It's raining trees!

If A Tree Falls at Lunch Period
Written by Gennifer Choldenko
Children's Novel Grades 4-8
Rating: 4/5

Kristen and Walker ("Walk") are experiencing a new school year in junior high through their own eyes, each struggling with their own personal demons and internal battles.

Opinion:  Pretty good book. Has spots of humor that I think junior high kids will really appreciate, or at least understand. The story alternates in chapters from one of two character's points of view: One, Kristen, whose parents are constantly fighting and whose best friend won't talk to her anymore because she gained 30 pounds over the summer, and Walk, the "only black kid in the entire school." I can appreciate each child's struggle to see where they fit in in the world. Middle school was a scary time! Hearing Kristen talk about the cliques and her best friend ignoring her brought back memories of middle school mean girls. Its hard to remember that this is a children's novel and not a novel I would read, because the language is a bit simple and juvenile. The differing perspectives switches it up and keeps the plot moving.

Curriculum connection: Obviously this is for older kids, but I think its very good to fit into a lesson about kindness and respect, even on bullying in the classroom. I think it can be focused around a good community building activity. In the book Walk struggles with being one of the only African Americans at his school, which could be very beneficial to address. This could lead into a discussion on what racism is, how it affects others, or maybe go into a history lesson about the origins of racism and what it means to respect people from all different backgrounds. Discussions would probably be easy because it is a very relatable book, even if they don't struggle with the same exact problems.