Many authors, educators, and parents agree that before entering adolescence, children are at their most impressionable age; they absorb the world as it is presented to them. So, it is important that they learn about themselves and society through compassionate, respectful, and encouraging lenses. Sarah Marie Jette knows this, and it is evident by the cheerful, loving world she creates in Our Fair Share, a story that follows four friends who are dealing with their own battles while trying to save the fair they love.
The story follows Cassi, Serafina, James, and Avory in a multiple-POV, close-third narration style that allows readers to get to know each character deeply. The narrator’s voice subtly shifts when following each character, which enhances the differences in their personalities. Cassi is a girl who likes all things spooky. She’s an artistic, independent, and sensitive kid who deals with an estranged relationship with her father after a rumor about him spreads. Serafina is a caring, compassionate girl who struggles with PTSD symptoms after a car accident. She’s creative and loves writing fortunes for the fair’s visitors and helping her friends. James is a boy who is a master with thread. He’s a crafty, hardworking, and kind kid who hasn’t told anyone about being bullied at his new school. Avory is a child with willpower. They’re observant, quirky, and strong, both physically and mentally, but they have an insecurity about their body.
“[Jette] crafts a world where kids are allowed to make mistakes and encouraged to face the lessons that come with them; a world where growth is inevitable. ”
The friends are experiencing individual change, but so is the fair—thanks to the new fair manager, Mr. Mercier. He’s setting new rules, and the children are not fans of this. Why must everything change? Jette masterfully portrays the middle schooler’s experience by showing how quickly our bodies, minds, and relationships change during this time, how our rituals might not fit us anymore and the emotional toll this can have on us. Not only does she write Cassi, Serafina, James, and Avory with unique, complex personalities and struggles, but she also gives them (and us) the perfect antagonist for this story: a boring adult. Mr. Mercier is an outsider, someone who doesn’t understand the fair’s traditions that are so precious to the fair folk, especially the children. Does this make him evil? To the four friends, yes (and maybe to most readers as well).
But not all adults are antagonists in this story. Jette’s compassionate approach to characterization spreads to the kids’ parents as well. The most touching moments in this novel are those in which the children go to their parents for comfort, and they receive it. There was so much love on the page, that warmth would fill my chest every time. Cassi, Serafina, James, and Avory have peculiar interests, and each of their parents support this. Their support is not superficial either, they’re invested in letting their kids explore these unique parts of themselves. Cassi’s dad helps her hunt for treasures (even if the treasures are skeletons), Serafina’s mom encourages her to write more fortunes, James’s mom and big sister are proud of his knitting talent, and Avory’s parents never fail to remind them that they’re the strongest 12-year-old of the fair. However, even with all the love and support they receive, the children still hide their battles from their parents.
The author knows this is the age when kids start hiding secrets from their parents (and even from their friends), and she does a brilliant job at showing how even the smallest of lies can have big consequences. The four friends grow apart as they face their issues, and the fair—with its lovely traditions and fun—suffers as a result. Jette creates characters that have some individual learning to do while emphasizing the importance of community in trying times. She crafts a world where kids are allowed to make mistakes and encouraged to face the lessons that come with them; a world where growth is inevitable.
Our Fair Share is a story about community and love. It teaches us to celebrate our unique traits, rely on our loved ones, and embrace change as something positive. Sarah Marie Jette’s wonderful prose illuminates the page as if it was made of stars—or rather, fair lights.
Sarah Marie Jette (she/her) is Mexican American and grew up in Lewiston, Maine, in a house filled with books. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, she served in the Peace Corps in Mongolia, studied rehabilitation counseling, and now teaches elementary school. Jette was honored as a semifinalist in the 2022 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year recognition. Her book, What the Wind Can Tell You (Islandport Press, 2018) was on the 2019 Massachusetts Book Awards Must Read List, received the 2018 Lupine Honor Award from the Maine Library Association, and was on the 2018 New England Children’s Booksellers Advisory Council’s Windows and Mirror’s List. When she's not teaching or writing, she's crafting with her three children or snuggling with her cats.
Roxanna Cardenas Colmenares is a Venezuelan-born writer and poet who was Latinx in Publishing’s Communications Intern in 2024. She’s a recipient of college awards like The Henry Roth Award in Fiction and The Esther Unger Poetry Prize. She also served as the editor-in-chief of the student publication, The Paper. Currently, she’s a senior editor for the literary journal, Promethean.
