Every Story Ever Told
by Ami Polonsky (Author)
In this life-affirming novel of trauma and recovery, a girl searches for a path forward after being forced to confront the reality of gun violence, for fans of Dusti Bowling and Jasmine Warga.
Stevie Jane Cohen-Kaplan's sheltered suburban life is shattered by a mass shooting at a festival in her town. In the aftermath, her brain feels broken. She can't bear to visit her mom, recovering in the hospital under Stevie's dad's watchful eye, or to be pent up in her grandparents' nearby Manhattan apartment.
To escape the apartment and her own thoughts, Stevie starts adventuring around New York City with her best friend, Avi, and a new therapy dog (in training). The trio starts chasing stories--about a neighbor's life after the Holocaust, Stevie's grandfathers who died of AIDS long before she was born, and even about her own mom's activist upbringing. These stories may not bring Stevie all the way back to "normal," but can they help her find a new version of herself?
Written with compassion and care, Every Story Ever Told places readers at the center of their own story and within a larger human tapestry, as one girl tries to make sense of the unthinkable.
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School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up--In the wake of tragedy, a middle schooler wonders how she will ever be herself again. Just after Stevie, 13, and her parents arrive at an event in their New Jersey town, a gunman opens fire, killing five and injuring many others, including Stevie's mother. While her mother remains in a medically induced coma in Manhattan with Stevie's father at her side, Stevie is cared for by her grandparents; her best friend, Avi, a transgender boy; Raisin, a new rescue dog providing emotional support; and Evelyn, her neighbor from home who is a Holocaust survivor. Stevie grapples with physical and psychological reactions to the stress and trauma, including horrible, misplaced guilt. While she struggles to articulate what she feels and needs through the fog of panic, anxiety, and PTSD, Stevie is surrounded by tenderness and support. Though life feels fragile and survival is complicated, Stevie finds strength in the connections to others who have endured violence, loss, and persecution. The young girl's fear and guilt are almost unbearable to read, but Polonsky's deft prose and vibrant cast of characters help Stevie, and readers, understand her feelings and work toward healing. Deeply moving, this companion to World Made of Glass, which tells the story of Stevie's mother as a youth, can be read as a standalone. Includes an author's note about trauma and gun violence. VERDICT A sensitive and powerful look at grief with the uplifting reminder that even with all the bad crowded in, there is still room for joy and happiness. Highly recommended.--Amanda MacGregor
Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
Praise for World Made of Glass
A Kirkus Best Children's Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A CCBC Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Pick
* The book shows a girl focusing her rage and pain into love.... Simultaneously sad and life affirming; a poetry-filled, inspiring call to activism. —Kirkus, starred review
Foregrounding believable, dynamic characters [this novel shows] both the cost of inaction and fear around the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the power of activism to bring change and build community. —Publishers Weekly, starred review
This is the best kind of family story, filled with love and, yes, loss, but most importantly with caring. The narrative is lyrical and heartfelt, and young people will be inspired to see Iris transcend her grief, use her voice, and find a way to make a difference. -The Horn Book, starred review
Ami Polonsky has crafted a beautiful story which speaks of courage, family, love, anger, discrimination, ignorance, and hope.... Polonsky has delivered a powerful message to us all that should not be passed up. —School Library Connection, starred review
Beautifully written...with its sensitive portrayal of loss, and its carefully researched depiction of a devastating time in American history, this lyrical novel is highly recommended. — School Library Journal, starred review
Impeccably written and emotionally powerful.—BCCB
A valuable education in AIDS history and emotional wellness. —Booklist
Deeply moving ... A sensitive and powerful look at grief with the uplifting reminder that even with all the bad crowded in, there is still room for joy and happiness. Highly recommended. —School Library Journal, starred review
JUV070000 - Juvenile Fiction | Poetry (see also Stories in Verse)
JUV015030 - Juvenile Fiction | Health & Daily Living | Mental Health
Communities
Novels
Mass shootings
