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“9/11, realistic fiction, and friendship.“
Reading age
8-12
Genre
Poetry
(in verse)
Publisher
Holiday House
Publication date
August 25, 2020
My brief summary of the book
Abbey, a 12-year-old artistic and quiet girl, has her life changed forever by the 9/11 disaster. Abbey’s aunt Rose who was working in one of the towers is missing. Abbey and her family struggle to keep it together. Her father is in the USA army, and he wants to fight to protect America from any further incident like 9/11. Will Abbey make the changes for the better?
My thoughts
The places We Sleep is a moving, poetic book but confusing as well. I didn’t fully understand how Abbey felt about 9/11. The book covered many reactions from loss, fear, grief, racism, friendships in middle school, military life, and even womanhood. That’s a lot in one book. What I did understand was the bravery that was locked inside of her. I liked that it happened in Tennessee, where I live too. The book is written in verse, so it was a quick read.
My rating
Do your kids enjoy reading books written in verse? I do! They usually are a quick read.
About the author
“Caroline Brooks DuBois writes both poetry and prose and a mixture of the two. In May 2016, she was recognized as a Nashville Blue Ribbon Teacher for her dedication to her students and excellence in teaching adolescents. DuBois currently works as a literacy instructional coach and lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her singer-songwriter husband, with whom she’s co-written songs, and their two children.” – Amazon.
