Someone Else’s Shoes by Ellen Wittlinger - OPTIONAL

Someone Else’s Shoes by Ellen Wittlinger, 292 pages. Charlesbridge, 2018, $17.

Language: R (41 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content PG13; Violence: PG; 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Izzy is an aspiring stand up comedian beginning 7th grade and life seems pretty dismal.  Not only has her father remarried, but her mother’s new boyfriend has an annoying teenage son who is staying at her house.  If that isn’t bad enough, her aunt committed suicide and her uncle has come to stay with them with his son, her younger cousin, Oliver.  Her uncle is only a shell of a man because of his wife’s loss.  When her uncle goes missing, Izzy, Ben, and Oliver fear the worst and go on a quest to find him.  

There are great themes of what it means to be a family, and how to redefine those relationships, even under adversity.  The characters discover things about themselves and each other that help them to grow.   

Michelle in the Middle, Teacher