This is so terribly gut wrenching. I tried to read it from the perspective of a young audience, imagining me as my middle school self again. It hurts you, it makes you feel, it makes you understand tragedy and care for everyone about you but one concern I have with it as how serious will middle schoolers take this book. Everyone knows this is our reality, a horribly sad reality but it may be hard for middle schoolers to truly grasp what the meaning and feelings are behind it without only seeing it as fictional.

Lockdown drills are a shared experience amongst all school aged children and youth in America. However, what happens when it's no longer a drill? Bea is in a wheelchair and has grown up practicing for the "what if". However, this time it's not a drill and she experiences the loss of classmates and a teacher. Flipping between Bea before and Bea after she grapples with this traumatic experience and what she can do to push for change.

Sumner goes for the heart with this incredible, heartbreaking story that is a reality for too many kids in America every year. Bea is an inspiration. She shows kids that you don't have to be loud and on the frontlines to make a difference. She shows kids that healing from tragedy is possible. These types of stories are so hard to read - but they are just as important as textbooks and pamphlets.

Please Pay Attention
by Jamie Sumner
2 out of 5 stars
To be published April 15, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion.

After living through a school shooting, Bea finds that she has the strength to speak up and to be a fighter.

I liked that this middle-grades novel was written in verse so it had short sections of text and short chapters. I liked the character of Bea and her mother Max. I appreciated the friendship of their neighbors. Bea has a community that surrounds her and is able to support her.

What I didn't like, however, outweighed the good. I am definitely going to be an outlier here, but I didn't find this book appropriate for middle-grades readers. It was much too heavy for a young reader to process, while at the same time written too simplistic. There were far too many themes for a young reader to handle all at once- school shooting, character who uses a wheelchair, and adoption.

The character was making an appeal to the Governor regarding gun control laws, and she was saying she was ready to fight. In my opinion, 6th graders don't need to be ready to fight. They need to be protected. It is the adults who need to be ready to fight. The depth of pain and fear were not portrayed to the extent that is realistic, and middle grades readers don't need to be subjected to that fear.

My overall opinion of this book is that it was a big miss. I would recommend this book to adults who want to start a personal conversation about school gun violence and to be reminded of the children who we are all tasked with protecting every day.

Bea Coughlin has a good life, full of a supportive community, and the opportunity to mentor one of the "littles" at her private school. But when a school shooter upends life, killing her teacher, Bea's inability to get from her wheelchair to the floor leaves her feeling ashamed and exposed. I loved how the author acknowledged that some of the change needs to come from legislation, while also upholding Bea's agency. Learning about how horseback riding helps both PTSD, and core stability for those with cerebral palsy was wonderful. The multifaceted community, and Bea's connection with her little friend felt especially powerful to me. The space on the page from the verse novel format gave the breathing space I needed to read a school shooting-related story. Especially powerful to me where the myriad ways Bea finds to move forward and strengthen herself, while leaning into her community.

With school shootings more common and active shooter drills now a regular occurrence in schools, this book comes at a critical time in our lives. The emotional terror of experiencing the horrific event at an elementary school along with the post-traumatic anxiety felt raw and honest. The steps towards healing and the loving adults who provided the tools and support felt powerful and offered excellent examples of how to be a helper in these cases. This felt authentic as Bea is a middle grader who was already dealing with challenges and now has to deal with something no one should ever have to encounter in their lives. This novel in verse also gives readers examples of how to make their voices heard to bring about changes in gun laws. The ending is hopeful, but also realistic in that we as a country have a very long way to go to end this senseless violence. The danger and devastation of a school shooting is not glassed over emotionally, but readers will not encounter explicit graphic scenes with the resulting injuries and death.

Bea is a sixth grader who uses a wheelchair due to her cerebral palsy. Through her words, her history is revealed.
She has a loving adoptive mother and supportive neighbors. When a school shooting occurs, she freezes and
is unable to follow the safety procedures. PTSD makes her afraid of noises, being shut in and afraid to return to
school. Horse therapy helps her reclaim her spirit and resume living.
Her feelings are beautifully expressed. Bea's story may help students who have experienced a school shooting,
something that seems to be happening too often
#PleasePayAttention #Simon&Schuster #AtheneumBooksforYoungReaders #NetGalley

Please Pay Attention is a poignant new middle grade novel in verse. The story is told through the eyes of Bea Coughlin, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy. Bea enjoys her life with her adoptive mother, Max, who is also the school nurse. But a shooting at her school shatters Bea’ sense of security. With the help of an equine therapy program, Bea begins to move towards healing and finds the confidence to speak up for change. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Using the spare yet powerful form of free verse, author Jamie Sumner tackles a tough topic from the point of view of a differently abled student. Bea lives with cerebal palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around. When a day at school turns deadly, though, she is stuck, unable to hide, run, or fight back during an active shooting. Dealing with severe grief in the aftermath of the trauma, Bea must learn to navigate her new reality, using horse riding therapy as a way to move forward into her future. Bea's is a voice that will not soon be forgotten.

This fictional account is just as compelling as what inspired the author to pen it.

The lyrical format is one that I do not gravitate towards. I prefer the standard narrative but the cover and the description kept me coming back to this book. Glad I did.

The reader will connect not only with Bea through Bea herself but also through her interactions with her mom, her teacher, and even the therapy horse.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum Books for Young Readers, in exchange for an honest review.

EXCELLENT novel in verse. Very moving; it deals with a heavy subject, but I think it's handled very well for a middle-school audience. Highly recommended, and I hope it makes a lot of state reading lists and awards lists in the next year.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, and Jamie Sumner for the opportunity to read Please Pay Attention in exchange for an honest review.

Please Pay Attention is a HiLo novel written in a poetic verse style and follows Beatrix, or Bea for short. She is a sixth grade student who is wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy. The first-person perspective shares some of the challenges of her life, as well as what it was like as a baby and having to learn how to take care of herself.

The novel starts with the sound of gunshots in her school. Before exploring the event, Bea shares the days leading up to that. What life is like for her and her adoptive guardian, being a Buddy to a Little at school, the involvement of her neighbors in her life; basically the daily life of Bea before she experiences the trauma of a school shotting.

The reader gets some snippets of the event during the shooting. It's not super detailed, as it is only from Bea's perspective of what she knows and experiences in the moment. Post-shooting, there is evidence of trauma, like the sound of a pinata scaring her like the sound of a gunshot. School nurse and adoptive mother Max pushed Bea to start taking care of and riding horses as a form of trauma therapy. The novel explores building a bond with an animal and how powerful that can be. It also acknowledges the power of letting go and moving forward, as well as speaking out to your local leaders in an active way.

Despite the content, this is a well-written and thoroughly enjoyable novel. As an educator, it resonates with the fear that I sometimes experience in my line of work, yet shouldn't have to feel that way, and neither should students. Ever. It is reading novels like this that share a traumatic experience to give at least a small snippet of what it might be like to be a victim in having experienced a circumstance such as a school shooting. All staff and students should feel safe where they are, but the world is unpredictable. The best thing to do is have a plan and be prepared, and when something does happen, check in with your people and explore ways to cope (such as equestrian studies).

I loved the way this novel was put together, but it just irked me a bit that the motive of the shooter wasn't really explored, and aside from Bea's teacher, the people on the list were kind of just that. A list. Their lives could have been explored more of Max (Bea's guardian) and Bea could have done something together, like watched a memorial, or interviews or something. I understand the desire for a parent wanting to shield their child, but there is also a need to understand what happened, acknowledge the peoples lives who were lost on a deeper level, and learn to mourn and cope together.

Overall just a really great novel, not meant to scare, but meant to share a diverse perspective and educate not only middle grade readers, but young adults and an older audience as well.

This was such an emotional read! The story follows Bea, an 8th grader who uses a wheelchair, in a dual timeframe narrative surrounding the before and after of a school shooting. Trauma, grief, daily difficulties, and healing are all covered with great care and sensitivity. Though this is categorized as a novel-in-verse, to me, it read more like a traditional novel with some dramatic pauses. Overall, this was a good read and I would recommend this book to an upper middle grade or adult reader looking for a book that will tug on your emotions and empathy.

5/5. 10/10. So timely, important, and devastating. This book in verse shows the tragedy of what is our unfortunate reality through Bea, a girl with cerebral palsy who is wheelchair bound. We see her journey before and after a shooting that takes place in her school, her classroom, and how it impacts her life afterward. Although it is heavy and I cried throughout the entire book, there is a glimmer of hope. It has a powerful message that all need to read.

Poetic, moving, and utterly heartbreaking, Please Pay Attention is a novel that demands to be read, felt, and deeply considered. Jamie Sumner masterfully captures the raw realities of a school shooting through the eyes of Bea, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy who navigates the world from her wheelchair. Her voice is honest and powerful, offering a perspective that is too often overlooked in stories like this.

This book isn’t just a story. It’s a wake-up call. Bea’s experience reveals the terrifying reality that not all students are equally protected when the unimaginable happens. It forces readers to confront the painful truth of how schools, safety protocols, and even society fail children in moments of crisis. It’s eye-opening in the most necessary way, making it impossible to look away or ignore the need for change.

Please Pay Attention broke my heart and filled me with rage, but more than anything, it left me inspired. Voices like Bea’s matter, and so does everyone else’s. “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” Every single person should read this book. It’s time to listen, speak up, and demand better for our children.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a very harrowing read. Most books about school shootings are, but this one hurt differently. Following an eight grade girl named Bea with cerebral palsy that survives a school shooting, this book and its unique structure does a great job of encapsulating the feelings of survivor’s guilt and trauma following these kinds of tragedies but not in a general overarching way. It really got into how Bea feels in the weeks after the shooting. How she doesn’t want to talk about the anger, the fear, the sadness, and the guilt. How she tries to deal with it via equine therapy. It’s a very beautiful book and very heartbreaking.

A great novel-in-verse showing the loss, grief and trauma Bea faces after there is a school shooting. Bea is traumatized and doesn’t want to talk about it and so her mom suggests equine therapy which helps some.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own

This one really hit home. I grew up as part of the first generation to start regularly practicing school shooting drills. And now I am a parent (actually an adoptive parent like Bea’s mother in this book) of children who find them common place. Please Pay Attention imagines the terror of a school shooting at a private Christian school from the perspective of Bea, a young wheelchair user whose life and story are spit into essentially two parts - before and after the shooting. It’s heartbreaking to read Bea’s inner thoughts as she tries to process not just the shooting but her own vulnerability and the aftermath that follows. It’s even more heartbreaking when you read the author’s note at the end and realize that the story is not just drawn from recent headlines but the author’s own loss of a close friend and educator. Quick and easy to read in prose accessible to readers of all ages and ability, Please Pay Attention addressed a serious topic that children to day have to address all too often. I hope this book helps radicalize a new generation of young readers to demand changes in gun control and school safety.

This review is based on a review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

During COVID I went to go see Coco in a park with my husband. It was set up like a drive-in, allowing for social distancing AND for us to get out and lose that cabin fever feeling. Right after the movie started, we smelled burning rubber as the air filled with smoke. Shouting and squealing tires drowned out the radio playing the movie audio. Suddenly, a car came around the field we were in as shots were fired through the crowd of families. It was a terrifying experience. We were okay and everyone around us was okay but it was traumatic.

I am a school librarian. I walk into a school each morning and walk out each afternoon. There is a chance that one of these days, I will not walk out. I could experience a school shooting.

This middle-grade novel in verse follows a girl, Bea, who experiences a school shooting. We get a chance to know Bea. The reader is introduced to Bea's life, her little buddy, her wheelchair, her mom who adopted her as a baby. Bea has cerebral palsy and when the shooting happens, she is unable to run and hide like her classmates. I cannot imagine how much scarier that would make a situation like what I experienced at the park. This sensitive topic is dealt with grace. Nonetheless, it is terrifying. Bea is also adopted from foster care, which is also handled with grace and a matter of fact way that is refreshing.

I think this is an important book. I want to add it to my library. More than anything, I want to force every single person who does not support common sense gun control to sit and read this. Because these things happen and too many people seem to think that is a fact of life when it does not have to be.

Thank you to Net Galley, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for the DRC. All opinions are my own and are heavily influenced by my experiences and reality.

Gosh, Please Pay Attention is a book that hurts in the best way. Bea is a sixth-grader with cerebral palsy who is Buddies with Josie, a kindergartner with anxiety, and best friends with Rani. Max is the school nurse, and also her foster mom who gave her her name because Bea’s neonatal room was decorated with Peter Rabbit before Max brought her home. Bea loves to draw and even gets in trouble for drawing places she shouldn’t, like her bedroom wall and classroom desk.

But then one day the unthinkable happens and an active shooter comes to the school. Bea panics when her teacher tells everyone to get down, and isn’t able to get down from her chair until after everyone else is down, leaving her feeling extra alone. The trauma of the day makes it hard for Bea to do anything she used to love, and being indoors makes her feel trapped because what if she’s too far from the exits or her chair can’t make it across an area?

This is such an important book but also so heartbreaking in the best way only because we get to see Bea healing and we see the love and community around her. There have been too many school shooting events in American history, and our legislation continues to waffle on creating any changes on gun access and control. The way Bea’s personal story is told interspersed with letters to her governor, pleading that they pay attention, is such a great element, especially because who she’s writing the letters to isn’t revealed until the ending.

Please Pay Attention is an exceptional book telling an important story. As mass shooting events happen, too often disabled people are forgotten and left behind, both literally and figuratively. This book, I hope, can make such a difference because it is centering the experiences of a disabled child, and also she is never shown as a burden. Bea is a loved child whose mom does everything in her power to help her heal, which translates to equestrian therapy because Bea can’t bear to talk about the experience. I loved this book and cannot wait for it to reach more readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Jamie Sumner for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story is told through the eyes of Bea, a kid with cerebral palsy and a wheelchair, who experiences a school shooting and has PTSD afterwards. Bea already hasn’t had the easiest start in life with a severe disorder that affects many aspects of her life. She has a wheelchair and braces on her legs. Her experience of the school shooter and finding her guardian afterwards brought tears to my eyes. I’m not a parent yet, but I never hope to experience the scene that Jamie Sumner wrote. The PTSD Bea has after the shooting is so raw and sad. Her guardian is so empathetic and understanding and helps Bea process so many big feelings in ways that she can. The ending letter can be applied to this tragedy but also a lot of the potential bills that are currently going through our political system. This book was so good, and, while it’s written for children/middle grade, adults should find this one worthy of their time.