A kid named Bucket stars in this cheery second volume of a chapter book series about taking action to make positive changes, big or small. Bucket (who happens to be nonbinary) and their friend Lu here get into an argument over how the school accommodates its students with dietary restrictions (who include Bucket). Other students start taking sides—until Bucket and Lu bring everyone together for the Great Recess Debate, with rules for discussion that help everyone be heard and respected. The story shows the importance of healthy debate, seeing things from others’ perspectives, and being able to disagree with one’s friends.
The story is told in an engaging, first-person, stream-of-consciousness narrative whose often-breathless sentences reflect Bucket’s personality. “I’m not always good at staying focused,” Bucket told us in the first book—and readers who feel similarly may see themselves reflected. Even if one has to hang on through Bucket’s frequent tangents, though, all readers should appreciate their irrepressible personality and kind heart.
Bucket’s nonbinary identity is incidental to the plot, but in an introduction common to all volumes, after Bucket introduces themself and their friends, they explain that they use “they” and “them” pronouns. These “fit lots better” than “he” or “she,” which felt like wearing uncomfortable clothes. One friend, they note, “used to struggle” with using “they,” but because she “would just fix it and move on and not make a big deal about it,” Bucket was okay with that (and the friend eventually always got it right). It’s a clear teaching moment, but remains separate from the main story.
Backmatter includes an Author’s Note about understanding others and having fruitful discussions when we disagree, Questions for Readers, and related activities for solo readers and groups.
Bucket and two friends are White; one is Black and another Asian.
