What It Is About: During Trent's fifth grade year he is involved in a tragic sporting accident where another young boy ends up dead. Trent tries to move forward, but he finds it isn't easy. As Trent begins middle school, he looks at it as a fresh start, but this isn't so easy. He doesn't make the best impression with his English teacher or his physical education teacher. At home he is also struggling with his parents' divorce and being the middle child with an older and younger brother. The last thing he thinks he needs is a new friend; especially a friend that is a girl. Fallon Little is a mysterious girl and Trent isn't sure he wants to take the time to get to know her. He doesn't have many other options so he decides to give it a shot. Fallon enjoys his drawings and Trent is curious about the mysterious scar that runs across her face. Together they both find their place in the world all the while trying not to get "lost in the sun."
What I Thought Of It: Lisa Graff didn't disappoint. She hit it out of the ballpark (literally) with her newest story. I love how she tells a fairly simple story about young people when in reality it becomes quite a complex and deep plot. All of the characters in the story were wonderful and I enjoyed the "friendship" between Trent and Fallon. They would definitely be two students that I would want in my own classroom. The English teacher was amazing and the journey she and Trent took was completely satisfying.
Who Should Read It: All of Lisa Graff's novels are geared toward the middle-grade reader. The stories that are told her in books are perfect for this age group. This particular book would work for an advanced reader in third and/or fourth grade. The fifth and sixth grade reader would devour this story and the characters. As with her other books, this would make for an excellent read aloud. It has already been added to my list of possible read alouds for the next school year. Happy Reading!
Rating: 4 STARS out of 5 Stars
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