Once You Know This

by Emily Blejwas Narrated by Catherine Taber

Overview

A girl wishes for a better life for herself, her mom, and her baby brother and musters the courage to make it happen in this moving and emotionally satisfying story for readers of Kate DiCamillo and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

“Once You Know This reminds me of a flower blooming in the crack of a sidewalk. It's important, and it's special. Just read it.”-Ali Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Thing About Jellyfish
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Eleven-year-old Brittany knows there has to be a better world out there. Lately, though, it sure doesn't feel like it. She and her best friend, Marisol, stick together at school, but at home Brittany's granny is sick, her cat is missing, there's never any money, and there's her little brother, Tommy, to worry about. Brittany has a hard time picturing her future as anything but a plain white sky. If her life is going to ever change, she needs a plan. And once she starts believing in herself, Brittany realizes that what has always seemed out of reach might be just around the corner.
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This debut novel by Emily Blejwas is perfect for readers who love emotionally satisfying books. Thoughtful and understated, it's the hopeful story of a girl who struggles to make her future bright . . . and the makeshift family that emerges around her.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A poignant and emotionally driven debut."—SLJ

"Some readers may know Brittany's world well, others will find it surprising; all will appreciate the way Brittany's actions propel the resolution. Hard to take but ultimately hopeful."—Kirkus

"Uplifting . . . Brittany gives many readers a compassionate glimpse into their own near-desperate lives and offers others a window into a world they may not really have seen or understood."—The Horn Book

"Heartfelt and sincere with a strong dose of hopeful . . . I can see it becoming a favorite."—My Comfy Chair

School Library Journal

06/01/2017
Gr 5–8—Eleven-year-old Brittany's tense home life has turned her into an observant planner. An absent father, an abusive stepfather, and a live-in grandmother with Alzheimer's are just the start. Brittany's little brother has pneumonia, and she and her family do not have enough to eat. Despite the problems swirling around her world, Brittany works on developing her "Plan B." A bright star in her school life is her encouraging teacher, Mr. McInnis, who invites students to imagine their future. Told in the first person, the story is packed with emotion, and readers will root for Brittany. Blejwas doesn't shy away from addressing difficult issues, including domestic violence and suicide. VERDICT A poignant and emotionally driven debut novel for readers mature enough to handle the serious subject matter. Likely to spark discussion.—Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

Kirkus Reviews

2017-06-05
Fifth-grader Brittany Kowalski looks for Plan B. Home life is complicated for Brittany's family, living in her mother's abusive boyfriend's house on Chicago's struggling West Side. Her great-grandmother has all but disappeared into dementia. There's hardly enough money for food for a growing 11-year-old and her baby brother, so her mother hasn't been eating much. The brutish Jack appears and disappears, is bitingly critical, hits her mother, but won't allow her to work. Blejwas sets her moving account of Brittany's search for a better life in the depressing weather of late fall and early winter. Her first-person narrative doesn't dwell on the abuse but on the details of living in poverty, such as taking the bus across town to get the makings of Thanksgiving dinner from a church food pantry. It's cold in their apartment; people get sick; her great-grandmother dies. A bright (and warm) spot is school, where Mr. McInnis, an eager first-year teacher, pushes his mostly uncaring students and encourages them to imagine their futures. When frustrated by school rules, he looks for Plan B, providing a model. Brittany's family is white; other major characters reflect the diversity of a big northern city. Sadly, some readers may know Brittany's world well, others will find it surprising; all will appreciate the way Brittany's actions propel the resolution. Hard to take but ultimately hopeful. (Fiction. 9-12)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169497137
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	09/19/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

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