57 pages • 1 hour read
Paper Things
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Book Brief
384
Novel • Fiction
2015
Middle grade
10-14 years
830L
Super Short Summary
Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson follows 11-year-old Ari, who, after losing her home with her 19-year-old brother Gage, navigates homelessness while striving to maintain her school performance and friendships. They move between shelters, friends' places, and adults’ homes, encountering numerous challenges, yet Ari remains determined to hold on to hope and community connections. This book contains descriptions of homelessness, stigma, discrimination, childhood bullying, bereavement, and miscarriage.
Emotional
Contemplative
Challenging
Heartwarming
Hopeful
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Jennifer Richard Jacobson’s Paper Things sensitively portrays the struggles of homelessness through an eleven-year-old protagonist. Reviews praise its heartfelt realism and empathetic narrative. Critics point out slow pacing and underdeveloped secondary characters. Overall, Jacobson’s storytelling effectively raises awareness while engaging young readers.
Who Should Read Paper Things?
Readers who relish heartfelt, coming-of-age stories with themes of perseverance and family relationships will enjoy Jennifer Richard Jacobson's Paper Things. Fans of Katherine Applegate's Crenshaw and Lynda Mullaly Hunt's One for the Murphys will find a similar blend of emotional depth and resilience.
384
Novel • Fiction
2015
Middle grade
10-14 years
830L
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