Planet Grief

by Monique Polak

Overview

What a crappy way to spend a weekend. The always-sarcastic Abby would rather be playing soccer, and the cagily quiet Christopher thinks a grief retreat is a waste of time. Neither of them wants to spend two days talking about their feelings. But despite their best efforts to stay aloof, Abby and Christopher are drawn into the lives of the other kids at the retreat. Maybe their stories will make them rethink how they are dealing with their own losses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459815704
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/04/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Monique Polak is the author of more than thirty books for young people. She is the three-time winner of the Quebec Writers' Federation Prize for Children's and YA Literature for her novels Hate Mail, What World is Left and Room for One More. In addition to teaching at Marianopolis College in Montreal, Monique is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Maclean's Magazine, the Montreal Gazette and other Postmedia newspapers. She is also a columnist on ICI Radio-Canada's Plus on est de fous, plus on lit! In 2016, Monique was the CBC/Quebec Writers' Federation inaugural writer-in-residence. Monique lives in Montreal.

Editorial Reviews

"It allows the reader to understand that going through the grieving process may be as individual as the person…The story is compelling and one is drawn into the emotions experienced by the kids and their parents who have suffered the death of a parent or sibling."

Resource Links

"The story is engagingly told from the changing perspective of two narrators. It makes for an intimate and sometimes moving view."

January Magazine

"Offers a helpful model to readers struggling with loss and healing in their own lives, particularly the messages that they are not alone and there are many ways to grieve. This is a good choice for readers in need of a quick-moving but informative novel, and, perhaps, a little reassurance."

Booklist

"Dramas keep the plot of Planet Grief rolling along…Never one to skirt difficult issues, Monique Polak has given us a book that speaks to the people around us of any age who are struggling with the loss of a loved one."

Montreal Review of Books

"Good bibliotherapy…Middle school students will enjoy and benefit from this book. The writing is engaging, the topic is important, and the message is well-delivered."

School Library Connection

"Offers a helpful model to readers struggling with loss and healing in their own lives, particularly the messages that they are not alone and there are many ways to grieve. This is a good choice for readers in need of a quick-moving but informative novel, and, perhaps, a little reassurance."

Booklist

2018-05-28
How can kids who are dealing with their own grief help other kids with similar problems?When Abby's dad makes her join him at a two-day grief retreat, she wears her soccer cleats as a form of protest. Her mother died of heart disease just two months ago, and Abby doesn't feel like sharing the experience with anyone. But once she's there, she finds herself opening up a bit, especially to another girl, Felicia, who lost both her parents at the same time in a snowmobiling accident. If Felicia can survive losing both parents, surely Abby can be brave about losing one? Abby's narration alternates with Christopher's; his father died two years ago, and he really doesn't want to talk about it. But as the group gets closer, they discover that not all is as it seems. Can the shaky common ground they've worked to develop withstand an emotional earthquake? Or two? At times reading like a manual in how to express feelings of grief, this book sometimes stretches awkwardly in its attempt to blend a compelling narrative with dialogue that might prove useful to someone struggling to deal with a death. Even the plot twists feel carefully inserted for a higher therapeutic purpose. The cast is largely white, but some French-Canadian characters add diversity, as do a teen with two moms and a kid whose parents emigrated from Chile.Useful—but purpose trumps art. (Fiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews