Copyright Date:
2018
Edition Date:
2018
Release Date:
09/04/18
Pages:
244 pages
ISBN:
Publisher: 1-492-65532-5 Perma-Bound: 0-7804-4143-5
ISBN 13:
Publisher: 978-1-492-65532-9 Perma-Bound: 978-0-7804-4143-9
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2017045912
Dimensions:
21 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
A series of social missteps convinces eighth-grader Elise that remaining silent is preferable to saying the wrong thing and looking foolish.The transition from home schooling to public school proves more difficult that Elise imagined. Classroom politics, rival friendships, and social media are minefields. And whether it is Bernard Billows' greasy hair and milky smell or Elise's own Armenian unibrow, Elise decides that the best way to navigate Green Pasture Middle School is to disappear. Her plan backfires as she manages to alienate her old friend, Mel, and frustrate Conn, a possible ally, leaving her more isolated than ever. When Elise discovers her family's dark secret, which explains her mother's neglect and her isolated childhood, she turns inward, falling into hallucinations and fantasy. Elise's social isolation and pain are realistically portrayed, and her determination to stay silent even when she is accused of stealing and is threatened by Conn's older brother, Dónal, underscores her distress (even as it may also frustrate readers). Other elements are less-successful. The persistent appearance of a raven that alternately comforts and disturbs Elise hints at an underlying magic that is insufficiently explored. The portrayal of home-schoolers borders on cliché, and the resolution of Elise's mother's extreme negligence is far too easy. The book adheres to the white default.Ambitious but not wholly successful. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-12)
Word Count:
47,757
Reading Level:
4.3
Interest Level:
3-6
Accelerated Reader:
reading level: 4.3
/ points: 7.0
/ quiz: 500318
/ grade: Middle Grades
Reading Counts!:
reading level:3.5 /
points:11.0 /
quiz:Q76391
Lexile:
630L
Guided Reading Level:
N
This award winning book offers kids an authentic depiction of selective mutism and a story of the experience of middle school interactions and mental illness. Elise carries a notebook full of tallies, each page marking a day spent at her new public school, each stroke of her pencil marking a word spoken. A word that can't be taken back. Five tally marks isn't so bad. Two is pretty good. But zero? Zero is perfect. Zero means no wrong answers called out in class, no secrets accidentally spilled, no conversations to agonize over at night when sleep is far away. But now months have passed, and Elise isn't sure she could speak even if she wanted to--not to keep her only friend, Mel, from drifting further away--or to ask if anyone else has seen her English teacher's stuffed raven come to life. Then, the discovery of a shocking family secret helps Elise realize that her silence might just be the key to unlocking everything she's ever hoped for... A 2019 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts (NCTE) A 2018 Cybils Nominee A Texas Lone Star Reading List title Powerful and poetic.--John David Anderson, author of Posted and Ms. Bixby's Last Day This tender and truthful book stays with you long after the words have gone.--Patricia Forde, author of The List A must read. After Zero reminds us of so many loved ones of those suffering from anxiety or depressive disorders. It is a story that will hopefully foster empathy and maybe even communication with our 'quiet' peers.--Wesley King, author of OCDaniel Age Level: 8 and up Grade Level: 3 to 7 Great for parents and educators looking for: A story that addresses middle school social interactions, grief, loss and mental illness A story that depicts selective mutism authentically
Common Core
STEAM
Graphic
Novel
High/Low
Chapter
Book
Large
Print
Series Tracker
Manga
Big
Book
Board
Book
Hot
Title
Adult
Language
Mature
Content
Ebook
Ebook
MUA (Multi User Access)
Light Novel
