Peter Lee’s Notes From the Field by Angela Ahn || Family and Sibling Bonds Galore

Peter Lee's Notes From the Field

Eleven-year-old Peter Lee has one goal in life: to become a paleontologist. But in one summer, that all falls apart. Told in short, accessible journal entries and combining the humor of Timmy Failure with the poignant family dynamics of Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Peter Lee will win readers’ hearts.

Eleven year-old Peter Lee has one goal in life: to become a paleontologist. Okay, maybe two: to get his genius kid-sister, L. B., to leave him alone. But his summer falls apart when his real-life dinosaur expedition turns out to be a bust, and he watches his dreams go up in a cloud of asthma-inducing dust.

Even worse, his grandmother, Hammy, is sick, and no one will talk to Peter or L. B. about it. Perhaps his days as a scientist aren’t quite behind him yet. Armed with notebooks and pens, Peter puts his observation and experimental skills to the test to see what he can do for Hammy. If only he can get his sister to be quiet for once—he needs time to sketch out a plan.

Content Tags:

Perfect for readers who want:

• Protagonists passionate about STEM, particularly paleontology.
• Books about dinosaurs.
• Super cute sibling bonds.
• Families coming together to overcome challenges.
• Coming-of-age journey about self-acceptance.
• Korean-Canadian family and culture with a minor commentary about racism.

Many thanks to Tundra Books and Hear Our Voices Book Tours for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Quotes are taken from an unfinished version and may differ from the final product.

I knew I had to read Peter Lee’s story, because once upon a time, a long long time ago in a place far away, I was Peter Lee. Except Black and female, but pffft, those are minor differences. From the time I was three, I wanted to be a paleontologist! I mean, what three-year-old even knows that word? My room was everything dinosaur and I was reading ridiculously complicated dino books, just like Peter. I also happened to have asthma, also just like Peter. So yes, I knew I wanted to pick this one up!

Peter Lee’s Notes from the Field is part love note to paleontology, dinosaur geeks, and want-to-be scientists of all kinds and part touching coming-of-age story filled with heartfelt family bonds and an adorable sibling relationship.

There were things about this I didn’t love, but they were me things that had nothing to do with the book. It’s very character driven, with very little actual action, and I struggle with books like that. It’s just a genre I tend not to read, which is entirely my fault and nothing to do with the book! I think it’d be a sure win for anyone who does love contemporary middle grade.

Peter Lee is such a relatable character, and I think middle grade readers will easily be able to see themselves in at least some aspect of his character.

I’ve already said how I related to him, of course, with the paleontology and asthma, but there are so many other things. Any kid with a burning childhood passion will recognize Peter’s fervor, even if their passion isn’t for dinosaurs. What I especially love, though, is that Peter’s passion waivers when confronted with potential challenges, and he has to reconcile the reality of the profession he loves with his own desires.

There are definitely times when Peter is childish, but it all feels very true to his age.

I’m sure middle grade readers will be able to relate to the struggles (and anger) with bullies, the resentment of a sibling who seems to be getting more attention, and the struggles of parents who just don’t seem to understand you.

Speaking of parents … Peter’s parents are doing their best, bless their heart, but they just don’t always see eye-to-eye with their kids.

Man oh man did I relate to this part. Even as an adult, I’m still sometimes salty about not seeing eye-to-eye with my parents. Sheesh. Parents, am I right?!

Peter’s parents are highly intelligent, accomplished human beings, and from their perspective, they just want to give their children all the opportunities they can. They’re trying to do right by them. Unfortunately, they don’t always go about it the right way. Like forgetting that kids need to have fun

Peter’s grandparents, Haji and Hammy, play a very important role in their lives, especially as a balancing force between the parents and kids.

They embody a role that only grandparents seem to perform so well. While Peter’s parents push Peter and L.B. to succeed academically and intellectually, Haji and Hammy provide the much-needed balance required of just being kids. It’s something Peter’s parents seem to forget.

Haji and Hammy reminded me so much of my grandparents that it hurt at times. Warning to older readers: this one might hurt your feels a bit. There were moments where Peter’s parents were just being unreasonable, like denying L.B. a stuffed animal because it wasn’t educational and it was for “little kids,” not someone as intellectually gifted as she is (despite her being young herself). Not to fear, though, Hammy to the rescue! I absolutely loved her strength and the unapologetically fierce way she loves her grandchildren.

The most beautiful thing about this story is the way the family all pulls together to support each other.

I mean, the book is fraught with family drama and conflict, the sort you might expect from any family. I couldn’t help but laugh at some of the antics, because they were so relatable and familiar! At the same time, it’s clear that the family still cares for each other, even when they’re disagreeing.

As the story progresses, Peter realizes that there’s something not quite right with Hammy, as she keeps forgetting things.

An older reader might immediately recognize the signs of dementia, as I did. I’m currently the caregiver for my grandfather, who has dementia, so from the moment the very first foreshadowing popped up, my heart sank, because I knew what was happening, even if Peter didn’t. This was the most emotional part for me, but it was so touching seeing the family rally together for Hammy.

I also want to take a moment to appreciate the super cute sibling bonds in this book!

It’s clear from early on that L.B. is neurodiverse, though it’s never labeled. She’s obviously a genius, but she has other little particular “quirks,” too, which make her character all the more endearing. There’s this weird juxtaposition of how intellectually intelligent she is with how little emotional intelligence she has, because she’s so young. I thought it was so striking and yet oddly adorable!

Peter is often annoyed by his little sister, especially when she gets a bunch of attention, and they often squabble, like all siblings do.

Yet, there are many touching instances in the book when Peter tries to protect his sister or does his best to take care of her. It’s sibling bonds at their finest! The interactions are so true and recognizable for anyone with siblings of their own.

Snuck into everything is a commentary about racism that will be recognizable for many minorities, particularly immigrants, and I enjoyed the way it’s handled.

This is definitely a subplot type of thing, but it comes up often enough. Haji and Hammy are immigrants, and Peter is technically first generation Canadian. There are moments, though, that I think most minorities will relate to. Like when the family goes to a museum and is greeted in Korean and then Chinese and they have to tell them that they speak English.

What struck me most, early on in the book, is the framed Time magazine Haji has hanging on the wall, because it meant so much to him to see Asian people on the cover—something he hadn’t actually thought possible. This builds into a really thoughtful narrative that I think kids will be able to sink their teeth into and understand, without preaching to them about “otherness” or something like that.

About Angela Ahn

Angela Ahn was born in Seoul, but her family immigrated to Canada before she could walk. Armed with a BA, BEd, and MLIS, she worked for several years as a teacher and a librarian, but lately has been working from home, taking care of her two children. When she can, she writes novels for kids. She’s lived most of her life in Vancouver, B.C., with brief stints working in Hong Kong and Toronto. Although she likes to blame her parents for her atrocious Korean language skills, she will admit that she was a reluctant learner. Angela’s proud to say that her children are bookworms, and that every member of her family has a stack of novels by their bed. She’s grateful to be able to write books where her children can see faces, just like theirs, on the front covers. Angela’s first book, Krista Kim-Bap, was published in 2018 and her second book, Peter Lee’s Notes from the Field, will be released March 2021.

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