Too mature for 8-12. Still, a good read. ( )

The beginning starts out with say a passage that appears later in the book, also the main character Nella has a grandmother named Nonni and three brothers but they don't play a major role. Angela - Nella's (old) best friend- has a brother named Anthony, who Nella has a crush on. the book starts out by the school shutting down and everyone has to go to a new school. Clem -Nella's new best friend- is a writer of Bell and Rem time sisters. Anthony steals dolles for Angela and Nella when they were younger and he became a cop instead of a artist because he (protects?) Angela from there father, also her does her braids. In the book Nella is late to her Nonni"s place and come to her house earlier the next day letting her be able to call the hospital when she has a Stroke, but learning that Anthony shot someone early the morning with a gun he wasn't supposed to have in the first place. Nella's Father hit a little girl named Marie when she was younger and shes been leaving a gift at her grave ever since she found out. Angela's mother left w while back so that it why he takes care of Angela. Some Chapters are based on what a Statue named Jeptha A. Stone would say if it could talk, it mostly writes about a bird. Later in the book while Clem and Nella are waiting for the extra second, Angela told Nella that the father went some where some she had to leave Clem and help Angela find him so they search Angela's house. at the house they get a call that the fathers in the hospital because he crashed near the house that used to belong to Andrew's, the guy Anthony shot. in the hospital Angela somehow manages to make him cry and in the end, the father admits that the gun was his and took the blame for Andrew's murder. Nonni is still recovering from her stroke and tells few word to Nella that help them find cash that the Grand mother had in the basement Celler thing. she want the money to help Angela's family. A character named Sam kissed Nella twice throughout the story. Nella actually stood for Angela with the right words in front of a news reporter the statue s words are on the last page.

The book in all was a little slow and a little to fast. The beginning of the book went on and it wasn't really catching my eyes till Anthony shot someone then things were a good speed but i thing the chapters where the father got out of the house and the cops called Angela ended too quickly. I don't think it was to descriptive to me, ether that or the book was slowing down- giving too many details- and when the book sped up- giving to little detail- and at some part i got some character confused with others, such as the brothers, i thought that there were two brothers then reading threw it there where three brothers. What i liked on the book was when the book was the perfect speed it made you understand a little of what it was like.i liked the way the story played out in the end and when the news reporter got a AMAZING speech to the news reporter. i liked the moral of the story really important and it shows why they named the book this. i like how they showed the view through the statues eyes and i think it sounds like poetry to me. ( )

I liked this book but think it would have been more powerful told from the multiple perspectives of the characters. Third person narration didn't do the deep storyline justice. ( )

The main character, twelve-year-old, Nella lives in a diverse neighborhood that is changing rapidly. Nella’s school is shutting down and kids will be attending different schools the next school year. Nella’s friendships are changing too. Then the unspeakable happens. Nella and her community deal with media, slanted views, and hatred. Can any good come of this?

I had to buy this book when I heard all the buzz about it. But, I was kind of disappointed with how slow the book was. Nella kept flashing back to her elementary school years, telling the story of her best friend, Angela. I had a hard time picking this book up after I would put it down. Once the “devastating event” happens in the book, it made complete sense why people loved this book. I was emotional and angry about the community and the media perception of the event. But it took me WAY too long to get to this point. I know most of my students would have abandoned the book long before that point. I wish the author would have started the book with this “devastating event” and then flashed back to tell the story. Similar to the book COUNTING BY 7s. It was worth the read in the end, but I spent too much time forcing myself to get through this book. ( )

This is the story of Nella and her childhood best friend Angela, as well as Angela’s older brother Anthony who Nella has a crush on. As often happens, the childhood best friends no longer are speaking while Nella has a new best friend. However, one night Anthony makes a tragic mistake that shake the entire community and this forces Nella to examine a number of beliefs and values surrounding family, friendship, class and race. It is a compelling look at what goes on behind today’s shootings and claims of racial bias. ( )