Dower

On the cusp of summer, eleven-year-old Cassidy Aoki visits the grandparents she hasn't seen in six years...grandparents divided by culture, race, and silence. Her Japanese grandfather still struggles to accept that his son married a Black woman and that Cassidy exists between their worlds. But in the quiet of her grandparents' garden, Cassidy uncovers something extraordinary: she can speak to the flowers, and to Kenji, the family dog. Among the blooms, she meets Dower, a magical creature part flower, part dog, and entirely a mirror of her own identity. As Cassidy learns to navigate love, heritage, and belonging, she must also protect the garden from a corporate takeover led by the villainous Mrs. Pain. Meanwhile, her classmates back home face their own lessons in difference and acceptance as they redefine what it means to be inclusive. When all paths converge, Cassidy and her community must choose: division or unity, fear or love.