Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

When the World Turned Upside Down

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A heartwarming, feel-good story of friendship and overcoming adversity in a time of COVID, this is a book about community, giving back, and understanding the world around us through the power of generosity from debut author K. Ibura.

With one little announcement from their fourth-grade teacher, Shayla, Liam, Ben, and Ai's world turned upside down. Now, with school on hold due to a strange virus that they don't quite understand, the only semblance of safety they feel is knowing that they have one another in their apartment complex.

But as each of them head home and experience their own version of confinement, it becomes very real. And as their individual struggles grow, they need each other now more than ever. Very soon, they discover that they're not the only ones who need a little help.

Banded together, the friends find ways to help others struggling in their building. And one by one, they do their part in making their neighbors feel just a little bit safer. As the world becomes more complex, as protests take the streets, Shayla, Liam, Ben, and Ai do everything they can to better understand the world around them and the people around them in order to discover the power and comfort that understanding and generosity can bring.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Levels

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      October 1, 2021
      Four best friends fight the turbulence of a pandemic together. African American Shayla, Indonesian American Ai, (implied) Latinx Ben, and White Liam live in the same New York City apartment building, go to the same school, and were once an inseparable friend group. Their parents call them the quartet, but lately they seem like four soloists. Shayla has tried to befriend two other girls in her class, leaving Ai in the dust. Liam's panic attacks result in his friends' not always including him in their activities. These changes threaten their bonds, but soon Covid-19 overshadows their interpersonal dramas. As each child adapts to attending virtual classrooms, problems at home and in the world start to weigh them down. Frustrated by their situation, Ai decides to start a helpers club and invites Liam to join her in running errands and doing chores for their neighbors in the building. Soon Ben and Shayla follow, and their friendships begin to heal. Through their difficult personal challenges, the pandemic, and disturbing news about police brutality (which leads to poignant conversations between Shayla and her father), the quartet soldiers on, learning and supporting each other along the way. Ibura's novel highlights many of the challenges children have faced during the pandemic while showing how, even in the midst of uncertainty and injustice, anyone can take a step in the right direction. A heartwarming call to action. (Fiction. 8-12)

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      December 15, 2021
      Grades 4-7 Ibura makes her authorial debut with this novel about the COVID-19 challenges experienced by four classmates who live in the same New York City apartment building. Struggling to adjust to online school and tensions within their families and friend group due to living in confinement, they soon realize they are not the only people trying to meet the challenges of quarantine. Slowly, they find ways to reach out to other building residents, starting small by taking out trash, walking dogs, and delivering groceries. These small kindnesses build and strengthen relationships. Readers will appreciate the diverse representations as well as the individuality of Ai, Ben, Liam, and Shayla and will wonder what happens to the group long after the story ends. This story also examines this community's anxieties and responses to George Floyd's murder and subsequent demonstrations. A timely and accessible look at the pandemic that will appeal to readers of realistic fiction and fans of Jewell Parker Rhodes and Kelly Yang.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:750
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

Loading