Things Seen From Above

Written by Shelley Pearsall

Narrated by Eevin Hartsough and Christopher Gebauer

A shift in perspective can change everything. This brilliant new novel from the author of The Seventh Most Important Thing celebrates kids who see the world a little differently. April is looking for an escape from the sixth-grade lunch hour, which has become a social-scene nightmare, so she signs up to be a "buddy bench monitor" for the fourth graders' recess. Joey Byrd is a boy on the fringes, who wanders the playground alone, dragging his foot through the dirt. But over time, April realizes that Joey isn't just making random circles. When you look at his designs from above, a story emerges... Joey's "bird's eye" drawings reveal what he observes and thinks about every day. Told in alternating viewpoints--April's in text and Joey's mostly in art--the story gives the "whole picture" of what happens as these two outsiders find their rightful places.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781980056577

Shelley Pearsall

A former teacher and museum historian, Shelley Pearsall is now a full-time author. Her first novel, Trouble Don’t Last, won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Her other books include Jump into the Sky, Crooked River, All of the Above, and All Shook Up.

Reviews for Things Seen From Above

[sgrame_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

April volunteers to help be a bench buddy at lunch time to avoid the social problems of 6th grade. What she's not counting on though, is becoming so intrigued by a 4th grade boy named Joey Byrd. Joey is always by himself, and usually dragging his feet in the sand on the playground. April tries to engage Joey in conversation, and stands up for him when bullies tease him. But patience and persistence win out and eventually, April finds out there's a lot more than meets the eye to this boy who sees things so much differently than anyone else. grades 4-6