Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 02/01/2018 Gr 3–6—This is Ain's (Izzy Kline Has Butterflies) second free verse novel following Izzy, now a sixth grader entering the alien world of middle school. In addition to being split from her trusted trio of friends, Izzy is paired with her archrival, Jackson, for dance in social studies (the teacher's unwelcome way of bringing the "social" into social studies). Not only does Izzy have to suffer Jackson in school, but he is the son of her mother's new best friend, Yogi. On top of that, Izzy's father is engaged and her teenage brother has found a new companion in tequila. Izzy's narrative dances over the pages in clear, engaging verse. Readers hesitant of poetry would do well try Ain's work as an introduction. Chapter headings mark days and moments ("Homework," "Trick or Treat," "Flashback") and the sections are short enough to keep even reluctant readers engaged. Izzy's family is Jewish, and Izzy observes many diverse characteristics in her classmates, developing a crush on an exchange student from Spain. In one scene, Izzy describes a black classmate's braided hair and her intense desire to touch it, though she never does and the topic is not brought up again in the book. While stories of school and family hardships abound, this is unique in its weaving of so many issues into a tight narrative. Kids need not have read Izzy's first outing to have a full and positive experience of this companion novel. VERDICT For both its unique format and content, this title deserves a home on library shelves. A recommended purchase.—Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/15/2018 In this poignant sequel to Izzy Kline Has Butterflies (2017), Izzy experiences the social upheavals of middle school. In sixth grade, everything changes for Izzy. Her best friend abandons her for the popular table. Her social-studies teacher forces her to learn ballroom dancing with a boy she hates, then likes, then hates again. At home, Izzy has to deal with her increasingly distant older brother and with her divorced parents’ new relationships. Everyone, it seems, is moving on except for Izzy, who often flashes back to her easier elementary-school days. Like its predecessor, this story is told in free verse, which makes events flow along quickly. And yet, Izzy’s observations often encourage pause and reflection, such as this one about the seemingly identical girls at the popular table: “I pictured them with a / bracket around them. / 12 into 12 / is 1, / no remainders. / We don’t fit.” By showing Izzy looking back but also taking tentative steps forward, Ain movingly captures the dizzying process of growing up. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.

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