In Your Shoes

Gr 4–6—Amy is the new kid in Buckington, PA, having recently moved here from Chicago after her mother passed away. She's anxious to make a new friend and, surprisingly, the event that gets that ball rolling is an airborne bowling shoe that lands on her head the morning of her first day at her new school. Miles is a worrier and the wearer of the flying bowling shoe. His family owns a bowling alley and at the top of his worry list is the surprise he is planning for his grandfather's upcoming birthday. The story moves back and forth between their perspectives and is formatted like a bowling game, with sections of the story divided into frames one-through-10. Amy's talent and creative outlet as a writer also makes an appearance as a story within the story, and parallels the action of the main plot, especially as it relates to her growing connection to Miles. Friendship lies at the heart of this story, and readers who prefer character-driven novels will find this book highly appealing. The well-drawn, likable characters are relatable, and the novel's themes of grief and loss will strike a chord. The writing is perfectly suited to the middle grade audience and balances the beginnings of romance between the characters with the challenges of fitting in, the highs and lows of friendship, as well as the struggle to be an individual and maintain a healthy self-esteem. Fans of Gephart's previous books will enjoy all the research she works into the text that clues readers into fun facts, ranging from the wide world of bowling to what sort of specialty knowledge and experience it takes to run a funeral parlor to the many strange ways people can pass away.