Reviews

Sit by Deborah Ellis

shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition

Everyone sits. On a chair, a bench, the ground, a swing. All over the world, kids sit. Deborah Ellis presents ten very short stories for and about sitting kids facing circumstances beyond their control. From a young girl in a time-out chair to a young boy working in a chair factory, each child figures out how to gain some control over their situation. Control might include a specific action or it might include flights of fancy but each story ends with hope. This lovely little book should capture the hearts and minds of both reluctant and avid young readers.

migimon2002's review against another edition

3.0

A nice collection of short stories, all centered around chairs or sitting. The lead characters are all youth, many dealing with some intense life circumstances. I read this aloud to a group of grade 3-5 students. Mixed reviews...some loved the stories, and took the book out of the library to read again on their own; others thought it was just okay. The coolest thing was having the kids realize the first and last stories connect.

jwinchell's review against another edition

4.0

Deborah Ellis has produced a lovely little book of little short stories about sitting/how young people are situated in the world.

aoosterwyk's review against another edition

4.0

This collections of short vignettes all have a chair in common. This is a must have for writing teachers and great for those who are looking for a meaningful, but quick, read. Each story provides material for discussion. Topics include: divorce, child slavery, community, personal morality, incarceration, etc.; all topics that are currently in the news and worthy of discussion.

julleah's review against another edition

3.0

Powerful way to consider the millions of contexts around something as simple as a child sitting and the lives those children have.

mindfullibrarian's review against another edition

4.0

Excellent connected short story collection covering global topics. Highly recommend as a read aloud in middle school classrooms.

Thanks to Groundwood Books for the advance copy of this title for review purposes - all opinions are my own.

mldeblois13's review against another edition

5.0

A must-read- "Sit" down an read this book!

Amazing stories, and a beautiful collection to use as a mentor text, especially if you are teaching about refugees, six-word memoirs, child labor, etc. This book has it all!

oldgum202's review against another edition

3.0

Short but compelling. Takes a close look at the lives of children all around the world. I would recommend this, but the stories were too short for my taste.

msvenner's review against another edition

5.0

This is a wonderful little book. I am not usually drawn to short story collections but Ellis is a master story teller. Drawing each story together with the universal concept of sitting, this collection exposes young readers to global issues like child labour, homelessness, domestic violence, and that names only a view. Ellis takes these overwhelming issues and makes them real and accessible for young readers. This has so many potential applications for classroom use but it is also simply an engrossing read. It is one of my top Silver Birch contenders.

babayagareads's review against another edition

5.0

World awareness is so important! I hope more books come out just like this one, because people of all ages need to be aware of the struggles of others and of their own privileges.