Read this when
The Sky Is Everywhere
Nobody tells you grief comes with guilt, crushes and a weird urge to write on walls. Lennie gets it. 🎷
Who it's for
Lennie's grief after her sister Bailey dies suddenly is messy: she feels numb, then furious, then drawn both to Bailey's boyfriend Toby (who shares her loss) and to new boy Joe (who brings back music and life).
Feelings it meets
What it is
Jandy Nelson's 2010 young-adult novel follows Lennie Walker, a high school student who loves music, after her older sister Bailey dies suddenly of a heart arrhythmia. Lennie copes by writing poems and notes and leaving them around her town, while living with her Gram and Uncle Big.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla where licensed) and as an ebook and an unabridged audiobook.
Before you start
Heads up: Sudden death of a sibling.
Age: Ages 14+
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, “On Joy and Sorrow”
