents “living off of sweaty clothing.” But when Magnolia’s mother introduces her to Iris Lam, the daughter of an old friend who just moved from Santa Cruz, the girls bond immediately. After Magnolia’s prized collection of patrons’ lost socks is deemed “disgusting” by an angry customer, an embarrassed Magnolia attempts to dispose of it, but Iris spies potential and proposes that they search for the socks’ owners. During their hunt, the friends learn more about each other, their neighbors—including
chess-playing Carl, who likens the girls to two pawns, with the city as “one big chessboard” for them to traverse—and their families; Magnolia even discovers the origin of her mother’s American name and that she likes pink sodas. Through distinctive dialogue, detailed scenery, and cartoony drawings of pivotal objects and scenes, Miller (Know My Name, for adults) crafts an endearing romp in which Magnolia makes her first ride-or-die friend and learns to appreciate her life in new ways. Iris’s mother is from Vietnam. Ages 7–11.