Every single second

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Every single second

Title:

Every single second

Author:

Springstubb, Tricia, author.

Sudyka, Diana, illustrator.

Summary:

Twelve-year-old Nella Sabatini's life is changing too soon, too fast. Her best friend, Clem, doesn't seem concerned; she's busy figuring out the best way to spend the "leap second" -- an extra second about to be added to the world's official clock. The only person who might understand how Nella feels is Angela, but the two of them have gone from being "secret sisters" to not talking at all. Then Angela's idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela's situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up.

Audience:

Ages 8-12.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

359 pages : illustrations, map ; 21 cm

Subject Term:

Friendship in adolescence -- Juvenile fiction.

Families -- Juvenile fiction.

Communities -- Juvenile fiction.

Public opinion -- Juvenile fiction.

Time -- Juvenile fiction.

Author(s):

Sudyka, Diana,

Publisher:

Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers,

Publication Date:

2016

ISBN:

9780062366283

Publication Information:

New York : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2016]

Call Number:

J SPRINGS

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003184069	Juvenile Fiction	SPRINGS	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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On Order

Summary

From acclaimed author Tricia Springstubb comes a poignant and topical middle grade novel about the effects of an accidental shooting on family, friendship, and community. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Holm and Rita Williams-Garcia.

Then Angela's idolized big brother makes a terrible, fatal mistake, one that tears apart their tight-knit community and plunges his family into a whirlwind of harsh publicity and judgment. In the midst of this controversy, Nella is faced with a series of startling revelations about her parents, friends, and neighborhood. As Angela's situation becomes dangerous, Nella must choose whether to stand by or stand up. Her heart tries to tell her what to do, but can you always trust your heart? The clock ticks down, and in that extra second, past and present merge--the future will be up to her.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-Nella has grown up in an insular Little Italy neighborhood of a large city. Her father is the caretaker of a cemetery across the street from her house. Nella has recently traded in her shy, lifelong best friend Angela for a cooler, shinier model, and she's sure her four younger brothers are complete barbarians and that her great-grandmother is impossible to please. All that is about to change. With her Catholic parochial school slated for closure, Nella will be forced into the wider community. A secret revealed about her father's past alters her feelings for him, and then her old friend Angela's brother, Anthony, accidentally shoots and kills an African American man seeking help after a late-night car crash. Nella has always adored Anthony, and the way he is portrayed by the news media enrages her. She is eventually forced to reexamine much of what she believes about her family, friends, neighbors, and God. Fluctuating in time between Nella's earliest school years and her seventh-grade present, this work raises questions about fate, faith, loyalty, and justice. The ghosts of the past-of racial tensions from decades before and consequences of mistakes made years ago-reverberate throughout the novel. Adult and child characters alike are shown as complex and conflicted. Overriding all is the notion that what occurs in a single second can change the course of events. Readers may find the constant swiveling in time to be disorienting, and frequent interruptions for observations by a statue in the cemetery serve little purpose. The focus is squarely on the protagonist and her struggle to understand how race and history play into the tragic events. VERDICT Springstubb admirably takes on a sensitive and difficult contemporary American issue. Sure to spark discussion in classrooms and book clubs.-Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Springstubb (Moonpenny Island) contemplates the concept of time throughout this wrenching coming-of-age novel, which explores the complex and often painful dynamics among family and friends. In chapters labeled "then" and "now," the narrative switches between Nella Sabatini's present, at age 12, and her younger years. When Anthony, the beloved older brother of Nella's friend Angela, pulls the trigger in a shooting that leaves an African-American man dead, the incident polarizes black and Italian-American communities and raises the ghost of a tragedy from years before ("'Oh no,' whispered Mom.... 'Not again'.... The past rushed up and plowed into the present, a terrible collision, a horrible accident"). The temporal theme unfolds through short interludes from a statue's perspective, Angela's father's post-traumatic stress disorder ("It all comes back over him, and it's like he's right there again"), and Nella's friend Clem's obsession with time. Nella's growing awareness of endings and beginnings, the meaning of friendship, and the power of choices combine to create an unsettling, compelling, and heartwarming tale. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.