The Magical Imperfect

The Magical Imperfect

"Highly recommended... Perfect for readers of Wonder and Erin Entrada Kelly's Hello, Universe ."― Booklist magazine , starred review Etan has stopped speaking since his mother left. His father and grandfather don’t know how to help him. His friends have given up on him. When Etan is asked to deliver a grocery order to the outskirts of town, he realizes he’s at the home of Malia Agbayani, also known as the Creature. Malia stopped going to school when her acute eczema spread to her face, and the bullying became too much. As the two become friends, other kids tease Etan for knowing the Creature. But he believes he might have a cure for Malia’s condition, if only he can convince his family and hers to believe it too. Even if it works, will these two outcasts find where they fit in? Gr 3–7—The whole town eagerly watches the 1989 baseball playoffs, but Etan is unable to fully engage. Since his mother left, Etan has neither the energy nor the will to speak. He spends most of his time with his grandfather in his jewelry shop on Main Street and with the shopkeepers who are accepting of his silence. Delivering a package to a house outside of town, Etan encounters Malia, known by kids as "the Creature" because of the eczema that covers her body. She invites him in to meet her grandmother, a refugee from the Philippines who befriended Etan's Jewish grandparents when they were escaping the horrors of the war in 1940. As this new friendship grows, Etan wants to help Malia's eczema get better with his grandfather's special clay, and to help her gain the confidence to sing at the local talent show. An earthquake that hits that day shakes everything up, but ultimately leads to Etan finding his voice, and Malia using hers to share her story. VERDICT Written in first person, this lyrical novel-in-verse invites readers into Etan's world, who will be drawn in by his very silence and how friendship relies on listening just as much as speaking.—Connie Williams, Petaluma, CA A Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book A Junior Library Guild Selection "Highly recommended...satisfyingly blends empathy, a range of diversity, and youthful possibility with serendipity’s sparkle. Perfect for readers of Wonder and Erin Entrada Kelly's Hello, Universe ." ― Booklist magazine, starred review "Etan’s honest and lovable voice, and its growing strength, that carries this tender novel. " ― Publishers Weekly "Written in first person, this lyrical novel-in-verse invites readers into Etan’s world, who will be drawn in by his very silence and how friendship relies on listening just as much as speaking."―School Library Journal "[P]aints a beau­ti­ful pic­ture of inter­twined fam­i­lies, of a com­mu­ni­ty dis­cov­er­ing its strengths, immi­gra­tion across gen­er­a­tions of Amer­i­cans, and the unlike­ly friend­ship between two kids try­ing to find their place in the world." ―Jewish Book Council "This story might remind you of the book Wonder." ― The Week Junior "Musical, enchanting, powerful." ― Double the Books Magazine "Baron captures both small personal moments and historical events by deploying the perfect detail, dialogue snippet or plot puzzle-piece at the perfect time." ― The San Diego Union Tribune Praise for All of Me : A Southern California Independent Booksellers Association BESTSELLER! BookRiot Best Children's Books about Kindness Nerdy Book Club 2019 Award, Novels-in-Verse A Literacious Favorite Middle-Grade Book of 2019 A National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Notable Book "If you have ever felt lost in the world, betrayed by your body or buoyed by a glimmer of hope or the glow of friendship, then All of Me could be your story, too." ― The Los Angeles Times " All of Me is for anyone who has been in search of a tribe, in love with a friend or in need of answers to questions that they can’t bring themselves to ask. In other words, everybody." ― San Diego Union Tribune " Astute and stun­ning. All of Me is high­ly rec­om­mend­ed and offers an elo­quent and often-heart­break­ing glimpse into the expe­ri­ences of a lay­ered, com­plex and relat­able pro­tag­o­nist. Read­ers will sure­ly root for Ari as his sto­ry unfolds." ―Jewish Book Council "[A] beautifully written and psychologically acute debut. Readers will be glad to accompany Ari on his journey to self-discovery." ― Booklist magazine "Any reader who has felt like an outsider will be drawn to Ari’s story, which means his audience should be legion." ― The Horn Book Magazine "Baron’s free-verse poetry is immediate and lyrical, allowing us access to Ari’s thoughts and feelings in a way that prose would not. Baron’s first-person narration allows the reader to experience Ari’s pain and revelations, both of which are balanced with moments of grace and beauty....highly recommended for readers of all ages. " ― Bookpage "A unique perspective on weight loss and family told in beautiful, pitch perfect verse." ―Happily Ev