Still a Work in Progress

Vermont is privileged to have many incredible authors scattered through its hills and mountains, and nestled in the small town of Hartland is Jo Knowles, author of young adult books that touch hearts, bring tears and laughter, help us to realize there are others going through problems that we may be facing, and just plain make you think more about what others are going through. I was privileged to be part of Jo’s Still a Work In Progress ARC tour, and to be honest, when the book came (two weeks before the end of school) I thought, “Oh crud! I’m never going to be able to find time to read this book this week or next, maybe I should just send it on to the next person,” but I decided to give myself a chance and am so glad I did. My nights went longer, and every extra minute of every day found me picking up the book and reading on a bit more…waiting at the doctor’s office….while a student was finishing a test…during silent sustained reading (time I usually take for conferencing with students, I cheated for two days and read for myself)…even in the car, which usually makes me sick. I just had to get through, not because of the timeline, but because Jo had created characters that I really cared about and wanted to see whether things were going to work out for them.The book is narrated by Noah, a 7th grade boy in a rather small school. The school is so small that everyone knows each other and wandering from classroom to classroom is a hairless cat named Curly who seems to have a personality of his own. His two best friends are Sam and Ryan, and as most boys this age, they have begun to take an interest in girls. When Sam gets a girlfriend, you start to think that the three boys are going to be torn apart, and although it does create some tension, issues between the boys work out in their own way. Noah also has an older sister, Emma, who is a strict vegan and refuses to eat around others eating anything that has been killed. Her many demands about food, in fact, have taken over Noah and his parents’ lives. So, they eat the veggies and tofu and other concoctions that Emma creates in the kitchen, all while yearning for a juicy burger, greasy pizza, or lasagna, but make no complaints, afraid that the Thing They Don’t Talk About could happen again. But, as you pretty much expect from the beginning of the story the Thing They Don’t Talk About does reoccur, and it is what you think it is from the moment you meet Emma, but the story is really about Noah and the effect of this on his life and emotions. Yes, have the tissues ready for the heartbreaking moments, but know too, there will be laugh out loud times and times that will have you pondering what you would do in that situation. Cause that’s what Jo Knowles does. She makes you really think, she creates characters that you love, and she leaves you wanting more. 5★ Grades 5-8

At the heart of Knowles's story, Noah, an artistic middle school student, struggles as "The Thing We Don't Talk About"--his sister Emma's illness--slowly seems to morph into the only thing he or his parents can think about. Through Noah's art and his conversations with his best friends, Sam and Ryan, we see how he works through his mounting feelings of concern, helplessness, and even disdain: WHY was his sister sick? Why weren't his parents noticing how HE felt? Why did everyone else get to continue to live their normal lives when things were falling apart in his own home?While Noah's family life takes center stage for much of the novel, he also works to navigate the world of middle school dating and friendships. Noah's conversations with Sam and Ryan had me laughing at least every other page, and while their antics are hilarious and believable (just check out the chapter titles for a quick preview), Noah also learns about jealously, loneliness, and the value of steady friendships throughout the course of the novel.Still a Work in Progress succeeds because there is so much authentic emotion--guilt, loneliness, and fear, but also hope and joy--in the pages. This story will resonate with middle-grade readers because it fills a gap where there is a great need: We need stories that address heavier topics while kids are still young, so they can learn from them, grow from them, and hopefully feel less alone and more informed if they or someone they know are experiencing something similar. A book like "Still a Work in Progress" not only meets those needs, it does it with the kind of humor and skill that will draw in even reluctant younger readers.

Still another great work from a master writer!I loved the book. I love the way Jo Knowles writes. She has written some wonderful, and unforgettable books starting with See You at Harry's, Jumping Off Swings, Read Between the Lines,and now Still A Work In Progress. When I finished her latest book I sat for a long time and just savored the words,the voice,the emotions I had just experienced with that old lump-in-the-throat that tells me..That was one great book!Jo Knowles is one of the most exciting writers I have ever read. She consistently comes up with great characters that you really care about, and gives them voices that are so real, so believable, so natural that you think I might be able to write like that! But she does it for every book that she has written.You get to know the remarkable Noah and his friends Ryan and Sam, and feel as though you know them. I love to read books that have believable voices speaking like believable people. It is a great thrill to read such books aloud, and make them come alive!I do not like to tell people too much about a book, and I don't want anyone to tell me too much....I want to READ it!You Will Want To Read This Beautiful BookThank You, Jo Knowles for your continuing great Works in Progress!

Jo Knowles has delivered a wonderful story about friendship and what it means to be part of a family. Noah is lucky enough to have two best friends, Ryan and Sam. And to attend a school with caring teachers and interesting classmates. He's got a supportive family too. But not everything is all roses in Noah's world. His sister has a problem and it impacts Noah in a way that impacts the other people in his life as well.What I love about this book, besides the humor, the class pet is hilarious, is that it doesn't try to wrap everything up in a bow. It shows that happiness can still be found even if life is as the title says, still a work in progress.Like Kate Messner's The Seventh Wish, Jo Knowles book tackles issues that confront our young people and does it in a way that's supportive while being entertaining and enlightening. This book is wonderful. Don't miss it.

As with all Jo Knowles books, you are presented with a plausible reality and characters that you can relate to. Yes, this book covers an issue, but please don't pigeon-hole this as an 'issues' book, it's a great story that will keep you reading, and there is some beautiful gentle humour too. The inter-play between the 3 friends is so real, I could have been back at school. Another great book by an author who never disappoints.