Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Sep 2007, 224 pages
Paperback:
Apr 2009, 224 pages
Book Reviewed by:
Jo Perry
Buy This Book
Two worlds collide in one compelling story set in a suburban American middle-school. Kirsten's world is crumbling. Her parents are barely speaking to one another and her best friend has come under the spell of the queen bee Brianna. Walker's goal is to survive the new very white private school his mom has sent him to because she thinks he's going to screw up like his cousin. Ages 12+.
Two kids. Two lives.
For Kirsten the world is crumbling. Her parents are barely speaking to one
another and her best friend has come under the spell of the queen bee Brianna.
Only Kirsten's younger science-geek sister is on her side.
For Walker the goal is to survive the new very white private school his mom has
sent him to because she thinks he's going to screw up like his cousin.
"Don't have to worry, Momma, before I go bad I'll let you know, send a Hallmark
card ready made for the occasion...on the eve your son messes up."
But Walk is a good kid. So is his new friend, Matteo, though no one knows why
Matteo will do absolutely anything that hot blond Brianna asks of him.
Two worlds collide in one compelling story. Then suddenly Kirsten discovers
something that shakes them to their core...
"You knew all along," Walk says.
"No, I didn't."
"You're lying. You found out and then you told the whole world..."
Two
Walk
C'mon!" Walk yells back to the big white girl Kirsta?
Kristal? Whatever her name is.
He races down the hall and kills the stairs. His feet are
burning; doors, lockers, kids are flying by.
He knows where the class is because he and his momma, Sylvia,
walked the schedule last week. He can't be late. Not on the first day.
The bell rings.
He's late.
Walk slides into an empty seat Matteo saved for him. Matteo is
the only kid he knows here.
The girl is behind him breathing like somebody better dial
9-1-1.
The old guy up there with the belly and the long hair? Must be
Balderis, the history teacher. The man's all red like a pimple—even his ears and
his nose are red. He opens his mouth like he's going for the slaughter, then
shuts it again, shakes his head, takes a deep breath, and starts over. "Your
name is?"
Sweat pours down Walk's back. "Walker Jones."
"And yours?" Balderis looks at the girl.
"Kirsten ...
The novel's focus is decidedly internal rather than external, and the reader lives inside twelve year old heads for the duration. But Choldenko's unwavering interior focus isn't gimmickry: it illuminates her young characters' imperfect knowledge of the world and of themselves, and reflects the self-absorption typical and probably necessary to their growth...continued
Full Review
(478 words)
This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For full access,
become a member today.
(Reviewed by Jo Perry).
Eating Disorders
Does Kirsten eat too much and for all the wrong reasons? According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating are becoming increasingly prevalent throughout western countries. According to US estimates from the National Institute of Mental Health, between 5-10 million girls and women and 1 million boys and men suffer from eating disorders or other associated dietary conditions. On average, about 0.5 to 3.7% of girls and women develop anorexia nervosa, and about 1.1 to 4.2% develop bulimia nervosa. About 0.5% of those with anorexia die each year as a result of their illness, making it one of the top psychiatric illnesses that lead to ...
This "beyond the book" feature is available to non-members for a limited time. Join today for full access.
If you liked If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period, try these:
by Renee Watson
Published 2018
A timely and powerful story about a teen girl striving for success in a world that too often feels like it wants to break her.
by Sharon M. Draper
Published 2012
Eleven-year-old Melody has a photographic memory. She's the smartest kid in her whole school - but no one knows it, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write. Melody's story is one full of heartache and hope. Get ready to meet a girl whose voice you'll never, ever forget.
The Stone Home
by Crystal Hana Kim
A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
