The Shape of Thunder

By Jasmine Warga

New York: HarperCollins, 2021. Fiction. 288 pgs.

In the year since tragedy struck their community, former best friends Cora Hamed and Quinn McCauley haven't spoken. Cora, who lives with her Lebanese father and white American grandmother, is mourning the loss of her older sister Mabel who was killed by a school shooter. Meanwhile Quinn and her parents are still reeling from the unspeakable actions of her older brother. But Quinn has an idea, to fix everything that her brother put wrong by traveling back in time to stop him from hurting anyone. This ambitious plan will require Cora and Quinn to work together while navigating the messy grieving process.

This is an extremely powerful and utterly heartbreaking novel of two girls managing to heal in the aftermath of unbelievable tragedy. This novel succeeds in sharing both Quinn and Cora's voices in alternating chapters and offers a glimpse into a community attempting to heal after tragedy. Especially poignant are Quinn's letters to her older brother, at the beginning of each of her chapters, where she tries to understand how a person she knew and loved could turn so hateful and violent. Comments are made about the types of internet sites he visited, racial slurs he directed at Cora's family, and how he withdrew from life generally. At the same time, Cora is grappling with understanding her Lebanese-American heritage and pushing her father to open up more about their ancestry. This book is a timely and thoughtful response to a contemporary issue, that illustrates the emotional intricacies of school shootings at a kid appropriate level and is certain to spark meaningful conversations.

Comments

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: I Hate Everything!

I Hate Everything! By Sophy Henn New York: Beach Lane Books, 2025. Picture Book. Two ghosts are floating atop a solid colored background. The first one yells, “I HATE EVERYTHING!” The second ghost responds, “Really?” Thus, begins the conversation which helps the first ghost realize that they don’t actually hate everything. This is a great picture book that is all about feelings and ghosts. The simple speech bubbles will allow even young preschoolers to understand what is happening. The illustrations though simple, have clever bits that readers will laugh out loud at. Basically, this is a brilliant book that every young reader who is mad at the world (or who knows someone who seems to be mad at the world) should read.

De la hora del cuento: La letra "D"

Cuentos Si yo tuviera un dragón Por Tom and Amanda Ellery New York, NY : Lectorum Publications, c2006. Libro ilustrado. "Cansado de jugar con su hermano pequeño, un niño imagina tener un dragón como compañero de juegos." --Editor Cuentitos Tiburón Grande, Tiburón Pequeño Escrito por Anna Membrino Ilustrado por Tim Budgen New York, New York : Hyperion Books for Children, 2017. Fácil. "Descubre todo sobre los opuestos en este libro infantil lleno de tiburones. El tiburón grande tiene dientes grandes; el tiburón pequeño tiene dientes pequeños. El tiburón grande nada rápido; el tiburón pequeño nada lento. ¡Pero ambos tienen hambre! ¿Podrán encontrar comida?" --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "D " Las estrellas de Din Dibujando en el campo Nuestra celebración del Día de Muertos ¡Los dragones son lo peor! Cómo atrapar a un dragón

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog