Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Thursday, June 13, 2019

All of Me by Chris Baron

How I Heard About It:  The time is here for summer reading.  That means more book exchanging with my Twitter #bookexpedition group.  This was the first book that came to via my Nerdy peeps.  I read it this afternoon and enjoyed the story.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Ari's story was told in verse.  The writing was beautiful and full of imagery.  

2.  *He is struggling with his self worth and most of this stems from his body weight.  Ari has always been heavy and life hasn't been easy because of this.

3.  *Not only does Ari have to deal with his weight, but he is noticing things are "different" between his parents.  

4.  *The story takes place during the summer after seventh grade and the start up of eighth grade.  Ari wants it to be a summer of "change" and get his life back on track.  

4.  *Ari takes this journey of change with several friends.  Some of which have a positive impact and some may have a negative one.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *I was thrilled to receive this novel from #bookexpedition.  I had seen  positive reviews, loved the title, and thought the cover was beautiful.  

2.  *The reading experience was a refreshing change because I haven't read a novel in verse in quite some time.  

3.  *I'm glad that this story is out in the world as most "weight" issue stories focus on females.  It was refreshing to read about a boy experiencing these types of problems.  

4.  *'Ari was one character that was real, flawed, and one the reader could sympathize with.  

5.  *The themes/messages/lessons of the story are a bit more on the mature side.  When I was reading it as a middle grade story, I felt it was too mature.  After changing my view point and looking at it more for the middle-school and/or high school reader, I enjoyed it more.  


Who Should Read It:   The book is marketed for readers in grades 3-7, but after reading it, I think it would have more appeal for a reader in grades six and above.  I think those readers would be able to relate to Ari on a deeper level.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!

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