Still a Work in Progress by Jo Knowles - ESSENTIAL

Knowles, Jo Still a Work in Progress, 311 pages.  Candlewick, 2016.  $17.  

Language: G (4 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (extremely mild boy talk); Violence: G.

MS – ESSENTIAL.  

Noah, Sam, and Ryan have been best friends forever.  While Noah is tring to deal with all of the normal pressures of middle school, he is dealing with an open secret at home – his sister’s anorexia.  Even his friends only refer to it obliquely, and even his parents aren’t sure how to handle their daughter’s demands and behavior.  When she has a relapse at Christmas, Noah is sure that no one can help him deal with this added pressure and withdraws from his friends a bit, just when he really needs them the most.

Yeah Knowles!  I have at least five people that I want to share this book with right now for a variety of reasons.  Whether talking about anorexia and its lingering effects on everyone involved, talking about struggling with trauma while everyone around proceeds as normal – Knowles covers both concepts with equal deftness.  This is a gem!

Cindy, Library Teacher