Pity Party - Hardcover

Lane, Kathleen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 031641736X ISBN 13: 9780316417365

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2021

Synopsis

Discover an "absurd, funny, and thought-provoking" book perfect for "anyone who has ever felt socially awkward or inadequate" (Louis Sachar, author of Holes and the Wayside School series).

Dear weird toes, crooked nose, stressed out, left out, freaked out

Dear missing parts, broken hearts, picked-on, passed up, misunderstood,

Dear everyone, you are cordially invited, come as you are, this party's for you

Welcome to Pity Party, where the social anxieties that plague us all are twisted into funny, deeply resonant, and ultimately reassuring psychological thrills.

There's a story about a mood ring that tells the absolute truth. One about social media followers who literally follow you around. And one about a kid whose wish for a new, improved self is answered when a mysterious box arrives in the mail. There's also a personality test, a fortune teller, a letter from the Department of Insecurity, and an interactive Choose Your Own Catastrophe.

Come to the party for a grab bag of delightfully dark stories that ultimately offers a life-affirming reminder that there is hope and humor to be found amid our misery.

About this title

About the Author

Kathleen Lane lives in Portland, Oregon, where she writes, teaches, cohosts the art and literary event series SHARE, and runs the Create More, Fear Less program (https://createmorefearless.org) that helps young people channel anxiety into art.

Reviews

Gr 3–7—This party starts with a "cordial invitation" in verse to all those who don't quite fit in. The invitation sets the tone for the rest of book, which is a collection of tangentially connected stories interspersed with witty quizzes, advertisements, and choose-your-own-path prompts. The stories follow different students at Bridger Middle School. They are, on the whole, a diverse student body and include a student who uses they/them pronouns, a student whose family lives in a converted school bus, and a student with an unnamed anxiety disorder. Lane weaves elements of magical realism throughout many of her stories. One standout is "True Story," which follows Caleb, who is able to stand up to his bullies with help from a magical mood ring from a thrift store. Another standout is "Behaviorally Challenged," in which Lexi and Tashi stand up to the Plus, a new system where students are sorted into four different groups based on their personality and are forced to spend their recreational time at school with only the students in their group. The various format interludes are another highlight of this unique text. These include a letter from The Department of Insecurity, the Chart of Relative Calamity, and more. Lane has written a heartfelt and relatable book filled with moments of darkness and humor, plus a little magic. VERDICT Perfect for anyone who has ever felt out of place in a social situation. Hand to fans of Jason Reynolds's Look Both Ways. A first purchase for all libraries serving middle schoolers.—Katharine Gatcomb, Portsmouth P.L., NH

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 031641736X
• ISBN 13: 9780316417365
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224