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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Fantastic book for middle grade readers! Tom is such a lovable and relatable character. The plot is fantastic and the reader’s guide questions in the back are great for discussion. I’m really excited to read this with the incoming 6th graders this summer! It lends itself to such important conversations about bullying, empathy, peer pressure, differences, friendships, and growth.
Unless you're a saint, you've probably had the experience of saying something really mean about someone because of peer pressure and then feeling mortified immediately afterward. I have. And it's because this feeling is so universal that Firegirl is such an affecting book. We all know what it's like to ostracize someone we should have compassion for, because we're uncomfortable with how we'll be seen by our friends if we associate with them.
I like books about friendship in the face of adversity. This is probably more like a three and a half star book, edging on a four but not quite (because it's so slight).
I like books about friendship in the face of adversity. This is probably more like a three and a half star book, edging on a four but not quite (because it's so slight).
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a hard book to award stars to. I could have given it four without too much problem, but the greatest issue I had with it is its length or to be more accurate its lack of length. In some ways it is similar to Palaccio’s Wonder, but when compared to that, not nearly so well done. Seventh grade Jessica joins Tom’s class while she is undergoing further treatment for her horrific burns. There is the usual cast of characters. Tom’s best friend who reveals his true character, Courtney,the nice girl who doesn’t actually do much and Tom himself, Jessica’s reluctant friend. But as he gets to know her better a friendship of kinds does develop and as a corollary to that friendship he sees his classmates more clearly. But the time frame of this YA novel is short – less than a month – when Jessica moves once more. And that really doesn’t do the topic justice. I think it would be a good book for reluctant middle school readers.
This is a book my cohorts and I decided to purchase with our grant money for our 6th-grade social issues book clubs. It's been an option for our lower-level readers, as the length is less intimidating and it has a lower Lexile level.
I was excited to read this because of the engaging subject matter, a peer with severe and disfiguring burns. While I think this is a powerful subject matter to acknowledge, the author made the burn survivor's peers as a whole sound like horrible people. Even the protagonist couldn't seem to understand why he would ever be nice to someone who is so different than him. It bothers me when this teenage behavior is normalized because I think our kids are often much more open-minded and accepting than adults are.
Overall, I may still recommend this book to a student who needs an engaging quick read, but I will hesitate to give it to more of my impressionable readers, as I don't believe a lesson in humanity and compassion was well conveyed.
I was excited to read this because of the engaging subject matter, a peer with severe and disfiguring burns. While I think this is a powerful subject matter to acknowledge, the author made the burn survivor's peers as a whole sound like horrible people. Even the protagonist couldn't seem to understand why he would ever be nice to someone who is so different than him. It bothers me when this teenage behavior is normalized because I think our kids are often much more open-minded and accepting than adults are.
Overall, I may still recommend this book to a student who needs an engaging quick read, but I will hesitate to give it to more of my impressionable readers, as I don't believe a lesson in humanity and compassion was well conveyed.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
This is a fantastic novel that considers the topic of what it's like to encounter someone who's different from you and how much being open to them can change the way you view the world. I've loved reading this with my 6th graders.
This is totally a book for a 7th grade English class. Really well written for its intended audience, and I thought Abbott did a great job capturing the essence of 12-year-old boy in Tom. Not a lot actually *happens* in this book, but there is still a lot to think and talk about.