From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026…

Lost in the Sun

Lisa Graff

Start date: July 1, 2015

Finish date: July 31, 2015

Discussion: Newbery 2016

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Newbery 2016

* And the 2016 Winners Are...
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last updated Jan 21, 2016 11:58AM

Our Mock 2016 Award
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What Members Thought

Jun 11, 2015 The Styling Librarian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kids-books, favorites, realistic-fiction

Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff – Realistic Fiction – 4th grade and up – darn that Lisa Graff for writing another fantastic novel that made me weep.

Book Talk: Could you get over accidentally killing someone? Would you need to talk with people about the situation? What if you had noone to talk to? Would you stay friends with someone who exploded violently when they think something is unfair? Do you think people deserve a second chance? These many questions can be thought about as you read Trent’s e ...more

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Jul 26, 2015 Christina rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-school, 2015-kids-ya, 2017-6th-grade-challenge-list, 2018-6th-grade-challenge-list, 2019-6th-grade-challenge-list

Lost in the Sun includes one of the most true-to-life kid characters that I have encountered in a novel in a long time. Trent, a sixth-grader who accidentally caused the death of a classmate in a hockey game seven months earlier, is so full of guilt that he lashes out in anger at everyone around him, especially his unforgiving dad who has remarried and is expecting a baby daughter, his former friends whom he thinks blame him for the accident, and a few teachers at school. Fortunately, Trent deve ...more

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Aug 02, 2015 Deb rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, newbery

This was a heavy book for me and hit a little too close to home for our family. Perhaps my rating of a 3 star would be higher if it weren't for my own personal experiences relating too closely. In this story, Trent, is consumed by guilt over his part in a tragic accident. I guess what bothers me most is that there were adults in his life that could SEE that his personality had changed, he had abandoned his friends, had violent outbursts, was not trying in school yet, they didn't get him the help This was a heavy book for me and hit a little too close to home for our family. Perhaps my rating of a 3 star would be higher if it weren't for my own personal experiences relating too closely. In this story, Trent, is consumed by guilt over his part in a tragic accident. I guess what bothers me most is that there were adults in his life that could SEE that his personality had changed, he had abandoned his friends, had violent outbursts, was not trying in school yet, they didn't get him the help he so badly needed. ugh. That just didn't set well with me.

Trent is a 7th grader. He is known in his home town for being the kid that hit the hockey puck that killed Jared Richards in a freak accident. It was a hit stopped Jared's defective heart. Now, Trent struggles to move past the accident. He is afraid to play baseball, has difficulties in school, has excluded himself from his friends, and is angry at his father. Trent does, however, have a good relationship with his mother and the two seem to be pretty close. Early in the story, Trent makes a new friend, Fallon, who is a bit quirky but fun to be around. Trent has a couple of teachers who recognize the struggles he is having and cut him some slack. His gym teacher, Mr. Gorman doesn't fight with him on participation, but gives him other options. And "the wrinkled old crone" Ms. Emerson who, though a woman of few words, supports him yet doesn't let him get away with disrespect. As a matter of fact, she allows him to water her plants. :)

As the story builds, Trent finds himself with more and more built up anger. In fact, he beats up a boy for taunting his friend, Fallon.
This is a mistake, because it makes Fallon afraid of him. Accidentally killing someone with a hockey puck is one thing; it makes Trent afraid of himself. But for Fallon to be afraid of him is unbearable.

Losing Fallon's friendship is devastating to Trent. He realizes that he needs to regain her trust. He visits her father and offers to "water the plants" to start with building trust with him. And then in turn, recognizes others in his life (his mom, brother Aaron)who are also dealing with struggles. All of these influences help Trent to get over his anger and frustration and begin to move on with his life.

Fans of Wonder, Because of Mr. Terupt should like this book.
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Sep 05, 2015 Samantha rated it liked it

Shelves: friendship, juv-fiction, grief, brothers, divorce, guilt

Trent is struggling with guilt stemming from the accidental death of a classmate and unexpressed anger resulting from the accident as well as changes in his family dynamic (Mom/Dad are divorced, Dad is having a baby with his new wife).

A large part of this book focuses on Trent's inability to control his anger and the fear he lives in to allow himself to live a good/happy life. His world begins to change with a single friendship.

Fallon is a kid who is familiar with being gossiped about, but she ...more

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Aug 16, 2015 Susie rated it really liked it

I'm sure my enjoyment of this book was increased by hearing Lisa Graff at nErDcamp this summer; she was delightful! This is one of the better books I've read this summer, but I was still bothered by the fact that no one set Trent up with counseling when he clearly needed it. When you think about it, just about all of the adults in the book were well-meaning. (Although I never really understood what the PE teacher was doing. He had a couple of my favorite lines: "Today didn't happen. I want to li ...more

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Jan 30, 2016 Dolores rated it really liked it

Trent is hoping that middle school will present him with a fresh start--a clean slate. Nothing could be worse than in 5th grade, when he hits a hockey puck during a pick-up game that strikes one of the other players--and kills him. Trent cannot forgive himself and is convinced that everyone else hates him. He is so trapped in a time-loop that he cannot find the way forward, until he gets caught up in the orbit of Fallon Little--quirky, scarred and stubborn. Love Lisa Graff's books, and this one ...more

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Mar 01, 2015 Karen Arendt rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, young-adult, friendship, family

Trent can be a difficult character to love. He has so much anger in him (and rightfully so-Trent's accidental hockey puck shot killed Jared and now Trent thinks the whole town hates him, he can't release himself from the guilt of the accident, and his father seems not to care about him). Trent doesn't try very hard in school either- just enough to get by except for PE where he doesn't try at all. He thought 6th grade would be a chance to start over, but Trent can't start over until he lets himse ...more

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