Ellen Wittlinger's novel The Long Night of Leo and Bree was one of the first books I ever read in one sitting. She captured the tension, the sympathy, the general feeling of unease, all in a few hundred pages. I was captivated and eager to try her middle-grade. This story is also heavy and doesn't stray away from mental health conversations. And though neither books are easy read, Ellen Wittlinger proves that she can handle the tough subjects with deft hands. An important read.

A heart-warming story that tugs at your heartstrings. It handles difficult topics with sensitivity. You grow to love the characters.

How often do you see a book about a young female budding comedian? Not enough if you ask me. This was a good realistic fiction book, that allows readers to see some pretty sad situations.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

This book is a heavy read. It is well written. The story and characters are well written and developed. I really liked Izzy and her story drew me in.

I think the book gives a realistic picture of the life of teenagers today. I think the way the kids with hard stories gravitate to each other is reality. I enjoyed this book despite the heaviness of the material. I think this story will help to develop higher levels of empathy.

The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts

It took a while to get into this book, but once I did, I wanted to see how the characters solved their problems. Each of the 3 kids had a different major parental problem to overcome, but working together they made progress and helped each other. I like this book and will recommend it to my students.

Although I had a copy of this book to preview, I kept putting it off because the problems faced by the various characters seemed overwhelming. However, when I finally started reading, I quickly was drawn into the lives of Izzy, Oliver and Ben. They are dealing with difficult situations - divorce, blended families, a boy known as a bully, a mother who committed suicide and a father sinking deeper and deeper into depression. But what comes through more strongly are the deep family ties that grow between the three kids on their road trip adventure. Heavy, yes, but filled with love and hope. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

The 2019/2020 school year is beginning and I am so looking forward to having this on the shelf. Actually, I should say off the shelf as I know it will be out more than it is in.

Wow. Heavy topics....but they are skilfully dealt with in ways that make the reader think. Wittlinger adds lightness in the form of Izzy. There's a lot that this book does right for middle grade readers.

I thought this book did an excellent job at making you think and consider life from different perspectives. Young People need books like this to help them relate as nuclear families are becoming increasingly rare. Good Read.

It's always a really good idea as a teacher to provide books in student's hands that allow them to see into someone else's life aka walk in someone else's shoes. Especially noticing, students experiencing issues, life changes, feeling like an outcast, always seem to find one another. This story helps understand that need for company during hard times in your life.

ARC provided via NetGalley

I love books that tackle the hard topics. While I am a strong fantasy/sci-fi reader, realistic fiction that is actually real is hard to come by, especially for middle grade readers. People always kind of forget about them.

The different family dynamics, and subject matter (suicide) is hard stuff to write about and deliver in a way that students this age would understand. The telling of this story is not neat and pretty. It's messy a little rough and dark. Izzy, Oliver, and Ben really put together the story of what it sometimes can be like for children living with different and hard circumstances like this.

I applaud this book so very much and recommend it.

Not sure why I waited so long to read this thoroughly enjoyable middle grade read by author Eileen Wittlinger. With a charismatic 12 yr old protagonist named Izzy and a multitude of real life struggles teens and preteens face with family and friends, “Someone Else’s Shoes” hits it out of the park with authentic character voice and meaningful plot points. Focusing on issues of bullying and suicice is never easier but Wittlinger offers a sensitive yet realistic portrayal of how these issues impact not only those directly involved but also those feeling the emotional waves that unrelenting move outwards for the source.

Highly recommend.

Based on the book's page on NetGalley, Someone Else's Shoes was meant to be a about suicide prevention and metal health but, honestly, I think they failed to portray that well in the story. All we got was a glimpse; it was never fully discussed and dealt with. Instead this book is about children coping with issues they have with their single parents, such as the possibility that their mom or dad could get involved with somebody else eventually. It's also about how kids may feel invisible and would do unusual things to stand out and be noticed. But most of all, it's the story of finding friends and families in the unlikeliest of people.

I was halfway through the book before I got to the promised problem in the synopsis and Uncle Henderson (finally!) went missing. The search for him was a fun and very brave adventure, I admit. It was reckless and almost impossible, but who am I to judge? I've never attempted one like it.

The character's issues could have been more diverse. Both cousins were struggling with their parents, their dads in particular; Oliver's dad was mourning his wife's suicide thus neglecting his son most of the time, while Izzy's has a new family and so she was feeling neglected as well. There's also Ben, Dr. Gustino's son, who also has his own reasons to rebel against his dad who's dating Izzy's mother.

What I liked best is that the author smoothly developed the characters and their relationships with each other. The three children matured very well along the way and began to understand things differently, seeing the goodness that wasn't apparent at first.

Despite all the things I wish was improved, I really enjoyed this book. Do I recommend it? Yes, definitely!

Trigger warning for suicide and bullying.

10 September is World Suicide Prevention Day. In America National Suicide Prevention Week is the Sunday through Saturday of the week surrounding this date. In 2018 this is 9 to 15 September.

If you are thinking about suicide, please know that you are not alone and help is available.

In Australia you can call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au

In America you can call 1-800-273-8255 or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

A list of international suicide hotlines can be found at https://www.befrienders.org

Twelve year old Izzy wants to be a comedian but life hasn’t been funny for a while now. Since her parent’s divorce she rarely sees her father. He’s remarried to someone too young for him and they’re having a baby soon so Izzy feels like she’s been replaced. Izzy lives with her mother who seems too preoccupied with everyone else’s problems to listen to Izzy’s.

Her mother’s dentist boyfriend has a 16 year old son, Ben, who is mean and scary. Plus Izzy now has to share her home with her annoying 10 year old cousin, Oliver, and her Uncle Henderson. Oliver’s mother died by suicide and while Izzy is sad about her aunt’s death she doesn’t really understand why it happened or why it’s making her uncle act so strangely.

‘Izzy knew from experience that when something bad happened to you, your friends got scared, as if they could catch your problems.’

Izzy, Ben and Oliver come from different worlds and don’t seem to have any common ground but they wind up on a road trip together searching for Uncle Henderson when he suddenly goes missing. The three kids, through death or divorce, have all experienced the loss of a parent and they all feel abandoned. They each deal with feeling invisible in their own way. They’re kids that wouldn’t normally choose to spend time together but discover they’re not so different after all.

I initially found Izzy’s attitude annoying and sorry, Izzy, but I think your comedy routine needs some work. She grew on me though. Throughout the book Izzy becomes more empathetic and learns that not all change is bad. I thought Oliver was a sweetheart from the beginning. The character that surprised me the most was Ben who, while I think we’re supposed to dislike him (at least initially), I loved from our first meeting.

“Be always tender, a little fragile.
It’s not a weakness if your heart breaks just a little.”

I loved that this book didn’t shy away from difficult discussions. Izzy asks questions about her aunt’s death by suicide that I expect would be typical of any child trying to understand and I thought her mother’s answers were quite sensitive and age appropriate. I appreciated that grief wasn’t one size fits all in this book; each character responds to loss in their own way.

I did have a problem with one aspect of the discussion surrounding suicide. I’m not sure how others will feel about this and perhaps I’m being overly sensitive but I was wary of the discussion of the method used. While all of the details are not revealed enough were that I wondered about the wisdom of their inclusion.

Given the subject matter this could have been a devastating book but it was ultimately hopeful, with a focus on the children supporting one another and becoming family.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the opportunity to read this book.

Someone Else's Shoes is a book that deals with some tough topics and all of the emotions that go with it. Izzy and her extended family members deal with a myriad of issues that involve many layers of emotions with each one. The topic of suicide is addressed in a compassionate manner where the author does an excellent job of capturing the characters emotional struggles as they try to cope with the loss of someine they love. The title is perfect for a story that allows the reader to journey into tough topics (suicide, divorce, depression, loss, finding where one fits in) and walk in 'Someone Else's Shoes' to feel the emotions they are feeling. I highly recommend this book!

A sweet story about three young people who help each through times of trauma. 12-year old Izzy Shepherd is none too happy about her cousin Oliver (10) an his father Henderson coming to stay with her mother and her after Oliver’s mom commits suicde. She is even less happy when the tattoo-wearing 16-year old son of the man her mom is seeing is foisted on the family as well when his father has to leave town on an emergency trip. However, when Oliver’s father disappears, the three join forces and learn a lot about what it means to be a family — even if it isn’t the one you’re born into. Some good discussions of the guilt children can feel when a parent leaves.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

How do three sort of broken young people start to reassemble themselves? They make some bad choices, go on a road trip, and most importantly, they find each other and learn to open up about their losses.

• Pro: I wasn't sure about Izzy, but she grew on me. At first she seemed a little selfish, but as she opened up more, I discovered that she was also hurting. She did grow quite a bit from her experience, and I saw it happening, bit by bit, and each time, I was quite proud of all the progress she made.

• Pro: Ben, Oliver, and Izzy seemed so different from each other, but they all shared the loss of a parent in some way. Oliver's was probably the most devastating, but I like that Wittlinger didn't make Ben and Izzy's "losses" seem like non-events, because they weren't for them. The different degree of loss also gave the other characters some perspective, and helped them work through their issues. I like how it put that "in someone else's shoe" thing into practice.

• Pro: The portrayal of a father in the throes of grief can be quite meaningful to a child, who is in the same situation. Men are so often portrayed as "strong", and this father wore his grief on the outside. Sometimes we need to see things like this.

• Pro: The road trip was so wrong, but also pushed the characters in the right direction. It was an opportunity to see a different side of Ben and Izzy, as well as, finally see Oliver release all the pent up anger, fear, and sadness he had been hiding from his dad.

• Pro: Wittlinger's discussion involving Oliver's mother's suicide was handled in a gentle and considerate manner. They discussed the mother's existing mental health issues and her battle with them, while also standing behind therapy and medication as a way to deal with grief and depression. I know I appreciated this perspective.

• Pro: The ending was full of hope, and a story with so many heavy things needs to be capped off with a healthy does of hope. So, thank you, Ellen Wittlinger for that, and for the cute comedy bits in-between, which gave this story balance, and kept it from being too heavy.

Overall: A tender and heartwarming story of grief and loss, but also of connection and healing, which thoughtfully tackled some very big issues.

Izzy and Oliver's engaging characters make this riveting story one that I want to read again and again. Although I cannot recommend this book to my current students because they are too young for the content, I would highly recommend it to middle school students and beyond. The universal themes visited in this captivating story speak to all audiences. This is a book you won't want to put down!

I love a story about the “outsider” kid finding their place in the world, especially in a middle grade story. This story gave me three of these characters who were all broken and made “other” for sad (and even tragic) reasons.

It would have been easy for these characters to be one dimensional, but they all felt like realistic teens and preteens. None of their behaviors felt fixed to move the plot along; they felt natural. Izzy, especially, was so relatable in her starting middle school confusion and upset at everything and everyone around her changing so much.

This book would be wonderful for a middle grader dealing with any of the tough topics discussed: divorce, new siblings/partners for divorced parents, suicide, and grief. It shows that all of the characters deal in their own ways, but life goes on and things do get better. This was a quick, but so powerful, read.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.