This is a quick read that would make an excellent writing and discussion for any upper elementary class. The premise is that your house catches fire and you can only save one thing. Your family and pets are safe, so you do not need save them. It is written in verse and would be an easy read and lesson for a couple of days.

This novel in verse starts off with an assignment from a teacher- what is the one thing you would save if your house was on fire? Through the novel, the students share their different items and they each learn a little more about themselves.

I first discovered Linda Sue Park last year, when I read Prairie Lotus; and I knew I will be reading more of her books. So when I saw this one on NetGalley, I simply had to check it out.

And I am so glad I did. For this one is such a sweet, sweet read; the one that tugs at heartstrings and wraps you up in a warm hug all at once; the one that makes you smile and teary-eyed at the same time; and the one that makes you think: what would I save? It is also one that makes me go one step further and write a poem about it (or attempt to), in Linda Sue Park’s style.

It starts off with Ms.Chang giving her class the coolest assignment possible; or in Park’s words, “… good homework, not useless stuff like worksheets.” And the students are soon sharing their one thing each one would save in case of a fire. Note that their family and pets are safe, and the thing they can take/save can be any size and weight.

As we turn the pages to discover each “one thing I’d save” both through internal thought processes of various students and what they share with the class, we discover so much more….

And I cannot forget about the illustrations in this book. Robert Sae-heng’s black and white sketches provide the perfect backdrop and accompaniment for Park’s emotional, heartfelt, and lyrical verse.

The author’s note at the end talks about the poetic form used in the book – an adaptation of the Korean form, the sijo.

In Summary
This is a book that will work perfectly for all ages; a book that will make pause and ponder about the things that really matter.

Source: NetGalley e-ARC

This was a great book in verse. In so few pages, I felt so much. It was funny and tender. It is a great pick for a reluctant poetry reader. It is also thought provoking and a discussion starter. Highly recommend! Five stars.

A great children's story that requires the reader to think deeply and carefully about what they would save from their house in a fire. A great story about what we value.

The One Thing You'd Save is a lovely and important book. Written in verse, the sparse text is extremely impactful. Readers will enjoy the multiple perspectives and responses. One of my students told me that this is a book that she just wants to hug. It is true. This is absolutely a book that you'll want to hold close to your heart.

My middle school students enjoy picking this one up from our classroom library. Thank you for sharing!

The One Thing You'd Save surprised me at how quickly I read it, yet how poignant it is. When a teacher asks her class to think about the one thing they would save from their homes in case of an emergency, each one comes up with unique answers. Some answers seem kind of silly to some students, yet as they tell their stories and give their reasoning, those self-criticisms change. Told with simple text and pictures, this early middle-grade book will make students analyze their own values, especially when it comes to what is really important in our lives. I thought Park did a great job of reflecting the students' different personalities and responses. Most teachers wouldn't be surprised by some of the shallow answers given by some students (video game consoles, for example) as well as the deeper answers, such as mementos of people who are no longer present or people themselves. What makes the book even more clever are the students whose answers seem shallow, but when you are in their heads, you see that their reasoning is more purposeful than you first imagined. Reading this title would also be a great way to help students develop empathy, as they realize that some people have more than others. I definitely would recommend this title to students in grades 2 -6.

Short but profound. This tiny book packs a powerful punch as a class of students decides what is the one thing they’d save in a fire. Told from multiple perspectives using a poetic form called sijo, this book deserves multiple reads.

The one thing you'd save in a fire if pets and your family were already safe and size didn't matter. What would you save? That is Ms. Chang's assignment to the class. Told in short poems, based on the sijo structure as noted in the author's note.

The structure makes for a quick read, but there is a lot of depth in the short sentences. What they prize and what they don't tells us a lot about who each kid is and what they want from life. One of the students has BEEN in a fire and knows the only thing you can take is your life. Others judge their grief against someone else's.

The teacher's voice is in a different typeset and in bold which lends the poem structure. This would be a great book to use in a classroom setting either as a discussion point or as a unit of poetry.

A good addition to any collection, but particularly for classrooms and school libraries.

This book is the collection of thoughts from a fictional classroom on the one thing the students would save if there was a fire. The response range from the expected to much more thought out and sentimental items. Throughout this short book the main narrator demonstrates a believable evolution in their changing decision of what to bring and why that item is important.

Ms. Chang gives her class an assignment - to think about this question and be prepared to have a class discussion: "Imagine that your home is on fire. You're allowed to save one thing." From a special sweater to a large collection to a whole bookcase, the children discuss what is important and why. They even manage to influence each other.

Linda Sue Park's collection of Korean sijo poems is beautiful! I liked seeing the tiny piece of the students represented by what was important to them. I learned so much in so few words. One student said he'd take nothing, and I understood why. My first thought - ooh, this would be a great lesson to replicate. A short read with a class, great topics for further discussions, and it just screams - try this yourself!

What a unique idea!

This book is written as poetry. It takes place during the Covid 19 pandemic and the students are in virtual classes.
These are the responses of a class to the prompt "If your house was on fire, what's the one thing you'd save? (Your family and pets are safe.)"

Some of the kids' responses are predictable and some are so thoughtful. I expected phones (and honestly thought that might be my honest answer) but after reading some of the students' responses I rethought what would be important and irreplaceable.

Fantastic read and we are including it in our Mock Newbery this year.

Unfortunately my Amazon account got hacked numerous times and I had to close my account;therefore, I am unable to retrieve the kindle arc for this title to perform a review.

Although I do see the positive intent behind the plot and character interactions within the book, I feel like it was not nearly as trauma-informed as it could have been. The whole question of, "what would you save in a fire (besides your humans/pets because they're automatically considered safe)" generated some moments in the book that were quite traumatizing for both the characters as well as potentially for the reader. I feel like the author could have gotten the message/theme across in a different way.

What a beautiful novel in verse. I loved everything about this story. It inspired conversation and thought provoking discussion. I made you think about what was really important and why. It helps the reader to understand different perspectives. Linda Sue Park did an amazing job of presenting this topic in verse form.

For the #kidlit & poetry fans: I recently read 'The One Thing You'd Save' by Linda Sue Park--a teacher asking her middle school class about what they'd save in their home caught fire- 10/10 would do it again! WHOLESOME BOOK! All the kids shine with their answers--

In the author's note, she writes that she borrowed the line structure from sijo. An ancient form of Korean poetry. I love this handling of something older for a children's book-introducing new readers to not only poetry but a piece of your culture.

What can't be understated is the story--instead of an individual poem per kid--the story is alive! Students and the teacher-Ms. Chang interjecting and commenting. It's busy at times, quiets at others--paced great with so much personality and warmth!

From the practical answers of what to save in case of a fire: someone's mom's insulin kit, someone's dad's wallet--to sentimental--a sweater unraveled and knitted twice by grandmothers to what looks like that universe's version of Pokemon cards!!! (Art by Robert Sae-Heng ) While the black and white art works for a majority for the small piece of art inserted [The dog], there were a number of illustrations that would have lit up the scene , I bet, if colored! [The beach scene, the laptop, the tea boxes]

'The One Thing You'd Save' is a short but thought provoking read. The kids shine even tho it is a brief book. Accessible Prose, (could help kids rethink poetry as a whole) fun B & W art [I had BIG feels with the dog illo] for the 8 - 12 Years age range. Wholesome experience!

Content warnings only added for the briefest mention of <spoiler> a student wanting to grab a box with the lock of the lock of hair and clipped fingernails of a deceased younger sibling born with a heart defect that their mom keeps on her nightstand and a student wanting to keep either the collar or something from his deceased dog. <spoiler>

This book was a sweet quick read. It was interesting to get the different perspectives of the students and their home lives. I love Linda Sue Park's books and she came through again with this book. Some people might get a little tripped up by the fact that the students are not named and it can be hard to discern who is speaking when. The audio book may be helpful in clearing up some of that confusion.

This is a poignant book of verse and illustrations. A teacher asks her class to think about the one thing they would save if their houses were on fire and then they have a discussion about it. In the note at the end, the author describes her use of sijo, a traditional Korean poetry form, in writing the book. I think this is a book that will spark a lot of thinking and discussion.

“Imagine that your home is on fire. You’re allowed to save one thing. Your family and pets are safe, so don’t worry about them.” What would you save? The students in Ms. Chang’s class ponder this question as part of an assignment and then share their answers.

For some, it’s about being practical, while others make choices that tug at the heartstrings. They each reveal a bit about themselves and why they chose that particular thing. This exercise enables the kids to make some deeper connections with their friends and fellow classmates.

Author Linda Sue Park’s latest children’s book poses a thought-provoking question that immediately engages the reader. This novel told in verse is complemented by Robert Sae-Heng’s thoughtful illustrations scattered throughout. An author’s note at the end talks a bit more about the writing style of the book. This is a title ideal for reluctant readers as well as voracious ones and would work really well in a book club or classroom read aloud. It will stay with you for a while.