Not Nothing

Starred review from May 27, 2024
Twelve-year-old, white-cued Alex’s mother has been missing for almost a year. Now sleeping on a lumpy couch in the home of his indifferent aunt and uncle, Alex harbors a simmering anger that soon boils over into an act of violence. A sympathetic social worker provides Alex the opportunity to avoid juvenile detention by spending the summer working at Shady Glen Retirement Home; once there, he immediately picks a fight with another volunteer. But with limited options—and nothing better to do—he returns to Shady Glen and meets 107-year-old Josey Kravitz, a Polish Holocaust survivor who “stopped talking and waited to die” following the death of his lost love. Drawn to Alex, Josey begins telling him the story of his doomed romance with fiercely intelligent Olka, a seamstress at his family’s clothing store who teaches young Josey how to sew, a skill that would save his life. Written in second person from Josey’s perspective, this tale of intergenerational friendship forged through a shared understanding of loss by Forman (Frankie and Bug) is told with spellbinding grace and wrought with exquisite structuring that quietly highlights the heartrending parallels between Josey’s WWII remembrances and Alex’s current struggles. Ages 10–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary.

Starred review from June 1, 2024
The boy "did something bad. Truly bad." A 107-year-old narrator speaks directly to someone named Olka, saying the stories in the book are about "me and you" as well as the boy, Alex (who presents white). What follows is an intense dual narrative that moves between the speaker's tragic life during the Holocaust and contemporary 12-year-old Alex's tale of loss and its aftermath. Alex's mother has disappeared, and he lives with an aunt and uncle who don't want him. His resentment, self-loathing, and all-consuming anger cause him to commit a violent act, "the Incident," for which he's arrested. His social worker arranges community service at Shady Glen Retirement Home, where he meets the narrator, Joseph "Josey" Kravitz, who keeps to himself and hasn't spoken in five years. But he's drawn to Alex and decides to share his story. When Alex's terrible Incident is finally disclosed, readers will grasp its gravity. Both storylines are filled with misunderstandings, tragedy, horrible acts of hatred, and selfless acts of bravery, which affect the protagonists in profound ways. As they realize that they have much in common, both Alex and Josey learn they can "rise to the occasion of [their] lives." Best-selling award winner Forman interweaves the tales carefully, with striking language and depth of feeling, allowing readers to understand the characters' changing perspectives as they learn more about themselves and open up to people around them, many of whom become advocates and friends. Powerful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. (author's note, bibliography, further reading) (Fiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from July 1, 2024
Grades 5-7 *Starred Review* Twelve-year-old Alex, now living with his aunt and uncle following his mother's disappearance, is court ordered to volunteer at Shady Glen, a care home, where he meets 107-year-old Joseph Kravitz, a resident who hasn't spoken in five years. Sensing a bond, Joseph begins sharing his memories with Alex, detailing his life as a Polish Jew, his incarceration at Plaszow concentration camp, and his subsequent rescue. In interspersed chapters, Joseph reveals both his own Holocaust experiences and Alex's troubled backstory. Forman (If I Stay, 2009) is a master of the slow, heart-wrenching reveal, and this story does not disappoint. Both characters feel deeply responsible for past mistakes and want to find a way to rise above them by making a good difference for others. Well-developed secondary characters add richness to the story and provide some lighter moments: Alex's social worker, Frank Johnson, puts his reputation on the line to get this second chance for Alex; Maya-Jade, a Chinese adoptee, volunteers at the home and becomes a real friend; and several other residents have comical foibles that often conceal their own past accomplishments. While the subject matter (hate crimes, antisemitism, mental illness, death) makes for some difficult reading, those who stick with this story will be richly rewarded.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024
Readers learn two things at the beginning of this novel: twelve-year-old Alex did something terrible, and he hates the word opportunity. The word has only come up in the worst moments of Alex's life, most recently when his court-mandated social worker arranges for him to volunteer over the summer at the local retirement home full of old people whom Alex thinks are "gross." At Shady Glen, Alex meets bossy kid volunteer Maya-Jade as well as 107-year-old Holocaust survivor Jozef Kravitz, who serves as the story's narrator, though he has an omniscient perspective. Jozef, who has been silent for five years, begins to share with Alex the story of Olka, the love of his life, and the hardships they endured in Nazi-occupied Poland. As Jozef opens up, so does Alex's world; he befriends other residents and Maya-Jade and learns to look beyond the pain, anger, and self-loathing that have been churning inside him ever since his mother's disappearance and his kinship foster care placement. Forman crafts a unique story, told in the voice of a wiser, older character; everything feels close and personal, from Alex's present to Jozef's past. She captures the quietly powerful moments of feeling seen and known, how friendships can make a bleak life feel fresh with possibilities, and how a person's worst moments need not shape their future. Amanda R. Toledo

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from October 11, 2024

Gr 5 Up-A stunning intergenerational story featuring a unique pairing of characters: a young boy and a 107-year-old Holocaust survivor. Alex, 12, has had a rough life. His mother's mental illness causes the two to move around a lot. When she is hospitalized, Alex bounces between foster homes and lands with his aunt and uncle who don't really want him there. After a horrible fight in school, the boy is sentenced to summer community service at the Shady Glen nursing home. On his first day, Alex hates the place and argues with another young volunteer, Maya-Jane. But things slowly begin to change for the better. Alex meets Jozef (Josey) and for the first time in five years, the elderly man begins talking. He shares the story of his Jewish family's life in Poland before World War II and his eventual escape from a concentration camp through a series of chapters that offset the main plot. In fact, the entire story is told in the voice of Josey, which can be confusing at first but makes for incredibly beautiful storytelling. Events from Josey's and Alex's pasts are gradually revealed as the two become friends, with each character emerging from a self-protective shell. The result is transformative. As the summer passes, Alex becomes an important part of the nursing home family, and even becomes friends with Maya-Jane and her two mothers. A supporting cast of characters, including other residents of Shady Glen, envelope the main characters (both figuratively and literally) in a touching story of hope and resilience. VERDICT This powerful book will be enjoyed by all young readers, especially those with a fondness for historical fiction. It will remind them that no matter what, no one is "not nothing."-Anne Jung-Mathews

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2024
Readers learn two things at the beginning of this novel: twelve-year-old Alex did something terrible, and he hates the word opportunity. The word has only come up in the worst moments of Alex's life, most recently when his court-mandated social worker arranges for him to volunteer over the summer at the local retirement home full of old people whom Alex thinks are "gross." At Shady Glen, Alex meets bossy kid volunteer Maya-Jade as well as 107-year-old Holocaust survivor Jozef Kravitz, who serves as the story's narrator, though he has an omniscient perspective. Jozef, who has been silent for five years, begins to share with Alex the story of Olka, the love of his life, and the hardships they endured in Nazi-occupied Poland. As Jozef opens up, so does Alex's world; he befriends other residents and Maya-Jade and learns to look beyond the pain, anger, and self-loathing that have been churning inside him ever since his mother's disappearance and his kinship foster care placement. Forman crafts a unique story, told in the voice of a wiser, older character; everything feels close and personal, from Alex's present to Jozef's past. She captures the quietly powerful moments of feeling seen and known, how friendships can make a bleak life feel fresh with possibilities, and how a person's worst moments need not shape their future.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)