In Your Shoes

A sweet story about a friendship with a most inauspicious start.

Gr 4-6--Amy is the new kid in Buckington, PA, having recently moved here from Chicago after her mother passed away. She's anxious to make a new friend and, surprisingly, the event that gets that ball rolling is an airborne bowling shoe that lands on her head the morning of her first day at her new school. Miles is a worrier and the wearer of the flying bowling shoe. His family owns a bowling alley and at the top of his worry list is the surprise he is planning for his grandfather's upcoming birthday. The story moves back and forth between their perspectives and is formatted like a bowling game, with sections of the story divided into frames one-through-10. Amy's talent and creative outlet as a writer also makes an appearance as a story within the story, and parallels the action of the main plot, especially as it relates to her growing connection to Miles. Friendship lies at the heart of this story, and readers who prefer character-driven novels will find this book highly appealing. The well-drawn, likable characters are relatable, and the novel's themes of grief and loss will strike a chord. The writing is perfectly suited to the middle grade audience and balances the beginnings of romance between the characters with the challenges of fitting in, the highs and lows of friendship, as well as the struggle to be an individual and maintain a healthy self-esteem. Fans of Gephart's previous books will enjoy all the research she works into the text that clues readers into fun facts, ranging from the wide world of bowling to what sort of specialty knowledge and experience it takes to run a funeral parlor to the many strange ways people can pass away. VERDICT A unique and compelling novel from a master storyteller. Highly recommended.--Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

This clever story about friendship, loss, and bowling shoes by Gephart (Lily and Dunkin) traces how two miserable middle schoolers strike up an unexpected friendship. Still grieving over her mother's recent death, Amy Silverman is not happy about moving from Chicago to Buckington ("Borington"), Pa., to live with her uncle above his funeral home. Meanwhile, Miles Spagoski, whose family owns Buckington Bowl, the local bowling alley, is also feeling sorrow, as well as anxiety. He misses his grandmother, who died a year ago, and is worried about his ailing grandfather. The tweens meet under unfortunate circumstances on Amy's first day of school: before Amy even enters the building, Miles's lucky bowling shoe gets tossed in the air and clonks her on the head. Though tossed-shoe victim and crackerjack bowler are destined to become close, the build to this inevitability is entertaining, as Miles awkwardly attempts to make amends, and Amy, when she's feeling blue, composes an ongoing story about a peasant girl who also gets hit in the head. Told from the alternating perspectives of the endearing protagonists, the novel humorously verifies that loss can lead to surprising beginnings. Ages 9-12. Agent: Tina Dubois, ICM Partners. (Oct.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

A unique and compelling novel from a master storyteller.—School Library Journal, starred review

Told from the alternating perspectives of the endearing protagonists, the novel humorously verifies that loss can lead to surprising beginnings.—Publishers Weekly

Earnest and gently humorous insights into themes of friendship, loss, and perseverance. —Kirkus

Praise for Lily and Dunkin:

Gephart clearly has a lot of heart, and she tells their stories with compassion.—Kirkus

A thoughtfully and sensitively written work of character-driven fiction that dramatically addresses two important subjects that deserve more widespread attention.—Booklist, starred

"Gephart sympathetically contrasts the physical awkwardness, uncertainty, and longings of these two outsiders during a few tightly-plotted months, building to a crescendo of revelation...[A] valuable portrait of two teenagers whose journeys are just beginning."—PW

This would be a fantastic addition to any middle grade library collection, and is highly recommended for all ages.—VOYA

Lily and Dunkin is a delight. Here's a book for anyone who's ever struggled with being different—or anyone who's ever loved someone who bears the burden of difference. . . . Crucial, heart-breaking, and inspiring." —Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of She's Not There and Stuck in the Middle with You