• The Breaking News

The Breaking News

Illustrator
Sarah Lynne Reul
Publication Date
April 10, 2018
Genre / Grade Band
Fiction /  2nd − 3rd
The Breaking News

Only 1 copies currently available
Description
When devastating news rattles a young girl's community, her normally attentive parents and neighbors are suddenly exhausted and distracted. At school, her teacher tells the class to look for the helpers--the good people working to make things better in big and small ways. She wants more than anything to help in a BIG way, but maybe she can start with one small act of kindness instead . . . and then another, and another.Small things can compound, after all, to make a world of difference. The Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul touches on themes of community, resilience, and optimism with an authenticity that will resonate with readers young and old.
Publication date
April 10, 2018
Classification
Fiction
Page Count
-
ISBN-13
9781250153562
Lexile Measure
470
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Roaring Brook Press
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV023000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | City & Town Life
JUV013000 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | General
Library of Congress categories
Families
Community life
Helpfulness
Optimism
Helping behavior
Bad news

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--While the bad news that begins this story remains a mystery, the anxiety that this family of color faces is clear. The parents are distraught and following something closely on their devices while the children pick up on their anxiety. They try to be well behaved but are disappointed when their actions go unnoticed. A big effort seems overwhelming, so the brother/sister duo try to change things in small ways, like watering a drooping plant. When it perks back up, the parents notice and help them build on that small thing by making tiny potted plants together as a family to hand out to their neighborhood. With simple language that names emotions, the narrative identifies the helplessness children feel when something happens that they are too small to understand or change. VERDICT The ambiguous nature of the circumstances makes this title appropriate for many situations children face in today's never-ending news cycle. An absolute-must for most libraries.--Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Something bad--really bad--has happened in the world. "Mom is glued to the television. Dad can't stop checking his phone," says the narrator, a girl with a little brother. The next day, the school bus feels dark and cavernous, with kids anxiously peering over their seats at their friends. In her picture-book debut, Ruel doesn't specify the nature of the event, but her astutely composed, wonderfully sympathetic cartoon-style drawings capture how kids are impacted by worried and distracted adults, and how it feels to be small in the face of something too big to grasp. Ruel also understands that many readers will yearn to feel some sense of agency; the narrator decides she wants to "help in a BIG way" and tries to cheer up the worried, sleepless adults around her. She soon realizes, however, that while people can't turn off their feelings, small acts of kindness--reading to her brother, cheering up the dog, brightening up her block with plants--can make a difference. "Small things don't solve everything," she says. "The bad news is still there. But then again... so are we." Featuring a multi-ethnic neighborhood of individuals connected--for better or worse-- through their shared disquiet, this is a wise and timely book. Ages 4-8. Agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (May)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
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