Walking In Two Worlds By: Wab Kinew

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

Walking In Two Worlds is a Red Maple 2023 nominee.  The main character in this story is Bugz, a shy and self-conscious Indigenous girl.  Bugz lives on the Rez with her family and holds a lot of knowledge about traditional teachings. Although Bugz struggles to find her place in the real world, she is the top player in a virtual reality universe known as the Floraverse.  When Bugz meets Feng, a teen boy who has been sent from China to live with his aunt who is a doctor on the Rez, she feels she has finally found a friend.  There are challenges in their relationship when Bugz discovers that Feng is a part of a group of gamers who treat people badly.  Add to this the fact that Bugz's brother suddenly becomes seriously ill and you have the ingredients for a gripping story about family, fitting in, and friendship.  This book begins with Bugz playing in the virtual reality game, which made the first chapter rather confusing for me.  Once I got past this, I really enjoyed this story.  An addition I would make to this book is some background information for the reader about Anishinaabe culture and the region of China that Feng comes from.  I highly recommend this book.  It is the type of book that could be reread as it has so many layers to it.