World Made of Glass
A heartbreaking, heart-mending novel of love, grief, friendship, and community.

March 1987. The FDA has just approved AZT as the first drug to treat AIDS. But it's too late for Iris's dad. He's dying, confined to a hospital bed in the apartment he shares with his boyfriend, J.R. (who Iris hates), four floors above Iris and her mom. Soon, all Iris has left of her kind, loving dad are memories, photos, and a binder full of the poems they used to exchange.

As Iris navigates her rage and grief, she resolves to speak out against the rampant fear, misinformation, and prejudice surrounding AIDS-and find the pieces of Dad that she never knew before. In the process, she discovers surprising sides to J.R., the joy of true friendship, and the power of her own voice in school and at home.

Award-winning author Ami Polonsky has crafted a lyrical, tender, earth-shattering novel that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
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World Made of Glass
A heartbreaking, heart-mending novel of love, grief, friendship, and community.

March 1987. The FDA has just approved AZT as the first drug to treat AIDS. But it's too late for Iris's dad. He's dying, confined to a hospital bed in the apartment he shares with his boyfriend, J.R. (who Iris hates), four floors above Iris and her mom. Soon, all Iris has left of her kind, loving dad are memories, photos, and a binder full of the poems they used to exchange.

As Iris navigates her rage and grief, she resolves to speak out against the rampant fear, misinformation, and prejudice surrounding AIDS-and find the pieces of Dad that she never knew before. In the process, she discovers surprising sides to J.R., the joy of true friendship, and the power of her own voice in school and at home.

Award-winning author Ami Polonsky has crafted a lyrical, tender, earth-shattering novel that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.
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World Made of Glass

World Made of Glass

by Ami Polonsky

Narrated by Jennifer Nittoso

Unabridged — 5 hours, 53 minutes

World Made of Glass

World Made of Glass

by Ami Polonsky

Narrated by Jennifer Nittoso

Unabridged — 5 hours, 53 minutes

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Overview

A heartbreaking, heart-mending novel of love, grief, friendship, and community.

March 1987. The FDA has just approved AZT as the first drug to treat AIDS. But it's too late for Iris's dad. He's dying, confined to a hospital bed in the apartment he shares with his boyfriend, J.R. (who Iris hates), four floors above Iris and her mom. Soon, all Iris has left of her kind, loving dad are memories, photos, and a binder full of the poems they used to exchange.

As Iris navigates her rage and grief, she resolves to speak out against the rampant fear, misinformation, and prejudice surrounding AIDS-and find the pieces of Dad that she never knew before. In the process, she discovers surprising sides to J.R., the joy of true friendship, and the power of her own voice in school and at home.

Award-winning author Ami Polonsky has crafted a lyrical, tender, earth-shattering novel that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor
A Kirkus Best Children's Book of the Year
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A CCBC Children's Choice Book
A Chicago Public Library Best Book
Horn Book Fanfare pick
A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year



* “The book shows a girl focusing her rage and pain into love… Simultaneously sad and life affirming; a poetry-filled, inspiring call to activism.” Kirkus, starred review

* "Emotionally charged...showing both the cost of inaction and fear around the HIV/AID crisis, and the power of activism to bring change and build community."Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “This is the best kind of family story, filled with love and, yes, loss, but most importantly with caring. The narrative is lyrical and heartfelt, and young people will be inspired to see Iris transcend her grief, use her voice, and find a way to make a difference.” The Horn Book, starred review

* “Ami Polonsky has crafted a beautiful story which speaks of courage, family, love, anger, discrimination, ignorance, and hope. …Polonsky has delivered a powerful message to us all that should not be passed up.” School Library Connection, starred review

* “Beautifully written … with its sensitive portrayal of loss, and its carefully researched depiction of a devastating time in American history, this lyrical novel is highly recommended.” School Library Journal, starred review

“Impeccably written and emotionally powerful.”—BCCB

“A valuable education in AIDS history and emotional wellness.”—Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2022-09-28
It’s the height of the AIDS panic in New York City, and Iris’ father is dying.

Last year, when Iris Cohen was in sixth grade, her parents got divorced because her dad came out. Her folks still love each other and even live in the same building. Dad’s boyfriend, J.R., is so wonderful and kind that it’s hard work to hate him (“If you lost your focus for even a minute, you started to love him”). But it’s 1987, Dad is dying of AIDS, and the panic over the so-called gay plague is at a fever pitch. Iris discovers his diagnosis is no secret when the best teacher at her mostly White private school overreacts with ludicrous terror when Iris gets a splinter and there’s a tiny drop of blood on her finger. How can you grieve when people are so scared that they won’t go near a dead man’s ashes without protective gear? Framed by lovely acrostic poems by Iris and her dad, the book shows a girl focusing her rage and pain into love through the nascent radical activism of ACT UP. An informative author’s note describes the complex relationships of early AIDS activists with Dr. Anthony Fauci and adds factual historical nuance to various elements of the story as presented. The homophobia of the 1980s and the horror of AIDS deaths are softened for the middle-grade audience but still clearly present.

Simultaneously sad and life affirming; a poetry-filled, inspiring call to activism. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Product Details

BN ID: 2940175470858
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Publication date: 01/17/2023
Edition description: Unabridged
Age Range: 10 - 13 Years
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