Insta Review: The Seventh Wish, by Kate Messner

Insta Review gives you a new book recommendation in under a minute. Go ahead, time it!

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“Instead of showing those videos with the greasy-haired people in D.A.R.E. classes, they should show kids like Abby. Soccer forwards and calculus students, student students council presidents and homecoming queens and big sisters. They should show those people lying to their families and sitting ashamed in the hospital, tugging on their sleeves to hide the marks on their arms, struggling to breathe, crying when they have to tell the truth.” Parents, DON’T STOP READING AND WRITE THIS BOOK OFF. It is not too mature for your middle-grade reader, it is not inappropriate, and it is not too soon. @katemessner has dropped the mic with her groundbreaking novel The Seventh Wish, which takes the pain and confusion of loving someone who struggles with addiction and puts it firmly and believably in the hands of a fourth grade student. Brilliantly, Messner lets us get to know Charlie and her totally normal life – school projects, Irish dancing, family on the go – before she reveals that her older sister, Abby, is struggling with a heroin addiction. This sends a clear message: addiction can happen to anyone. The Seventh Wish is a perfect balance of fairy dust and reality. Enough magic to keep it from overpowering young readers, but enough reality to create a story that will change lives. Novels provide a safe way for young readers to explore difficult topics, and can spark conversations in ways unique from lectures or lesson plans. A must-read. Please, buy this book for your reader. Read it with them. Get mad and sad and scared and confused while they do, and grow together. It’s worth it. #bookreview #middlegrade #middlegradebooks #addiction #teacher #empathy #weneeddiversebooks #readthis #seriously

A post shared by Ms. Fitz (she/her) (@fitzbetweentheshelves) on Apr 15, 2018 at 8:05am PDT