Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Ms. Chang has asked her students to think about what one thing they would save -- beyond their families and pets -- if their homes were on fire. "Your Most Important Thing. Any size. A grand piano? Fine." What follows is a series of poems, inspired by an ancient form of traditional Korean poetry called sijo, that capture the voices of the kids in the class as they ponder and discuss, argue, defend their choices, and sometimes change their minds. Their most important possessions range from the obvious ("My dad's wallet. Duh") and humorous (cool sneakers -- "I put those babies on my feet, it's like, see ya later, fire") to the altruistic (grabbing a mother's insulin kit) and the aspirational (a bedroom rug to help folks in the building "Stop, Drop, and Roll"). Ms. Chang reminds the kids what to do in a real emergency, and that they all must "Protect, Affect, Respect One Another!" in class, but she also joins in the conversation and is deeply moved by their astute suggestions and profound revelations. Sae-Heng's lovely graphic-style grayscale drawings grace every page and reflect an inclusive, modern urban landscape and school setting. This is an ode to learning with a savvy and caring educator who knows how to build community and empathy by having students share their stories and who joins in their exercises (and is even convinced to change her mind). (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A poetic exploration of middle-grade values. Newbery Medalist Park presents a provocative collection of narrative poems inspired by sijo, a 14th-century Korean syllabic verse form. Teacher Ms. Chang poses to her class a variation of the timeless desert-island question: “Imagine that your home is on fire,” and, while family and pets are spared, “you’re allowed to save one thing.” Chang’s students react well to this “good homework,” sharing with their classmates a multitude of objects they’d protect from the hypothetical flames. Some choose eminently practical items like a cellphone (“somebody’s gotta call 9-1-1, right?”) and “MY DAD’S WALLET. DUH” (because “if a fire burns everything up, you’re gonna need money. A lot”). Other treasures reflect differing levels of maturity and self- involvement: a mother’s insulin kit, a rug to smother flames, sneakers like “Jeremy Lin wore when he scored thirty-eight points / against the Lakers” and for which the student had saved pennies for months, a “muddy blue” sweater May’s father’s mother had knit for her father that her other grandmother then unraveled and reknit for her. Coupled with debut illustrator Sae-Heng’s accessible grayscale sketches of the objects, often in situ, Park’s subjects’ mementos offer middle-grade readers much food for thought regarding what one values and how others can touch one’s life. Names and other details indicate a diverse class. A note on sijo concludes the volume. Park’s extended rumination has the power to bring us home. (Verse fiction. 8-12) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A poetic exploration of middle-grade values. Newbery Medalist Park presents a provocative collection of narrative poems inspired by sijo, a 14th-century Korean syllabic verse form. Teacher Ms. Chang poses to her class a variation of the timeless desert-island question: Imagine that your home is on fire, and, while family and pets are spared, youre allowed to save one thing. Changs students react well to this good homework, sharing with their classmates a multitude of objects theyd protect from the hypothetical flames. Some choose eminently practical items like a cellphone (somebodys gotta call 9-1-1, right?) and MY DADS WALLET. DUH (because if a fire burns everything up, youre gonna need money. A lot). Other treasures reflect differing levels of maturity and self- involvement: a mothers insulin kit, a rug to smother flames, sneakers like Jeremy Lin wore when he scored thirty-eight points / against the Lakers and for which the student had saved pennies for months, a muddy blue sweater Mays fathers mother had knit for her father that her other grandmother then unraveled and reknit for her. Coupled with debut illustrator Sae-Hengs accessible grayscale sketches of the objects, often in situ, Parks subjects mementos offer middle-grade readers much food for thought regarding what one values and how others can touch ones life. Names and other details indicate a diverse class. A note on sijo concludes the volume. Parks extended rumination has the power to bring us home. (Verse fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.