In Honor of Broken Things by Acampora, Paul

Three unlikely friends become partners in heartbreak and hope during a middle school pottery class in this powerful, poignant novel--perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

At West Beacon Middle School, eighth graders Oscar Villanueva, Riley Baptiste, and Noah Wright become unlikely friends during Introduction to Clay class. Oscar, a football star, just lost his little sister to cancer. Riley's been dragged away from Philadelphia by her single mom to a new life in West Beacon, a tiny Pennsylvania coal town that's smaller than Riley's old school. Noah's spent his whole life as a homeschooler and just started West Beacon Middle School as a result of his parents' train wreck of a divorce. Through art, football, failure, faith, and trust, the friends help one another to piece things back together again. In true friendship, they also discover that some injuries may never heal, some things can never be unbroken--and that's okay too.

Author: Paul Acampora
Publisher: Dial Books
Published: 03/08/2022
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.70w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781984816641
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 02/01/2022 pg. 74
Booklist 02/15/2022 pg. 58
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2022
Publishers Weekly 04/04/2022
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2022 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Paul Acampora has written numerous novels and short stories for young readers. Kids, parents, and critics praise his work for its laugh-out-loud humor, rollicking dialogue, and heartfelt characters. Paul is a dad, husband, former kindergarten teacher, and full-time development professional now living in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.