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4.48 AVERAGE
4.48 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-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
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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:
No
Please Pay Attention...but you should not have to. Bea's world is split into a Before and an After, after a school shooting that takes the lives of several students and faculty. This book, primarily for middle grade, but really for all of us, tackles a subject that should hit close to home if you've been living in the US. We all know, are, or have a kid, friend, or family who is part of a school, and school shootings and drills are only becoming more common.
I will certainly admit to crying and tearing up, not just for Bea, or Josie (her Little buddy), but for all of the students who have had to deal with or prepare to deal with this sort of fear, grief, and loss. I would highly recommend giving this a read, and plan to check out other books by Jamie Sumner.
I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I will certainly admit to crying and tearing up, not just for Bea, or Josie (her Little buddy), but for all of the students who have had to deal with or prepare to deal with this sort of fear, grief, and loss. I would highly recommend giving this a read, and plan to check out other books by Jamie Sumner.
I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Trigger Warning: school shooting, PTSD, grief
After a school shooting took the lives of some of her schoolmates and her teacher, Bea Coughlin must figure out how to grieve, live, and keep rolling forward. But as her community begins to rally and protest, Bea can’t get past the helplessness she felt in her wheelchair as others around her took cover.
When her foster mom signs her up for therapeutic horseback riding, Bea finally begins to feel like herself. As she begins to heal, she finds her voice and the courage to demand change.
In a way, books about school shootings make me so sad because it’s become almost a norm for children, especially in America, and to think that someone reading this book may very well feel seen is a bit bittersweet in a way. I wish we didn’t need a book like this, but I’m also glad that we had one.
Besides the overall storyline of the school shooting, this book really focuses on Bea feeling helpless in a situation she had no control over and how with the help from her family, and a horse, she was able to get her power back.
Overall, this book is worth the read for younger students to feel seen and to help those maybe overcome the tragedy of being in a school shooting. This would also be great for adults to read to understand what the younger generation is going through just to get an education.
*Thank you Atheneum Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.
"Sorrynotsorry
if that was hard for you to read.
Trust me,
it was worse to live through."
Bea is a young girl, sixth grader to be exact, with cerebral palsy but she doesn't let that stop her. She is a buddy for her Little Josie who she cares about deeply and love being a friend for her at school to help her through her anxiety. Life is pretty great for Bea. Until a shooting occurs at her school. Suddenly Bea is dealing with feelings and fears she has never experienced before and never should have had to. Feeling lost her guardian Max get her into equine therapy and Bea begins to get her power back.
This story is told in verse and through the lens of writing to her local governor in a plea to enact change.
"Please Pay Attention" was a deeply moving and important story. No child should fear going to school or wondering if they will make it back home that day. Bea as character was extremely compelling. She had a very strong voice and wanted to use it even if she struggled to at times. Bea's telling of her story was very impactful. As an able-bodied individual the fear of not being able to escape an active shooting pales in comparison to what Bea was feeling during the incident, being unable to get away let alone onto the floor and out of sight. I will admit that when thinking about "imminent threats" I do feel that we as a society lack significantly in providing practical information about keeping oneself safe if one has a disability. Its certainly something that hadnt crossed my mind but I will always cross my mind from now on. I felt that the portrayal of PTSD was also very well done and digestable for a younger audience.
I think that this is a very important book and children should be made aware of this issue as it effects them directly. This is a book that I feel should be read and discussed with adults so that questions can be asked and answered and an open discussion can be had. There was nothing egregious or graphic and though there was death it was not of characters that were super close to Bea which I thought was a tasteful decision by the author but did not take away from the emotional impact of the story. I was still in tears multiple times.
Overall this is worth the read and I believe we could all learn a lot from this story and find a little more compassion in our daily lives.
"Sorrynotsorry
if that was hard for you to read.
Trust me,
it was worse to live through."
Bea is a young girl, sixth grader to be exact, with cerebral palsy but she doesn't let that stop her. She is a buddy for her Little Josie who she cares about deeply and love being a friend for her at school to help her through her anxiety. Life is pretty great for Bea. Until a shooting occurs at her school. Suddenly Bea is dealing with feelings and fears she has never experienced before and never should have had to. Feeling lost her guardian Max get her into equine therapy and Bea begins to get her power back.
This story is told in verse and through the lens of writing to her local governor in a plea to enact change.
"Please Pay Attention" was a deeply moving and important story. No child should fear going to school or wondering if they will make it back home that day. Bea as character was extremely compelling. She had a very strong voice and wanted to use it even if she struggled to at times. Bea's telling of her story was very impactful. As an able-bodied individual the fear of not being able to escape an active shooting pales in comparison to what Bea was feeling during the incident, being unable to get away let alone onto the floor and out of sight. I will admit that when thinking about "imminent threats" I do feel that we as a society lack significantly in providing practical information about keeping oneself safe if one has a disability. Its certainly something that hadnt crossed my mind but I will always cross my mind from now on. I felt that the portrayal of PTSD was also very well done and digestable for a younger audience.
I think that this is a very important book and children should be made aware of this issue as it effects them directly. This is a book that I feel should be read and discussed with adults so that questions can be asked and answered and an open discussion can be had. There was nothing egregious or graphic and though there was death it was not of characters that were super close to Bea which I thought was a tasteful decision by the author but did not take away from the emotional impact of the story. I was still in tears multiple times.
Overall this is worth the read and I believe we could all learn a lot from this story and find a little more compassion in our daily lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Mass/school shootings
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Please Pay Attention
by Jamie Sumner
2 out of 5 stars
To be published April 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion.
After living through a school shooting, Bea finds that she has the strength to speak up and to be a fighter.
I liked that this middle-grades novel was written in verse so it had short sections of text and short chapters. I liked the character of Bea and her mother Max. I appreciated the friendship of their neighbors. Bea has a community that surrounds her and is able to support her.
What I didn't like, however, outweighed the good. I am definitely going to be an outlier here, but I didn't find this book appropriate for middle-grades readers. It was much too heavy for a young reader to process, while at the same time written too simplistic. There were far too many themes for a young reader to handle all at once- school shooting, character who uses a wheelchair, and adoption.
The character was making an appeal to the Governor regarding gun control laws, and she was saying she was ready to fight. In my opinion, 6th graders don't need to be ready to fight. They need to be protected. It is the adults who need to be ready to fight. The depth of pain and fear were not portrayed to the extent that is realistic, and middle grades readers don't need to be subjected to that fear.
My overall opinion of this book is that it was a big miss. I would recommend this book to adults who want to start a personal conversation about school gun violence and to be reminded of the children who we are all tasked with protecting every day.
by Jamie Sumner
2 out of 5 stars
To be published April 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion.
After living through a school shooting, Bea finds that she has the strength to speak up and to be a fighter.
I liked that this middle-grades novel was written in verse so it had short sections of text and short chapters. I liked the character of Bea and her mother Max. I appreciated the friendship of their neighbors. Bea has a community that surrounds her and is able to support her.
What I didn't like, however, outweighed the good. I am definitely going to be an outlier here, but I didn't find this book appropriate for middle-grades readers. It was much too heavy for a young reader to process, while at the same time written too simplistic. There were far too many themes for a young reader to handle all at once- school shooting, character who uses a wheelchair, and adoption.
The character was making an appeal to the Governor regarding gun control laws, and she was saying she was ready to fight. In my opinion, 6th graders don't need to be ready to fight. They need to be protected. It is the adults who need to be ready to fight. The depth of pain and fear were not portrayed to the extent that is realistic, and middle grades readers don't need to be subjected to that fear.
My overall opinion of this book is that it was a big miss. I would recommend this book to adults who want to start a personal conversation about school gun violence and to be reminded of the children who we are all tasked with protecting every day.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
What a wonderful novel in verse. Highly recommended for middle grade readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Life has not been easy for eighth-grader Bea Coughlin. Born too early and living with cerebral palsy, Bea knows all too well the challenges that life can bring. But when an armed gunman invades her school one fateful day, Bea’s life becomes even harder. Though unable to protect herself from danger during the tragic event, Bea ultimately rolls away sporting invisible wounds that give each new day an undercurrent of fear. With support from friends and loved ones, however, Bea begins to find ways to heal while embracing the fighter she is inside. This compelling novel in verse depicts in gut wrenching detail the events and aftermath of a school shooting in Bea’s community. Based loosely on events from the author’s own experience, the narrative contains a feeling of veracity and depth that is palpable for readers. Bea lives in a wheelchair, but she is not a person to let her limitations define her. As Bea and her community work through the events at Bea’s school, Bea faces each day with an admirable level of tenacity and perseverance. A diverse cast of characters surrounds Bea in her life, and these figures enhance the universal appeal of a book that bravely explores an event that has become all too common in American life. Heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, this novel is accessible to middle grade and older readers, and it calls upon everyone to do what they can to make school the safe space it is intended to be.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder