Tundra Telegram: Books That Live Their Lives a Quarter-Mile at a Time

Hello, and thanks for joining us at Tundra Telegram, the column where we take subjects racing through readers’ minds and fueling the social conversation and peddle a few associated books to kick your reading into high gear.

This Friday, the summer movie blockbuster season begins with the latest installment in America’s greatest crime/action soap opera in recent history: the Fast & Furious saga. Fast X will be in theatres everywhere this Friday, May 19, with newcomers like Jason Momoa, Brie Larson, and Rita Moreno (!) jumping into the series. The film serves as the tenth film in the high-octane series, and first part in a three-part finale. In it, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) must protect his crew and family from Dante Reyes (Momoa), the son of drug lord Hernan Reyes, who is seeking revenge for the loss of his family’s fortune from the heist in Rio de Janeiro (way back in Fast Five!).

So, Fast X your seatbelts: here are the books for young readers we’d recommend for every member of the ride-or-die Fast family. We know they live their lives a quarter-mile at a time, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily speed-readers!

PICTURE BOOKS

Dominic Toretto: We all know there’s nothing more important to Dom (Vin Diesel) than family. Even if that family happens to be mostly unrelated drag racers and thieves. For atypical families, there’s no better book than Sean Dixon and Lily Snowden-Fine’s The Family Tree, in which a school family tree assignment stymies young Ada, as she’s adopted, and she has a biological sister, but her sister has different adoptive parents — so where do they go on the tree? An ode to found and different families, The Family Tree has a lot in common with the Fast & Furious films.

Mia Toretto: As Dom’s sister and Brian O’Conner’s wife, Mia (Jordana Brewster) is often torn between the illegal activities of her brother’s crew and taking care of her growing family and kids. Wheels, No Wheels by Shannon McNeill accurately depicts both that dichotomy, and the need for speed Mia often shows, as adorable barnyard animals – on the hunt for some wheels – go for a joyride, causing havoc in their wake. Essentially, it’s The Fast and the Furious, as written by Old McDonald.

Brian O’Conner: Though Brian (portrayed by the late Paul Walker) has retired from the life, he has always been – at heart – a thrill-seeker, dedicated to taking risks and putting himself in danger, whether that’s in a street race or jumping out of a plane. That’s why we think he’d relate to the protagonist of Madame Saqui: Revolutionary Rope Dancer by Lisa Robinson and Rebecca Green. A picture book biography about the acrobatic tightrope walker who dazzled Paris during both the French Revolution and Napoleonic rule, it features Marguerite Lalanne (stage name: Madame Saqui), who took incredible risks, but due to her unparalleled skill, she never fell. Brian would look at the daredevil who kept her balance even in times of chaos and see a kindred spirit.

Luke Hobbs: Equally a decorated Diplomatic Security Service agent and a dedicated father, Hobbs (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who apparently makes a brief appearance in Fast X) would love When Your Daddy’s a Soldier by Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan and EG Keller. This is a moving story that captures the essence of the daily heartache, fear, joy, and uncertainty that a child experiences when their father serves in the military. And even though Hobbs’ adventures may involve rigging a series of trucks to helicopters with his Samoan brothers, he remains a daddy who is a soldier.

Abuela Toretto: Broadway legend Rita Moreno will enter the Fast family with Fast X as Abuela Toretto, Dom’s grandma and the matriarch of the Toretto group. Knowing very little about her character, we can safely recommend The Care and Keeping of Grandmas by Jennifer Mook-Sang and Yong Ling Kang. We’re not sure if Abuela Toretto moves in with the crew, but if she does, this book – which recognizes how discombobulating for all involved it can be when grandma moves in permanently – will be a gently humorous and helpful guide. (And who doesn’t want to take care of Rita Moreno!)

Tess: Brie Larson also joins the family in Fast X, as Tess, the daughter of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), leader of a secret government agency called, well, The Agency. Again, we haven’t seen the movie, but we have seen Tess do some sick motorcycle tricks in the trailer (like this one), so we’ll recommend her Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña’s My Papi Has a Motorcycle. Tess will surely see parallels in Daisy Ramona, a girl who loves riding with her taciturn dad on his motorcycle (even if the stuff about a changing immigrant neighborhood doesn’t hit home in the same fashion).

CHAPTER BOOKS & MIDDLE GRADE

Jakob Toretto: Dom and Mia’s forgotten brother was exiled from his family for allegedly causing the crash that killed their father, but comes back as a thorn in the Fast family’s side in Fast 9. It might seem obvious to suggest Elbow Grease to Jakob, as he’s portrayed by former WWE superstar and author of that very picture book, John Cena. But instead, we’re going to recommend David Levithan’s middle-grade novel The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. (as told to his brother), as it also features a brother who disappears, then reappears, and has a story that’s impossible to believe. But Lucas (the Dom in his scenario) learns that sometimes family is about believing the impossible.

Ramsey: The computer hacker who created panopticon-like device God’s Eye and later joins the family, Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) would enjoy reading Maya and the Robot by Eve L. Ewing and Christine Almeda. Maya is a fifth-grader who uses her science knack to kickstart a robot to life – a robot who quickly becomes a family member and her key to winning the science fair. Ramsey might relate to a fellow Black girl with a love for STEM, especially since God’s Eye falls back into the possession of the Fast family and helps them out on at least one occasion.

Tej Parker: Expert engineer and mechanic Tej Parker (Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges) is the definition of where brainy meets the street. And that describes Javari to a ‘T’ in Holler of the Fireflies by David Barclay Moore. Javari is a boy from the hood in Brooklyn who travels to a STEM camp in an Appalachian holler for one epic, life-changing summer. We can’t say if Tej has ever been to a holler, but he’s found himself in Antarctica, which is even more of a fish out of water story.

Roman Pearce: The handsome and self-assured Roman Pearce (played by former model and R&B singer Tyrese Gibson) is all about confidence, even if it’s unearned. That’s why he should read Kelly J. Baptist’s The Swag Is in the Socks, about an introverted twelve-year-old who is challenged by his great-uncle to become more suave and confident. The Swag Is in the Socks is all about finding the strength to be who you fully are – and you just know a man who wears collared muscle shirts has found that.

Han Lue: The character of Han (Sung Kang) has been on a wild journey, first appearing in a non-Fast and Furious movie, Better Luck Tomorrow, then starring in Tokyo Drift, joining the family, dying, then coming back to life. But no matter what Han is up you, you can be sure he’ll be snacking. That’s why we’re recommending the graphic novel Tasty: A History of Yummy Experiments by Victoria Grace Elliott. A nonfiction comic about how things like cheese, pickles, pizza, and soda were all invented, it’s perfect reading for when Han is noshing.

YOUNG ADULT

Letty Ortiz: Tough-as-nails street racer Leticia ‘Letty’ Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) has at times been on both sides of the law and even worked (during a period when she had amnesia) against Toretto’s crew. (And now they’re married – go figure.) Letty might see a little of herself in Julia in the novel I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez. Like Julia, Letty grew up in a Mexican American home and her life has been defined by car accidents. And while we don’t know what Letty’s parents had in mind for her life, it’s probably safe to assume it wasn’t becoming a drag-racing, heist-pulling, international super spy.

Cipher: Speaking of heists, ruthless cyber-terrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron) appears to be back in Fast X, and there’s nothing the manipulative criminal likes more than a heist that employs her computer genius. So, we’d recommend Cipher read Immoral Code by Lillian Clark. A fast-paced crime novel about five teens determined to hack into one billionaire absentee father’s company to steal tuition money so a friend can go to MIT, it sounds like the sort of caper teen Cipher would have concocted.

Deckard Shaw: Former British military officer turned mercenary, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is the eldest son of a crime family who has butted heads with Dominic Toretto before becoming a loyal member of the crew. Murder and scandal in England make us think of Aimée Carter’s Royal Blood. And while the Shaws are far from royalty, they are a British family of influence with more than a little blood on their hands. (No matter how many infants Deckard saves.)

Tundra Telegram: Books That Do a Li’l Turn on the Catwalk

Hello, and thanks for joining us at Tundra Telegram, the column where we dig into the subjects on readers’ minds and recommend some recent great books to continue the discussion.

This past Monday was the Met Gala – ostensibly a fundraiser for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, but more widely known as “Fashion’s Biggest Night.” The theme in 2022 is “The Gilded Age” (not to be confused with the new HBO show by the same name), and while we didn’t see Rihanna as a bejeweled pope or Katy Perry as a hamburger, there were some notable fashions, like Blake Lively‘s reversible gown and Ashton Sanders‘s vampire steampunk look.

If you want to read some books that delve as deeply into high fashion and serving lewks, we have some recommendations for you. But whatever you read, as Tim Gunn would say, “Make it work!”

PICTURE BOOKS

With such fans as InStyle magazine and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie, the picture book Mitford at the Fashion Zoo by Donald Johnson, the fashion illustrator and a creative director at Estée Lauder, should be on your list of fashion picture books. Part Zootopia, part The Devil Wears Prada, Mitford’s story is both a fashion satire and inspirational tale of following your dreams.

But there’d be no fashion without the textiles used to make those gorgeous gowns and thrilling threads. And Julie KraulisA Pattern for Pepper follows Pepper as she journeys through notable patterns and their origins – pinstripe, houndstooth, ikat, toile, and more – in her effort to make a dress for a special occasion (not unlike the Met Gala).

If Lady Gaga’s 2019 Brandon Maxwell gown was one of your favorite Gala look in recent years, Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad’s Bloom: A Story of Fashion Designer Elsa Schiaparelli will probably intrigue you. Schiaparelli, known for turning art into fashion and for her imaginative designs, invented the color shocking pink (among other things). And you’ll learn that and more in this lyrical picture book biography.

MIDDLE GRADE

There are few better guides to fashion than Canada’s own Jeanne Beker. The FashionTelevision correspondent, style columnist, and Canada’s Next Top Model judge wrote Passion for Fashion: Careers in Style, illustrated by Nathalie Dion, as an introduction to the fashion industry and career guide, with information and profiles of agents, designers, models, photographers, stylists, makeup artists, publicists, journalists, fashion illustrators, creative directors, fashion show producers, color specialists, personal shoppers, and more!

The couture outfits of the Met Gala are one thing, but Fashionopolis: The Secrets Behind the Clothes We Wear by Dana Thomas, looks at the social issues surrounding fast fashion and its impact on the environment and social justice. If you ever wondered how designer jeans ended up in your local mall, this book is a helpful tool.

In the mood for fiction instead? Look no further than Lakita Wilson’s Be Real, Macy Weaver, a funny and fashion-filled story of friendship. Macy is fresh from a friend breakup and a move when she meets Brynn, a smart girl who seems to have her whole life figured out – right down to her future as a high fashion model. That’s when one small fib turns Macy’s life into one of dazzling dresses and glamour – like a Met Gala Junior High!

As Lee Pace could tell you at the 2021 Met Gala, The Swag Is in the Socks. And that’s the name of a novel by Kelly J. Baptist, in which young Xavier learns about the power of some out-there socks, and the importance of swagging out and speaking up.

YOUNG ADULT

If you’re looking to marry your love of high fantasy and high fashion, Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim has you covered. A teenage girl, Maia, poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and enters a cutthroat competition to sew three magic dresses – from the sun, the moon, and the stars. If that sounds like a cosmic version of Project Runway, you’re not wrong! (And check out the sequel, Unravel the Dusk.)

One thing the Met Gala excels in is showing a little skin. This very idea propels Marya Cuevas and Marie Marquardt’s Does My Body Offend You?, a story about two teenagers who join forces to fight the school’s dress code and find friendship, despite their different backgrounds.

Okay, so Namina Forna’s bestselling and blood-soaked fantasy The Gilded Ones may not have a lot to do with fashion, but it is an incredible tale filled with warrior women, and the title just fits the theme so well.

There is no shortage of reality TV stars and social media influencers found at the Met Gala, from Kendall Jenner to Addison Rae, which makes Raziel Reid’s Followers another perfect YA pick. This over-the-top satirical romp follows a naïve teenager thrown into a back-stabbing world of reality television, designer labels, and tabloid gossip.