When the world turned upside down

K. Ibura

Book - 2021

What do you do when the world shuts down? A heartwarming story of friendship and overcoming adversity in a time of COVID, When the World Turns Upside Down is about community, giving back, and understanding the world around us through the power of generosity from debut middle grade author K. Ibura. Nobody expected a tiny little virus to change the whole world in such a big way, especially not Shayla, Liam, Ai, and Ben. But when school closes to keep everyone safe, their lives turn upside down. It is one thing to learn that the outside world isn't safe, but why does it seem that the virus is causing trouble inside their homes too? As they each struggle to adjust to life in quarantine, they discover they are not alone: their apartment bui...lding is full of people who need their help. Working together, they begin to see that there is power in numbers. When they cooperate, they can ease each other's challenges and help their neighbors through tough times. It's a lesson they'll need when protests explode in the streets. Soon, each friend has to decide what it means to be part of a community--and how much they're willing to do to make this world safer for everyone. Set against the onset of COVID, When the World Turned Upside Down navigates issues of race and social justice in a heartwarming story of generosity, friendship, and the power of youth.

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Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jFICTION/Ibura K Due Feb 6, 2024
Subjects
Genres
Social problem fiction
Novels
Published
New York : Scholastic Press 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
K. Ibura (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
275 pages ; 22 cm
Audience
Ages 8-12
ISBN
9781338746266
9781338746273
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Ibura makes her authorial debut with this novel about the COVID-19 challenges experienced by four classmates who live in the same New York City apartment building. Struggling to adjust to online school and tensions within their families and friend group due to living in confinement, they soon realize they are not the only people trying to meet the challenges of quarantine. Slowly, they find ways to reach out to other building residents, starting small by taking out trash, walking dogs, and delivering groceries. These small kindnesses build and strengthen relationships. Readers will appreciate the diverse representations as well as the individuality of Ai, Ben, Liam, and Shayla and will wonder what happens to the group long after the story ends. This story also examines this community's anxieties and responses to George Floyd's murder and subsequent demonstrations. A timely and accessible look at the pandemic that will appeal to readers of realistic fiction and fans of Jewell Parker Rhodes and Kelly Yang.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

Four best friends fight the turbulence of a pandemic together. African American Shayla, Indonesian American Ai, (implied) Latinx Ben, and White Liam live in the same New York City apartment building, go to the same school, and were once an inseparable friend group. Their parents call them the quartet, but lately they seem like four soloists. Shayla has tried to befriend two other girls in her class, leaving Ai in the dust. Liam's panic attacks result in his friends' not always including him in their activities. These changes threaten their bonds, but soon Covid-19 overshadows their interpersonal dramas. As each child adapts to attending virtual classrooms, problems at home and in the world start to weigh them down. Frustrated by their situation, Ai decides to start a helpers club and invites Liam to join her in running errands and doing chores for their neighbors in the building. Soon Ben and Shayla follow, and their friendships begin to heal. Through their difficult personal challenges, the pandemic, and disturbing news about police brutality (which leads to poignant conversations between Shayla and her father), the quartet soldiers on, learning and supporting each other along the way. Ibura's novel highlights many of the challenges children have faced during the pandemic while showing how, even in the midst of uncertainty and injustice, anyone can take a step in the right direction. A heartwarming call to action. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.