Please Pay Attention

• “The poetic language makes the horror of school violence clear without depicting it in a graphic way. In the end, Bea’s courageous recovery will prompt readers of all ages to examine whether school lockdown policies truly accommodate all students—and consider the possibility of a more peaceful world where such policies can be a relic of the past.” – BookPage, STARRED REVIEW* “Intimate, lyrical … . an accessible and cohesive interpretation of what it means to live with grief and find a way to feel like oneself after tragedy, as well as an homage to young voices and their impact on society.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW* “This heartfelt exploration of trauma, recovery, and the search for light in the darkest of times will resonate with middle school readers, offering a meaningful reflection on personal and societal healing.” – School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW“An emotionally gripping story about school violence, trauma, and recovery, whose focus on disability and mobility asks important questions about common assumptions and protocols of disaster preparedness and safety.” – Horn Book“Poignantly portrays the devastation that gun violence wreaks while leaving room for hope… . Bea’s gradual improvement via equine therapy and Max’s emphatic support are heartening, and readers will root both for Bea’s recovery and for adults in power to ‘please pay attention / and then / act.’ … Heart-wrenching yet hopeful.” – Kirkus Reviews“[In] this haunting, painfully relevant verse novel … Sumner proves yet again to be a deft hand in matching cadence and form with her subject … Bea’s story gives voice to the frustration and fear of students, teachers, and parents living in a world where young lives are collateral damages to people’s political beliefs.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books“[T]his novel in verse invites the reader to feel Bea’s every emotion while still rooting for the growth we know is coming. Well-paced with care taken in more sensitive scenes, this is a must-read book for fans of Erin Bow’s Simon Sort of Says and Barbara Dee.” – Booklist

Jamie Sumner is the author of the Roll with It trilogy, Tune It Out, One Kid’s Trash, The Summer of June, Maid for It, Deep Water, Please Pay Attention, Schooled, Glory Be, and Wish You Well. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She is also the mother of a son with cerebral palsy and has written extensively about parenting a child with special needs. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee.