The One Thing You'd Save

Written by Linda Sue Park
Illustrated by Robert Sae-heng

Greyscale art and narrative poems inspired by the Korean poetry form of sijo, reveal and explore the priorities and values of a middle-grade class.

Format: Paperback
Pages: 72
Suitable for ages 8 and above

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If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? Linda Sue Park explores different answers to this provocative question in linked poems that capture the diverse voices of a middle school class.

When a teacher asks her class what one thing they would save in an emergency, some students know the answer right away. Others come to their decisions more slowly. And some change their minds when they hear their classmates’ responses. A lively dialogue ignites as the students discover unexpected facets of one another—and themselves. With an ear for authentic dialogue and knowledge of tweens’ priorities and emotions, Linda Sue brings the varied voices of an inclusive classroom to life through carefully honed, engaging, and instantly accessible verse.