I absolutely adore Sharon Creech. This was such a good book. I love coming-of-age stories, and it's so well written. Middle grade books are so much fun to read as an adult. Gina is an incredible character, and I finished it so fast!

A beautiful exploration of how we learn about our impact on others and their impact upon us. The prose reminded me of "A Snicker of Magic" by Natalie Lloyd: both narrators are captivated by words and weave worlds upon the images they invoke. I very much enjoyed the book!

"Who are you? Who could you be?" Miss Lightstone asks her class. With her new teacher's quiet and unyielding encouragement, Gina Filomena finds affirmation that she can be who she wants to be and doesn't require the approval of the rest of the world.

Gina Filomena is a girl with an active imagination. Some might even say a very overactive imagination. No one else seems to see the world in quite the same way until Antonio moves in next door. Antonio, with his dazzling smile, is the kind of boy who spots an elephant with a frog on its head, glimpses a porcupine eating red licorice, and eavesdrops on the conversations of gray sheep. When both Gina and Antonio find themselves in Miss Lightstone's class at school, their usually stolid classmates gradually come around to their imaginative way of seeing the world - and themselves. Miss Lightstone's unusual teaching techniques are reminiscent of Ms. Stretchberry from Love That Dog, and One Time will appeal to fans of Sharon Creech's earlier works. It is ideal for imaginative middle grade students who sometimes see elephants in the streets or listen in when sheep discuss their family trees.

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" -- Mary Oliver
Gina is starting the new school year with a new teacher (Mrs. Lightstone) and a new neighbor (Antonio). The new teacher gives them writing assignments that will not be graded. The comments of kids in the class are spot on with some stressing over how to do it "the right way." At least one declares it is stupid. As they practice their writing skills, they begin to fall in love with the process and enjoy sharing with one another. Meanwhile Gina's family deals with an abundance of pasta and ponders the mysteries of the family next door. A delightful book, although not my favorite of the many Sharon Creech has written. Reminds me of "Mrs. Bixby's Last Day."
"I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings." --Mary Oliver

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalleyh for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start off by saying that this book would make an excellent read-aloud at the beginning of the year. Were I still an educator, I would read this book as my first read aloud, then get the kids started on brainstorming and writing, and then go into NaNoWriMo in November. In fact, many of the conversations that happen in this book reminded me of the years I taught 3rd and 4th grade and did NaNo with my students.

That being said, the book is a little to odd to be realistic fiction and to real to be fantasy, so I'm not quite sure who the target audience is on some of it. The writing is beautiful, as are the sentiments. The characters are interesting, but I was left wanting more from them.

In the right hands, this book will be well loved.

I love the book Love that Dog. This reminded me of it. Sharon Creech has a way with words that leave you wanting more. This book was one of my favorites of hers.

Creech has done it again. This is become my favorite book by Sharon Creech. I am in love with the characters and how each character has so much personality. It takes a clever mind to write about an entire class of students, each different in their own way, and not have too many characters that are indistinguishable from each other solely because they aren't the main character. The story was brilliant and when I came to the end of it, I was upset that it was over. I was not ready to say goodbye to Gina and Antonio. I wanted to know more about their connection. Love love love!

First, the positive - I love Gina and her artistic sensibilities and imagination. Her personality really shines through the story and we want her to succeed. I enjoyed watching her navigate school and home life, especially with a new neighbor and friend.

Now for the negative. It's just a little hard to stay interested in this novel. There's not a whole lot of plot and the narrative sort of meanders.

Creech's writing is strong, as always. Unfortunately, I just don't think this is one of her best in terms of plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the review copy of this book. One Time was intriguing to me because of the beautiful cover and because it was written by the incomparable Sharon Creech. I have never met a Sharon Creech book I didn’t like, and that tradition appears to be holding true. I LOVED this book.

Our main character is Gina. She feels pretty uncomfortable in her skin until this school year when the new teacher, Miss Lightstone, challenges her to let out her creativity and her new neighbor, Antonio, shows her it’s okay to be different. During the school year, Gina is on a mission to answer the questions: What are you? Who could you be?

This book is delightfully quirky and full of heart. The characters feel real and anyone who has spent some time in a classroom will find someone to relate to. This book will definitely be shared with my students.

I know this book will have a strong readership. Sharon Creech is a popular author; the plot I has enough action to keep pages turning. The cover is great.

Sharon Creech has always been a favorite author of mine! This book, these characters, I loved them! I felt the same little wonders as I once did with her past work. Gina has always been an imaginative and thoughtful child, and her new neighbor, Antonio, is the first kid she's met that's on the same wavelength. They're both inspired by the writing prompts in their English class, oftentimes creating very similar stories. Even so, Creech leaves some pieces of each character up to interpretation-- in a good way that left me contemplative.
I love how much reading, and writing are integrated into this story. I loved how Gina and Antonio grew as their own people but in their friendship also. A great great book!

Sharon Creech does it again with another true to life story for young readers. With relatable characters and an interesting story line, Creech draws readers into a realistic fiction story peppered with fantasy mini-stories.

As I (reluctantly because I wish it would go on) come to the end of this book, the word that comes to mind to describe this book is magical. This is a book to read slowly and savor. The focus is on the main character, Gina, and her family and friends. The story alternates between Gina's experiences with her teacher and friends at school and those in her home and her neighborhood. In her neighborhood, Gina is caught up in the lives of her new neighbors (with a boy her age named Antonio), her noisy Clackerty=Clafferty neighbors, Auntie and Uncle Pasta, the Frails, and more. At school, she is immersed in the lives of her friends Margie, Arif, the new kids Antonio, Gerald, and Kalifa and her creative, nontraditional teacher Miss Lighthouse. Miss Lighthouse is my kind of teacher and the entire book is entwined with what the students are learning and doing in her class. From silent Wednesdays to ungraded free writes to intriguing first lines of books, to inspiring words on the bulletin board and to fake family trees, the kids are growing and discovering in ways they could not have imagined. This book is magical in that it takes you into Gina's imagination where she sees angels talking and to shared stories of Angel Lucia that bring her joy and hope. It also delves into the imagination of Antonio and the elephant, the blue frog, sheep, pancakes and porcupines, and more. Miss Lighthouse poses the questions Who Are You? What shapes you? What would you be? What could you be? This book is a book to treasure and one that will get you thinking about these important questions and may inspire you to share YOUR story. If you don't know where to start just begin One Time.....

When Miss Lightstone gives her class a short writing assignment, asking "Who Am I?" this was Gina's response: "Dear Miss Lightstone: I am Gina Filomena, age eleven. Sometimes teachers think I am not paying attention, but what they mean is that I am not paying attention to them. I pay attention to lots of other things like what is happening outside the windows, and the noises in the room, like the humming and the tapping and the snapping and the sniffling, and all the smells—some good, some bad. But I will try to pay attention to you." Gina is a dreamer, and seems to be in her own world a lot of the time. Antonio lives next door to her and, together, they seem to be on the same wavelength. Miss Lightstone declares Wednesday to be "Silent Wednesdays" and students learn to figure things out for themselves. Miss Lightstone knows the way to turn students on to books is to read a selected passage from many, many books.

Sharon Creech has long been a favorite author of mind, and I have used her books in classrooms and encouraged other teachers to use them. Students respond well to these books. This would be a great read-aloud for middle grades, and a springboard for writing assignments.

Creech has written another heartfelt and imaginative story about the journey of a young girl trying to find the answers to the questions-"Who am I" and "Who do I want to be". Eleven year old Gina has an overactive imagination that sets her apart from her peers, leaving her alone and feeling different. Antonio is her newly moved in next door neighbor and classmate, Miss Lightstone, their teacher this year, opens up a world of opportunities for Gina, her friend Antonio, and their classmates in a way they never imagined.

I will be adding this book to my school and classroom libraries.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the e-ARC.

I've never read a Sharon Creech book before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from "One Time". I enjoyed the inspired writing assignments and the creativity of the teacher, Miss Lightstone, but the plot was largely missing. The story is centered around Gina and her classmates, Antonio in particular, but they are all shallowly developed. This book would work well as a read-aloud in class - plenty of things to discuss - but it can be dipped into almost randomly without interrupting the flow of the story.

Sharon Creech's newest middle grade novel features Gina, an independent and free spirit, Antonio, the mysterious boy next door, and a refreshing young teacher.

The story is anchored in identity, centering around Miss Lightstone's question "Who am I?" Gina wonders what and who could she be, her evolution influenced by the mysterious boy next door.

Readers in grades 5 and up with an affinity for profound thinking will appreciate this book.

(Reviewed from a digital Netgalley arc).

Sharon Creech is such a fine writer! I have enjoyed reading her books and I'ma grownup! I think kids grade 4 and up will like this story. Set in WW2, I think they will find it interesting to see what their grandparents, and great grandparents lived through. Very engaging.

This would be a wonderful read aloud for an elementary school classroom to foster a love of writing (and because it's a compelling story with twists and turns and so many fun characters!). Sharon Creech has done it again - she always manages to pull you in with quirky characters and fun family dynamics and amazing grandparents. I also loved that the ending gives us readers proper resolution about what happens to all of the characters, but without spoiling the mystery and possibility I love in a good book ending. It's a perfect balance for still concrete, budding analytical readers. The book also has some wonderful lessons about friendship, fitting in, and dealing with conflict that many elementary school students (and adults) might take to heart. I can't wait to recommend it to students!

I love and often recommend Sharon Creech’s writing. Her newest middle-grades offering reminded me in content and tone of her Newberry Award-winning title Walk Two Moons. As a bookseller and former middle school teacher, I have always been a fan of tween and young adult novels. And so I recommend this one whole-heartedly to folks like me: those who can relate to quirky, contemplative characters and points of view. But the caveat: While labeled a title recommended for 5th and 6th graders, I’m not too sure it will appeal to many in that age group. There IS a lot of humor, and an innocent but serious crush on the new boy next door- so girls of that age may relate. Overall a lovely book, but for select readers. One note: I didn’t care for the cartoonish figures in the cover illustration. I think more realistic looking children would add appeal.