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A girl with cerebral palsy navigates loss, grief, and the aftermath of trauma following a school shooting in a world that wasn’t built for her in this deeply affecting novel in verse from Jamie Sumner, the acclaimed author of Roll with It.There is a Before and an After for eighth grader Bea Coughlin. Before the shooting at her school that took the lives of her classmates and teacher and After, when she must figure out how to grieve, live, and keep rolling forward. But as her community rallies in a tidal wave of marches and speeches and protests, Bea can’t get past the helplessness she felt in her wheelchair as others around her took cover. Through the help of therapeutic horseback riding, Bea finally begins to feel like herself again. And as she heals, she finds her voice and the bravery to demand change.
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ARC review
Poetic, moving, and utterly heartbreaking, Please Pay Attention is a novel that demands to be read, felt, and deeply considered. Jamie Sumner masterfully captures the raw realities of a school shooting through the eyes of Bea, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy who navigates the world from her wheelchair. Her voice is honest and powerful, offering a perspective that is too often overlooked in stories like this.
This book isn’t just a story. It’s a wake-up call. Bea’s experience reveals the terrifying reality that not all students are equally protected when the unimaginable happens. It forces readers to confront the painful truth of how schools, safety protocols, and even society fail children in moments of crisis. It’s eye-opening in the most necessary way, making it impossible to look away or ignore the need for change.
Please Pay Attention broke my heart and filled me with rage, but more than anything, it left me inspired. Voices like Bea’s matter, and so does everyone else’s. “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” Every single person should read this book. It’s time to listen, speak up, and demand better for our children.
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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