This sequel to Nina and the Mysterious Mailbox picks up as the Ada Lovelace Middle School Robotics Competition Team is gearing up for said competition. Nina is reluctant to take a leadership role, however; she’s never wanted to stand out.
Using their big discovery from the first volume (which I won’t spoil), the friends also try to help classmates with their problems. But they come up against a bigger challenge when a new school superintendent starts to make unwanted changes, including shutting down school clubs, targeting their favorite teacher, and instituting a gendered uniform policy that doesn’t offer options for nonbinary students and doesn’t easily allow girls to wear pants. Can a little advice from women leaders of the past, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, help Nina step into leadership and make change?
As in the first volume, the story, published by the Rebel Girls media company, leans into themes of girls’ and women’s empowerment, sprinkling in information about famous women throughout history and about STEM learning. A few passages feel somewhat pedantic and forced, as when we learn that Maya’s mom is a “law, jurisprudence, and social thought professor,” when “law professor” is probably all that middle grade readers will understand. Nevertheless, the intent is admirable and there are good lessons here.
The fact that Nina has two moms is incidental to the plot, which is great, as not all LGBTQ-inclusive stories need to be “about” being LGBTQ. One teacher at the school also uses they/them pronouns, which is again seamlessly accepted.
A subplot about Nina’s moms’ marital troubles, however, could still have shown more depth—but the focus here is on the kids’ adventures and learnings, with some lessons about finding confidence and courage along the way, not on family relationships per se. It’s a fun romp full of action and a touch of magic (or is it science?) that should keep young readers entertained.
Nina is Black, Maya Latina, and Zoe White. Kai is Asian.
