Title: Don't Stand So Close to Me
Author: Eric Walters
Genre: realistic fiction
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Thirteen-year-old Quinn and her friends can't believe their luck when spring break is extended an extra two weeks—even if it's because of some virus. But when the impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic becomes apparent, everyone, not just the students, has to learn to adjust to their new reality. Quinn’s father is an ER doctor and has to self-isolate to protect his family from the virus. Isaac’s mother is the chief of police and now has to enforce new physical-distancing bylaws. Reese can’t visit her grandmother in her care home anymore. And their entire school has moved to online classes. Sacrifices have to be made to keep everyone safe, but there’s more to life than rules and scary news reports. In an effort to find some good in all this uncertainty, Quinn comes up with an idea that she hopes will bring the entire community together.
My opinion: Obviously, this is a book that is going to speak to young readers right now. It reflects what we've all been living through, the way that the world changed in the spring. It is that snapshot nature that is likely to be the book's downfall in the long term. Even in the past six weeks, the world has changed again and the adjustments Walters shows are out of date. And let's be honest: do kids who are living through COVID restrictions really want to relive it right now?
More information: Don't Stand So Close to Me releases September 22
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGall
I bought this one for historical purposes, like The Leggings Revolt (2016). Since that was published four years ago, the tide has turned and no one blinks at leggings. We're just glad the children come to school dressed in something!
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