What would you save? This is a great book to have a discussion with. Perfect to think about before you read the book and then see if your answer would change after reading it.

Heartfelt and tender, this is an empathetic glimpse into how children measure the most important items in their lives. Told in verse in a form based on a type of Korean poetry, the children respond to a prompt from their teacher--If your house was on fire, what is the one thing you'd save?--reflecting on their experiences and people that are meaningful to them. Readers will enjoy connecting the dots between what the students' choices tell about their personalities, but teachers especially will want to get their hands on this book. Many lessons could sprout from this title, such as structuring poems, writing memoirs, and conducting respectful discussions, to name a few.

I thought this book was rather short until I got to the end and saw the author's note about the writing style being a form of Sijo poetry. I haver never heard of this Korean poetry style before, but once I knew the book was written in verse it made more sense that it was on the shorter side.

The premise of the book is a question posed to a group of students by their teacher, What is the one thing you would save if there were a fire? Your parents and pets are safely outside but you have time to safely grab one of your possessions, what will you choose?

The students choices range from the knee-jerk responses a lot of us would immediately think of, while some are much more thought provoking and sentimental. The discussion among the students and their teacher really made me question what I would bring if I were in this situation, and honestly, I think I know, but I might be surprised if I actually had to made that decision.

I think the subject matter could be a bit scary or anxiety inducing for a younger audience (fear of being in a fire), it would be better for Junior High and older. It could help open up discussions about other topics and get their critical thinking skills working.

Linda Sue Park’s The One Thing You’d Save is a unique hybrid of sorts. It’s geared toward middle schoolers, but has lovely black and white illustrations on nearly every page. It is also less than 80 pages long, with sparse text in the Korean sijo poetry style.

What do the kids want to save? Cell phones, a sweater knitted by a grandparent, the collar of a dead pet, plaques, a bedroom rug, sea shells, a parent’s insulin kit, an entire bookcase. But beyond the objects, the meat of this book is in the reasons why these kids have chosen their one thing. Then, there are the kids who choose to save nothing — their reasons will make your heart ache too.

By the end of the class, even the teacher rethinks her choices, just as every reader will. This book might not satisfy you, if like me you enjoy plot, but it will make you think about the one thing, or things that matter most to you. Teachers and middle schoolers alike will find this book to be an excellent conversation starter, and the illustrations will entice reluctant and younger readers.

Linda Sue Park has written many beautiful stories over the years and this one really stands out. I think this is great one for discussion among children, in classrooms or not. I liked the poems and how each child chose different items/things. It really gives you something to think about. A great book to be added to collections everywhere.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC!

This was a beautiful book. A class of middle schoolers were asked, "What's the one thing you'd save if your house was on fire? Family and pets are already safe, so what item do you treasure above the rest?" What follows are small beautiful poems (that don't "feel" like poems, just natural conversation) about what is important to these kids. It varies from a signed baseball program, to truly personal family items. Sophie's poem especially moved me to tears. Complete with grayscale photos of each student's room or item, this is a beautiful collection based off of one the most popular thought experiments.

This short and sweet book is anything but simple! I love the dialogue that played out between the kids within their poems. And I love the variety of objects that the kids would save - from sentimental to expensive. I felt it was very realistic!

This book would be a perfect one to build a writing assignment around for a 5th or 6th grade class. I loved the depth Park brought to the characters' stories, which inspires readers to consider their own "one thing".

I love Linda Sue Park and her writing! She captures the best parts of friendship and what it's like to be a middle schooler in New York. In The One Thing You'd Save, Ms Chang asks her students what is the one thing that they would save if there was a fire in their home and family members and pets are safe. The different answers are natural, convincing, touching and in the form of a Korean style of poem.

The choices, language and images take you to that age and the friendships between the students. It's a lovely book to read and share, particularly during this time of isolation and Covid.

This book poses the question, if your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? The responses come in the form of short poems. This would make a good mentor text for writing.

I received an electronic ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group through NetGalley.
A different style book for Park. She presents the whole book in the Sijo poetry style. A teacher poses this question to her high school class - What one thing would you save if your home was on fire? Readers then see the thought process students undergo and the items they share with the class. It's heartwarming and breaking to see what each would grab and the reasons for doing so. A gentle reminder to readers to see beyond the obvious and acknowledge we don't always know what others have gone through or are currently living through.
The illustrations offer a glimpse into each student's world as they show the objects they are considering saving. The text provides a look at how their lives may be intertwined. Readers see both the thoughts and the words shared.
A conversation starter for middle grade and older classes.
Note that Park has her teacher emphasize that all family and pets are safe to start the exercise and that in a real fire, students are to just get out.

What can I truly say to get to the heart of this book? This book is deep and introspective, yet light and full of heart. It made me think of what I would save in a fire, and what I would forgo for the safety of my family.

I'd save my wedding ring -- the promise my husband and I made to each other for life.

I read this book in just one sitting. Linda Sue Park is master and using poetry mimicking the conversation of a classroom lesson, crafts a short but meaningful story about identity and what our possessions say about ourselves. This could be used in class so easily. Wonderfully written that will be enjoyed in the classroom.

I absolutely love this book and all of the different voices it represents. Each child in my class was able to find someone they could relate to, either through a window or through a mirror. Excellent!

I was gifted an egalley from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. When I saw Linda Sue Park I knew I had to request because I adore her other work. This book was not what I was expecting at all but was glad to find. The One You'd Save is full of prompts and beautiful pictures that would be excellent to engage a classroom. I will be buying this picture book for my classroom because I know whether I teach first grade or middle school this book will become an amazing resource.

I adore The One Thing You’d Save! It’s a story about saving one item if there was a fire and how a classroom of students can influence and empathize with each other when sharing their stories. The story is written in an ancient form of traditional Korean poetry called sijo which was lovely to learn about at the end of the book as well.

What I loved about this story was the inclusion of Ms. Chang’s encouragement for every student to take a turn to tell their story about what they would choose and I especially loved when some students would interrupt, they were gently reminded to be respectful. Some of the stories from the start would circle back after other students were influenced by their class mates for a fresh perspective on their chosen item. There was a student that had experienced a house fire that added a more serious layer to the story.

This story was beautiful and I would highly recommend it as a classroom activity. All children would enjoy this story and it opens up that opportunity to discuss fire safety and raises thoughts on what mementos children find value in and why. An absolutely great story with much discussion to evolve from it.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group / Clarion Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group + NetGalley for the advance review e-copy of "The One Thing You'd Save" by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng.

Linda Sue Park is a literary genius.
A teacher poses a question to her students - if your home was on fire, what is the one thing you'd save (knowing your family and pets are safe). Told in poetic verse (according to the author's note, it's an update on sijo - a form of traditional Korean poetry), the students' responses are varied and thoughtful. The conversations between the students as well as their teacher, the respect for each other, and the important moments, memories, and items that make up each of their lives - this is a story that will stay with you.
Perfect for all ages - it will make you think, it will make you reflect, and it will make you treasure what you have that's important.

What a creative take on a book in verse. This story of a class deciding what to bring save in case of a fire forces the kids to think about what really matters. The short but impactful lines will engage kids, and they will all find someone to relate to. Park introduces readers to a traditional Korean form of poetry, but puts her own creative mark on it.

I loved this book. In the year 2020, I believe we need more stories like this one for our kids; raw and honest about how times can be hard and that we are going to be okay. I love Linda Sue Park and her writing style and this book's style was different than her other books. I really enjoyed it and I hope to read it in book club with my kids soon.

This is a short, quick read but don’t be fooled by that. This slim book is also very deep and thought provoking. Each student in Ms. Chang’s class is deciding what one object they would grab if there was a fire. As they listen to their classmates, some of them question their choices, thinking another’s choice is more worthy. Then Ms. Chang shares what she would save and how she also changed her mind while listening to the students. This title will be a consideration for our school’s Mock Newbery group.