Please Pay Attention is exactly what a novel in verse should be: using space and prose effectively, packing an emotional punch, and presenting a strong message.

Not a single thing is sugarcoated in this story - not the school shooting, not the grief, not the call for comprehensive gun laws. Bea is a perfectly poignant narrator, with raw emotion as she deals with trauma and PTSD. I predict that Bea will stick with me like Maddie in Alone or Collin in Worst Case Collin, as she is an utterly original entry into the novel-in-verse unforgettable narrator canon.

Jamie Sumner presents such an interesting question to middle grade readers and the people who care for them: how do we take care of those who physically cannot escape or evade during a mass shooting? How do we prevent these from happening? This is a reminder for educators and caregivers for children: read this book along with them. This is HEAVY, and it will lead to some strong conversations. It will remind us all to please pay attention, as hard as that can be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I am a library assistant at an elementary school, so my thoughts are written with my students in mind.

This was a poignant story to read, even if I hate books written in verse. I'm giving it 3.5 stars because there were parts I had to read twice to make sure I wasn't missing something important and when I confirmed that in fact, the information I sought was not provided, it left me frustrated.

This is a bare bones description of a school shooting, in terms of no violence is described, merely suggested. Bea's facing the aftermath of the school shooting, including the loss of her teacher and her adopted mom suggests horse therapy. This finally helps her heal.

As I said, I feel a lot was missing from this story. Another book I read, This is Not a Drill by KT Holt, is written in text messages and I thought captures more emotion as the characters are searching for one another. The subchapters of this book are so fleeting and missing information that I don't think this provided the real depth that it could have.

As for politics, I cannot fathom why gun control is such a hot button issue that we continue to have school shootings and the people that can affect such change do not seem to care. Authors and newspapers can write about such tragedy, news channels can show the actual imagery of aftermath and students beg for the ability to be safe going to school and we as a country cannot even give our children peace that at school they won't be shot. Such a sad world it is out there.

Thank you to Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for this ARC.

Telling the story of a school shooting through the medium of a novel in verse is a great concept, and I appreciate the inclusion of a wheel chair user as the main character.

As a special education teacher, this book was so powerful for me to read. Not only in the eyes of my students but as a parent who has my own children at school with me. What we put our students through when we practice lockdown drills and then to go through the real things ( I have been through one when a shooter was just outside our buildings). This book should be read by everyone in education.

Bea has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. She is a great character who goes through a lot.
There is a shooting at her school and it really makes her question what she can't do with her disease.
She learns to heal, by riding a horse and eventually talking about it with Max, her guardian.
This is a beautiful novel in verse dealing with a tough topic.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

Sumner has done an incredible job looking at the realities and fears associated with school shootings. Covering time both before and after the event allow readers to see how trauma impacts Bea as well as how this event shatters her typical environment and routine. Bea felt realistic and well-written. Addressing concerns about wheelchair using students (as well as other mobility issues) in relation to school shootings and how they can protect themselves is so important. Overall, this was a well done and moving look at the school violence crisis and everyone should read it. It was also nice to see the book focused on addressing how the work to stop this really needs to fall to government officials rather than individuals.

Wow. What a book. Bea's story is one that students and adults need to read. I hate that this book needs to exist, but books like this just might make these situations historical fiction rather than our reality.

This is an absolute masterpiece of a novel in verse. I wish I could send a copy to every senator and congressman/woman and every member of the NRA. Too many young lives have been shattered by gun violence and the eloquent way you have of showing the perspective of a survivor is unparalleled. #pleasepayattention is a must read. Our kids shouldn’t have to practice lockdown or active shooter drills. My fellow teachers and I shouldn’t have to look around our classrooms and figure out where we could quickly hide kids.

In Please Pay Attention, sixth-grader Bea, who has cerebral palsy, is content with her school and her adoptive mom, Max. However, a school shooting shatters her sense of security, forcing Bea to grapple with new anxieties and complex emotions. To help her heal, Max suggests she connect with a horse.

Jamie Sumner sensitively portrays this tragic event, immersing the reader in Bea's experience. While the subject matter may be difficult, it's handled with care.

Because of its themes, Please Pay Attention is most appropriate for middle school and young adult readers.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A heartbreaking MG novel about a young disabled girl who survives a school shooting and the early steps of her recovery from that trauma. There is, tragically, a growing body of fiction for young people that explores the experiences of mass shooting victims and survivors. This is the first one that I am familiar with that explores that horrific experience through the eyes of a disabled person. It's a short read, and incredibly sad, with additional author notes that make it even more tragic (the incident is loosely based on the 2023 Covenant School Shooting which claimed the life of one of the author's dearest friends). Just accept now that you're going to sob through 2/3 of the book.

5 stars

When Jamie Sumner demands I pay attention, I absolutely do, and it's impossible not to when it comes to this heartwrenching novel and the challenge of separating the characters' experiences from what we all encounter far too often in modern society.

Young Bea is living her best life in the most expected place - school - when what used to be the unthinkable and is now becoming a far too regular occurrence happens: a shooting. Readers follow Bea through the experience, starting with a reflection on it and working back through the event and some of her processing. This is exactly the kind of book that the people who most need to read will be the first to say is too inappropriate for its young audience (and they, of course, will be dead wrong...again).

As usual, Sumner brings a youthful, realistic perspective to her middle grade protagonist. I wish - as we all do - that children didn't have to think about these kinds of experiences in modern society, but as they do, it's extra important that they see these horrors depicted in age appropriate texts. Sumner does a real service not only in explaining the unimaginable experience and impacts to this target audience but also forcing more seasoned readers to face this horrible pairing of young people and deadly incidents.

I wish we didn't need a book like this. Since we do, I'm glad we have one that's so well devised. This is another solid effort from Sumner, and it's one I'll be recommending to my own students.

There's a school shooting. But let's take a step back. Bea is a pretty normal middle schooler who happens to have cerebral palsy and was fostered/adopted by Max when she was very young. But then the school seems to explode around her, and she experiences PTSD. Horse therapy offers some hope for healing, but it cannot take away from the fact that school shootings should not happen.

I'd like to take a moment to complain that there aren't very many moments when this book feels like a novel in verse, but the few lines that really take advantage of the form do it well. This would be okay as an audiobook.
In many ways, this isn't as much a story as a call to action, but by using narrative elements and creating such a compelling character in Bea, Jamie Sumner invites anyone to empathize with the situation and recognize that there are ways to fight against school violence. I love how complex Bea is and the ways that we get to see her disability as well as her ability. There are humorous moments and tragic moments throughout this book. I would recommend it to elementary and middle school students who want to know more about what happens after a school shooting, particularly what it means to heal as a community. I would also advise those in government to consider Bea's words.

Thank you to Atheneum Books and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Please Pay Attention follows Bea, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy who survives a school shooting. This is such an important story exploring the grief, anxiety, guilt, and ultimately hope that survivors face in their journey of healing. The writing is beautiful and the author tackles this difficult subject head on with so much beauty and sensitivity.

This was such a tragic story to watch Bea dealing with the grief of losing someone close to her while also wanting to make herself stronger to be able to help herself and others if she ever finds herself in another situation. I loved that the author brought therapeutic riding into Bea's story and showed the effects that a horse can have on one's body and mind!

A plea to end gun violence in touching, palpable verse.

Sumner takes a difficult subject, you might even say two difficult subjects, and deals with their hard truths in a manner that's appropriate for young readers. It is heart-rending, mournful, yet not without humor, and ultimately hopeful. I want to think her plan works.

Jamie Sumner’s Please Pay Attention is a novel in verse about a school shooting, told through the eyes of Bea Coughlin, an eighth grader with cerebral palsy. The story is written as a letter to an unknown “Sir,” making it feel very personal and emotional.
This book felt different from Sumner’s usual style, and after reading the author’s note, I understood why. She tackles the tough topic of school shootings in a unique way, showing how students with disabilities experience these situations. As a teacher, it made me think about how we prepare all students for emergencies.
I highly recommend this book for school libraries, parents, and law enforcement. It’s an important and eye-opening read.

I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it. This story was powerful and emotional despite being a quick read. It’s told from the perspective of a young girl with cerebral palsy, who is confined to a wheelchair, as she experiences a school shooting. The book keeps details minimal, making it suitable for upper elementary students without overwhelming them. At the same time, it offers a deep understanding of the main character’s experience. I’m excited to add this book to my elementary school shelf and highly recommend it to others when it’s available in print!

Sumner tackles school shootings in a solid verse novel. Bea, the protagonist, is a wheelchair user, and her perspective is unique. Other titles have approached similar issues with a little more creativity, but this novel is heartfelt and accessible. Hand to fans of emotional verse novels.

Bea’s story is a reminder to all the silent affects of tragic school shootings that more and more children are having to learn how to deal with. Jamie Sumner does a great job balancing the emotional hard of Bea’s situation with family, animals, therapy, and a choice to push through the difficult days with that support. Great, quick read that will help students navigate feelings around the topic of gun violence in schools without adding to angst or fear.

Gun violence in schools is an increasing concern in America. With no indication of gun laws ever changing, Jamie Sumner tackles a very heavy topic that needs to be discussed. Written from the point of view of sixth grader, Bea, who is wheelchair bound with Cerebral Palsy, she is faced with the terrifying reality of a school shooting in her school. What do you do when you are trapped and can’t move? When you can’t physically get yourself into a safe hiding spot? How does a school shooting impact your daily life? Your education? Your relationships? Your mental well-being? All of these questions are answered in Please Pay Attention. Sumner draws the reader in with her verse, bringing every fear, every emotion, every moment to heart-stopping life. I could not remain composed while reading this, and that is exactly what we need. We need to wake up and FEEL. Sumner’s inspiration is drawn from her good friend, who lost her life to a school shooting in 2023. The main character, Bea, is inspired by Sumner’s beautiful son. Every single voter, parent, politician, teacher… needs to read this book.