The Places We Sleep

by Caroline Brooks DuBois

It's early September 2001, and twelve-year-old Abbey is the new kid at school. Again.

I worry about people speaking to me / and worry just the same / when they don't.

Tennessee is her family's latest stop in a series of moves based on her dad's work in the Army, but this one might be different. Her school is far from Base, and for the first time, Abbey has found a real friend: loyal, courageous, athletic Camille.

And then it's September 11, 2001. The country is under attack, and Abbey's first period arrives.

Like a punch to the gut / like a shove in the girls' room / like a name I won't repeat.

Abbey's family falters in the aftermath of the attacks. With her mother grieving, and her father preparing for active duty, Abbey must cope with the tragedy - and her body's betrayal - on her own.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Poetry, Novel In Verse, Realistic Fiction, Historical, Childrens

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 18, 2020

About the author

Caroline Brooks DuBois received a Master of Fine Arts in poetry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. DuBois writes both poetry and prose and a mixture of the two. She was recognized as a Blue Ribbon Teacher for her dedication to her students and excellence in teaching adolescents. Currently, DuBois is the Director of the Literary Arts Conservatory at Nashville School of the Arts High School in Nashville, Tennessee. She lives with her singer-song writer husband, with whom she’s co-written songs, and their two children and dog.

Reviews

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for free from Books Forward in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued by this book because it centers on 9/11. I was only 6 years old when it happened so I never truly felt the magnitude of it.

This book did an amazing job detailing how 9/11 rocked everyone’s world. You saw how 12 year old Abbey felt. You saw how her mom reacted to finding out her sister went missing during the attack. You saw her dad’s military response to it. You saw how regular civilians felt about the possibility of war. You saw racial prejudices exhibited by Abbey’s classmates to a fellow student. The book covered a range of experiences.



This is a novel in verse so the entire book was written in poetry. As a whole, I thought the poems were well done. However, I would have loved if the poems had titles. Instead, they were numbered. Sometimes titles can help enhance the poem and create a bigger impact. But on the flip side, having no titles made the book more novel like. It reads very smoothly because of that. At times, it didn’t even feel like you’re were reading poetry because you get sucked into the story.

Plot-wise, I wanted a little more, especially towards the end. I wanted there to be a little more development with some of the supporting characters. Even though this book centers on 9/11, it is also a coming of age story. One of the things that gets explored is periods. I am happy that this book did not shy away from showing girls getting their period for the first time.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the American reaction to 9/11. This book is aimed towards middle grade readers but can still be enjoyed by adults.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve year old Abbey gets her period on the day of September 11th, 2001. Abbey's Aunt Rose is missing so her mother leaves to go to New York to find her. This leaves Abbey alone and having to navigate her own feelings of loneliness, reaching adulthood, and dealing with her own grievances from the attack. This book did an excellent job detailing the different reactions from the attacks such as racism, fear, grief, and loss. It is written in verse and makes for a quick read that packs a punch. Though it is targeted for children, young adults and above can read this as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the advanced copy! The Places We Sleep is now available today :)

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lyrical, loving look at 9/11 through the lens of a 12-year-old girl. Her family experiences loss as a result of the attacks, including leaving them to be deployed to Afghanistan. The middle school kids bully Abby for being an army brat and being the new kid who has moved around a lot. Classmate Jiman is bullied for her Muslim roots. The "cool kids" are jerks. Abby continues to find refuge in her art and it becomes a bridge to her geographically distant dad. An honest look at living through 9/11 as a preteen. Very well done and would make a lovely choice for a classroom read aloud when studying that time period.

Thank you to Holiday House and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

* Got this ARC from Netgalley in exhange for a honest review *
Lyrical and i really liked Abby and her familiy, how we got to see how 11. september affected her and her familiy. Plus the cover was so nice!

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I finished her more recent book, I quickly requested this one.

Abbey is in a new town because her father is in the Army and the family must go where he goes. But this time things are different. 9/11 happens and Abbey’s aunt works in the towers and is missing. Her father gets deployed soon after these tragic events.

And while Abbey is dealing with the trauma of losing her aunt and having her father away at war, she’s also in seventh grade just dealing with normal life at thirteen. She gets her period, she struggles as the “new kid” and she is finding her artistic voice.

This one brought a tear to my eye. I really liked it.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a moving and beautifully written poetic story about a young girl on her journey to womanhood who is from a military family who move around a lot. This is about the 9/11 attack on the twin towers in America and how it affected the world and how it touched her life in particular. Its also about friendship and finding out who you are and finding your voice about what you believe in.

This book is such a beautiful read .

[Elaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poetry book approaching various subjects such as the transition from childhood to adulthood, the loss of the beloved ones, the difficult periods which most of us must have passed through in middle school, all intertwined with the sense of duty, sorrow, and insecurity in the context of a tragic moment also known as September 11 Attacks (9/11), 2001.
"Later,/ on the beach/ I question a world/ where doing the right thing/ means giving up/ the things you/ love."

[Meg Dendler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice look at the events around 9-11, but it never went quite deep enough for me. And there were a lot of side plot lines going on, but I suppose that's what middle school is all about. Life hits you from many different angles.

[Anadgye⚡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is in English and Spanish.

The Places We Sleep is a book written in verse
with Abbey's perspective, a girl whose experimenting the first steps of womanhood at the same time the terrorist acts of 9/11 occurs. Her aunt is missing and her mother have to go to New York. Because of this, Abbey have to go through her first menstruation without her mother guidance.

She'll has to deal with the common issues this age brings, the rejection of Muslims, the war after the attacks, her father attending to the war and of course finding her true self.

I wasn't born when this horrible events happened and I'm really glad I am able to read a book like this. The perspective of someone who was affected by this situation in such a young age.

I really recommend this book

Spanish

The places we sleep es un libro escrito en verso con la perspectiva de Abbey, una niña que está entrando a su primera menstruación al mismo tiempo que suceden los ataques terroristas del 9/11. Su tía está desaparecida y su mamá va a Nueva York, por lo que Abbey pasa su primera menstruación sola.

Ella también tendrá que lidiar con problemas típicos de la edad, el repudio que había hacia los musulmanes sólo por el hecho de serlo, la guerra a causa de estos ataques y su padre teniendo que atender los mismos ya que es militar y, encontrarse a ella misma.

Yo aún no estaba viva cuando estos acontecimientos ocurrieron y me alegra haber leído algo sobre la perspectiva de alguien que fue afectado por esta situación y a una edad tan joven.

Recomiendo leer mucho este libro.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gentle introduction to how everyone felt after the terrorists attacks of 9/11. Told from the point of view of a girl whose aunt was in one of the towers and whose father is deployed shortly after. Told in verse, this novel also explores the xenophobia and islamophobia that arose after the attacks. Very well done and perfect way to explain the attacks and the emotions caused by them for young readers.

[Tzipora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not usually a big fan of novels in verse but this one is truly something special and also, I came to realize, surprisingly timely given the new way our world is so unstable and dangerous and scary and seemingly falling apart. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a tween or teen and coming of age during this time. However, I was the age of the main character in this book during 9/11 and while my own experiences were vastly different, it was interesting for me to be able to reflect on them and this book read so true to the time for me.

Middle schooler Abbey is new in yet another school. Her father is in the Army and Abbey has lost count of how many different schools she’s been to. This one is rough, she’s bullied a lot and she is so shy. September 11th, 2001- Abbey gets her first period that morning during school. She struggles with how to take care of it. Then an hour or so later her class hears the news about the planes hitting the World Trade Center. And then the Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania. Her aunt who worked on the 86th floor of the World Trade Center is missing. Her mother is grieving. Soon her father is deployed. Abbey is left to cope with all she’s facing alone.

Books about 9/11 can be difficult for most of us, I think, even 19 years later. But as the author herself notes at the end of the book, The Places We Sleep IR more coming of age novel than 9/11 one. The poetic verse format works especially well to delve into Abbey’s thoughts and all the difficulties of going through puberty and growing up, both in general and during such a turbulent time in the world. I liked how openly this book deals with periods and doesn’t gloss over the mix of feelings young folks have upon getting theirs- Abbey and her friend are both excited and find it to be this big marker of growing up and yet Abbey is also frustrated and hates it as well.

I liked the identity issues and how they tied in with her changing relationship with her father. It’s a weird age when you’re a daddy’s girl and so many fathers themselves don’t know how to handle things. And then there’s the grief- on a broader level and the personal too with Abbey’s aunt. The world around her is changing as much as the world inside of her. Another interesting point is that there’s another new girl in Abbey’s grade. Her name is Jiman and she’s Muslim. And while the book does show the hardships faced by Muslims in the wake of 9/11, I liked how Jiman was a character that Abbey admired and this was established from the get go. Jiman is seemingly more confident than Abbey and not as bothered by the bullies. I just found that representation to be very tastefully done.

At the author’s note at the end of the book we are told- “As a teacher, I’m often surprised by how my middle-schoolers have heard of 9/11 but cannot comprehend its magnitude. This is no wonder, since some of their lives’ tragedies have yet to be written. But it’s a story that needs to be told and retold through many voices. It’s a tragedy both shared and uniquely personal.” And that helped me both understand and see the book in a new light. 9/11 is such a part of the lives of all of us who lived through that day that it seems strange to realize it has been almost 19 years and that there’s a whole generation of kids already who don’t remember it or were born after the fact. It made me see how important telling this story in an emotionally impactful and personal sort of way to kids could be.

The author also tells us that she was pregnant with her first child during 9/11 and fearful of bringing a child into the world at that time. She began writing to cope and those early writing eventually lead to this book. And then the author also notes- “For Abbey, adolescence coincides with the uncertainties of an entire nation. What was it like to come of age at a time when no one felt secure? When prejudices bubbled and strengthened just beneath the surface of one’s skin? When the diversity at the heart of a nation became a source of tension? Is it so different today?” And that’s when it hit me just how timely this book is even if unintentionally so. In a sense things aren’t so different today in our pandemic inflicted world. There’s a similar sense of fear, danger, grief, a radically evolving and complex world. This book might help kids connect to a character who is also coming of age in a similarly unstable time in the world. I think that’s profoundly important, every bit as much as the 9/11 story is.

So this is a book I think belongs in every library and classroom. It reads relatively quickly but is so poignant and purposeful. I think kids coming of age right now will especially benefit from it in unique ways.


I won a digital galley from Holiday House during BookExpo online this year. Thank you so much for the chance to read this special book!

[Vinícius Sgorla · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Places We Sleep" me atraiu por duas razões: a (devo dizer, belíssima) capa, e a temática infanto-juvenil em um contexto dos acontecimentos de 11 de setembro de 2001. Poder-se-ia somar também o fato de ser um romance em verso (uma narrativa que acho interessante, se bem usada e com um propósito). No final, acabou sendo uma decepção.

Esse livro tem 260 páginas, e o que posso dizer é: as 30 primeiras e as 30 últimas páginas são muito boas e valem a pena. As 200 páginas entre esses segmentos.... eu realmente não consegui me importar com eles. O enredo fica parado, os personagens se tornam desinteressantes e nem um pouco carismáticos. Tirando um fato relevante que acontece nesse meio-termo, a evolução dos personagens emocionalmente falando (pensando que eles foram sim afetados de certa forma pela queda das Torres Gêmeas) é nula. A autora subdivide o livro em meses, e apesar de entender que o luto e o trauma não são coisas fáceis e rápidas de se resolverem, ver o mesmo patamar emocional por 9 meses seguidos e uma melhora repentina nas 15 últimas páginas... não sei.

Além disso, a estrutura de romance em verso não calha bem aqui. Devo dizer que, nas 30 primeiras páginas, o artifício foi bem utilizado, conseguindo dar ênfase em momentos específicos e brincando com a disposição do texto na página para algumas alusões (como, por exemplo, deixar a estrofe em um formato de ponto de interrogação durante uma das reflexões da protagonista que se questionava o porque de tal situação estar ocorrendo). Fora isso, me pareceu que a autora perdeu o interesse, escreveu o texto em prosa e foi apertando 'enter' onde lhe dava vontade e ,*tcharam*, a coisa está feita. Não colou.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Abby, a girl on the cusp of womanhood on the day of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Her aunt dies in NYC, causing her mom to leave to help take care of her sister’s family. Her dad is in the Army and deploys shortly after 9/11 for Afghanistan. Abby struggles with her changing body, crushes, her art, grief and the absence of her dad physically, as well as her mom emotionally. This book attacks a lot of themes such as Islamophobia after a turbulent time in our nation’s history and it’s a verse novel, which will be an instant favorite with many students. Thanks Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

A raw, moving and powerful book that left me emotional.

Told in verse, this coming-of-age story is from the perspective of a 12-year-old girl in middle school. The story begins with her getting her first period. But what should have been an important milestone to go through with her mother by her side is eclipsed by the 9/11 attack in New York, which she loses her aunt to.

As her father is in the army, the protagonist moves frequently and is known as an "army brat" (used as a derogatory term by the bullies in her school). It's not long before her father is deployed to Afghanistan and her family is split even further.

The book dives into the effect that 9/11 has on a city outside of New York, grief and loss, bullying and racism, friendship and courage, and standing up for your loved ones and what is right, as well as the often confusing phase that is growing up.

A beautiful book both inside and out!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

[Kristin Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel in verse, meant for middle grade, but completely relatable to an adult. I was less than 2 weeks shy of my 20th birthday when 9/11 hit. I was supposed to take my brother to the zoo, solo for the first time. I spent weeks after just watching the news. The story encompasses everything from puberty, bullying, deployment, terrorism, and the fear and uncertainty that followed. When my daughters are ready, we will also read this together.

Caroline is a lovely human and I was fortunate enough to meet her over this weekend. I am looking forward to her other book. Highly recommend.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in verse from the point of view of a 7th grade girl in the days and months following the events of 9/11. It was a bit surreal to be reading about her father's deployment to Afghanistan at this moment in time, 20 years later. Abbey's feelings are very realistic, and I think readers in her age range will relate what it was like to be a kid when all this was happening.

[Pooja Banga · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is beautiful, but I feel that it could be a little bit more mature to appeal to the target audience.


4 star read!

**Thankyou Netgalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review**

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the new territory this book covered, and would rate it a 3.5. This novel in verse follows twelve-year-old Abbey as she tries once more to fit in to a new school in Tennessee. Her military family has moved more times than she can remember, and being the new girl in a class can be challenging since friendships have already formed. But she has found a strong and loyal friend in Camille, an alliance that helps her cope when some of the Mean Girls and other bullies try to give her a hard time. When her mother's sister, her aunt Rose, goes missing in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Abbey needs her mother desperately when her first period arrives, but she's preoccupied by the bombing and her own sister's family. Her father is also distracted as he prepares to go overseas. Abbey watches as Jiman, another classmate, deals with the slurs and looks sent her way because she is different from the other students, and realizes that both of them find strength and hope through their artwork. A budding romance with Jacob, Camille's longtime friend, helps Abbey feel as though she is finding acceptance in the school, but she also realizes that acceptance by the class's reigning social queens would mean betraying Camille, something she isn't willing to do. Finally, she realizes that it is important to stand up for herself and for others even when those actions mean she won't be accepted by others. I appreciated the author's tackling some new territory here with such appealing characters. The verbal abuse her strong friend Camille has to tolerate simply because she's athletic and not particularly interested in boys at the time is toxic but also representative of the attitude many girls and boys have toward someone like Camille. I also was impressed with how the author described the breakdown of the relationship between Abbey and her parents and how it was eventually repaired.

[Sarai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abbey is a shy twelve-year-old who moved with her military father and mom to Tennessee in 2001. As she navigates the challenges of being at a new school she must also confront obstacles she never thought about before. Small one’s like bullies, friends, and periods. Big ones like the September 11th terrorist attacks, her Aunt missing from the twin towers, and her father being sent to Afghanistan. This can be all too much for a pre-teen to handle but she has her new friends Camille and Jacob to help her navigate as well as her love for drawing.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The life of an adolescent during the time of the September 11th attacks. Many of us remember that moment in history and how it impacted the world around us. While the attacks are not the whole reason for the story I do believe that this incident (being the backdrop) really provides a unique perspective of a pre-teen army brat who is navigating her own life during this time. I do feel that this book should be read with a parent as some context might be needed as well as understanding of the significance of the September 11th attacks.

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Suddenly I’m filled with fear— but for whom or what I don’t know.” This novel in verse deals with several areas close to my heart. The first is the life of an army brat in Tennessee, at her latest stop in a series of moves. And the second, is September 11 and the aftermaths. For Abbey life at twelve is tough because once again she’s the new kid. Add to that is her aunt was working in the Twin Towers on September 11th, her father is called up to active duty, and her period arrives. Navigating middle school just got more complicated. I love that she resolves “To be a stronger person.” And makes her own mental list of the courageous things she can do. “I will stand up to things that are wrong, let myself be heard, be strong, defend, befriend. I can do things I never realized.
I pledge allegiance. I pledge allegiance. I pledge allegiance to stand up, to stand tall, to mean it wherever I am with liberty and justice for all.”

[Bethan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books is just so beautiful. The writing was beautiful,written in verse, getting to live through a couple of years of the life of Abbey and how the 9/11 attacks affected her life and those around her. I would recommend this book highly. It was also a quick read.

[✿ Mika ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbelievably magnificent in every way. This novel was positively honest and truthful; perfect for a middle grade read as well as raising awareness towards young readers regarding the truth of reality, radiating messages of bravery and fearlessness.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two important topics that don’t get in books often enough. Well written and perfect for grades 5 & up.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

THE PLACES WE SLEEP is a moving middle grade historical that takes place around 9/11. The book is written entirely in poetry and follows, a seventh grader, Abbey, as she navigates an ever-changing world. Abbey's father is in the military, so they are frequently moving as his post changes. On the same day Abbey gets her period for the first time and is reeling from that change, the planes hit the Twin Towers in New York.

Abbey's aunt works in one of the towers, and her mother leaves to be with her sister's family, as she is currently missing. Abbey doesn't know how to bring up her period, so she tries to muddle through, while also remembering her aunt and wishing for her to be OK. Abbey can't imagine a world where her aunt does not exist.

The world is also changing around her, and the bullies that pick on her also pick on a Muslim girl. Abbey is not sure how to reach out to her or support her, and she feels frozen. People are also protesting for peace and against war, while her father is being mobilized. Abbey is trying to find her place in the world, and it seems like everything - including herself - is changing.

What I loved: The poetry really captures the emotions, confusion, and tumult of not only entering puberty and getting a period, but also the fear and sadness around 9/11. This book can really help to bring this event to the current generation who may have difficulty connecting with it as they did not experience it. Abbey is also dealing with teasing/bullying, connecting with her parents, and finding her own way in the world. These themes, plus the theme of religious intolerance in reactions to another Muslim student, are really important for the middle grade audience. Abbey's voice will really speak to this age group, and the writing/poetry is just absolutely gorgeous.

Final verdict: Compelling and beautifully composed, THE PLACES WE SLEEP is a historical middle grade that brings together puberty and 9/11 in all their confusion, fear, and tumult. Recommend for the middle grade audience.

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm in Mom's arms, / like when I was little, / and as I drift off, / I whisper
Goodbye
in my head / or maybe out loud / to 2001 / and tick off the year's life-changing events:
the year we moved to Tennessee,
the year of the terrorist attacks,
the year my period arrived,
the year Aunt Rose died,
and the year Dad left for Afghanistan.
When I wake, / Mom and the magic of the night / are gone."

This was such an impactful and beautifully written novel in verse. This story is told through the POV of a girl going through these personal life-changing events while the whole world goes through these huge events and tragedies and it is a really interesting way for a coming of age journey. I really liked Abbey's point of view and how she processed what was happening to her and her family in the way that you could really see her youthfulness beginning to develop into maturity.

The struggle she went through when it came to her father fighting in the war that she was seeing people she knew protest was another interesting aspect of this book. I could feel her anxiety and conflict with her dad and it was a really emotional experience to read the letters and phone calls between them, in addition to the silence that eventually occurred.

Everything with Abbey's mother and Aunt Rose was also heartbreaking. I was only 5 years old when 9/11 occurred, so I don't really remember much from when it actually happened, but I've been to the memorial and of course seen shows about it on TV. I can't imagine what it would have been like for the families who had people missing/killed/deployed because of and during all of this.

I loved the ending and the overall sense of hopefulness that Abbey will be able to continue to figure out who she is and become the confident girl that she wants to be, while the world around her slowly heals as well.

[Sar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Places We Sleep
Caroline Brooks DuBois
4 out of 5 stars

What I loved:
- The verse was absolutely beautiful, and I lived for the lines that hit you out of the blue like a punch to the gut
- The tension created between the tragedy of 9/11 and Abbey getting her period for the first time occurring on the same day was really interesting. It mirrored struggling with greater tragedies alongside personal, everyday wars and the terrors of growing up.
- The variety of Abbey’s relationships both with family and friends, and how they take different forms. She interacts with different people very differently, and I immensely enjoyed this.

What I didn’t love:
- I think the one thing that bothered me most about this book is that the Trio, the three “popular girls”, felt very flat and stereotypical. This is challenged a bit when we find out that Angela’s brother is deployed, but overall they weren’t very unique as far as antagonist characters go.

What I wanted more of:
- JIMAN. Her character was fantastic, and seeing her deal with Islamophobia in the wake of the terrorist attacks was impactful and made the story multi-dimensional. However, I wish we had seen more of her. Abbey doesn’t start talking to her until the very end of the book, and I really wanted more to happen between the two of them, given how much they have in common.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Karlie Schaefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"At the moment, I can hold the sadness because I know it will be replaced by joy --- the way war and peace and summer and winter and good and bad turn 'round and 'round each other."

The Places We Sleep is a middle grade novel in verse by Caroline Brooks DuBois . I have really grown to enjoy novels in verse over the years and this was no exception. Told from the point of view of seventh grader, Abbey, this book starts on September 11, 2001, not long before the first plane hits the World Trade Center.  This story was a bit tough for me to read as I was a ninth grader in NY on 9/11 and we waited around all day worried about my father who was a police officer at the time. Luckily, he came home that night but many other people did not.  Abbey's aunt is one of the people who goes missing that day. During the pandemic, it's interesting to remember another tough time that our country perservered through, and to see how life does continue to move even during tragedy.

Disclaimer: The quoted text is from an uncorrected proof of this book that I received from Holiday House in exchange for my honest review.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendously affecting coming of age story, THE PLACES WE SLEEP (8/25/2020) by Caroline Brooks DuBois deftly explores how a family grapples with the events of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the vast impact on their lives thereafter. Born into a military family, Abbey, 12, has started, once again, at a new school and is trying to navigate major changes and anxious feelings. DuBois’ exquisite free verse is told through Abbey who is struggling with her first period and not being able to consult her mother for guidance as her mom has gone to NY for her aunt. Abbey’s thoughts are raw and relatable as she deals with bullies at school and her father’s imminent deployment. With so much on her mind, I felt for Abbey and admired her kindness, courage, and her art. This poignant novel deals with grief and loss with dignity and grace. It was not uncommon for me to let the sensitive prose “marinate” for a bit before moving onto the next verse with words so profound and touching. Emotional and accessible, THE PLACES WE SLEEP is a necessary addition to my classroom library.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: It arrives like a punch to the gut like a shove in the girls’ room like a name I won’t repeat. It arrives like nobody’s business, staring and glaring me down, singling me out in the un-singular mob that ebbs and flows and swells and grows in the freshly painted, de-roached hallways of Henley Middle.

Premise/plot: The Places We Sleep is a coming-of-age novel set during the school year 2011/2012 starring a young girl named Abbey. The novel opens with a few surprises--she gets her first period AND the terrorists attack the Twin Towers in New York City. Her mom rushes away to be with her family. Abbey's Aunt Rose works at the World Trade Center, she has two kids and a husband. They will need all the support they can get as the search begins...and ends...BUT Abbey needs her mom too. The novel is told in VERSE and it covers September through May as the nation--and Abbey--undergo some big changes.

My thoughts: Every one has a story of where they were when they first heard the news, this is Abbey's story. (It is fictional). It chronicles Abbey's life as she processes and absorbs this new world all while balancing the typical changes that come from growing up. It tackles friends, bullies, school, home, discovering yourself, etc.

I was not in middle school when 9/11 happened. I was in college, but I very much remember how shocking and disturbing the news was. Also how it continued to impact lives even months, years later. I would recommend this one.

[Jasmine Guffick · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW
I opened this book and the words themselves just flowed like a river. It read so fluidly into my mind and pressed deep in my heart. It was an honour to read about Abbey's life and weighed heavy as I read about the terrorist attacks of 9-11.
This is Abbey's story, a fictional one but a story non the less of where she was when 9-11 happened. I was very young in primary school I remember watching the news and hearing of the horror. It was not in my country but I remember for days seeing how in shock the people around me were. Abbeys story depicts the search for her aunt who worked at the world trade center. It also deals with normal middle school problems Abbey has to deal with like her first period. Her father is also away on deployment in Afghanistan.
This was a novel written in verse and was magnificent to read and would highly recommend to people of all ages.
Aa