The Science of Breakable Things is the perfect example of a book that address a serious topic (depression in a parent) while still presenting an engaging and even at times humorous story. These elements will keep students reading and rooting for the main character. There is so much in this book that would be a wonderful starting point for meaningful discussions with students. Keller has crafted one of my favorite reads of 2018 and I'm eager to read more from her.

The Science of Breakable things is a great book for middle grade students. The book covers everything from science (egg drop competitions) to friendship to depression to plants! I would hand this to any students who like a good, emotional read.

I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley. Several people in a Goodreads group I am in rated it as one of the best books of 2018. I really enjoyed the friendship among Natalie, Twig (our family had a dog named after Twiggy), and Dari. I really liked the scientific "steps" used to introduce different sections of the book, and the portrayal of Mr. Neely as a career-changing teacher really trying to be enthusiastic and inspiring. (It even made me wish that I could go back and put a different spin on some of the different activities we did when I taught science.) I enjoyed reading about Twig''s love of board games, but felt that dissing the Girl Scouts was unnecessary.. The footnotes were very cleverly used.
I was a bit bothered by the way Natalie's father, a therapist himself, handled the treatment of Natalie's mother. To just let her "go" for months, then suddenly do something substantial, all because Natalie's actions triggered a real need to act rang just a bit false to me.

Natalie is struggling because her mom has recently changed--she was fired, and now all she does is stay in her room and not talk, not participate. Dad is trying his best, and he's a therapist, but it doesn't seem to matter. Plus, there's also a friend issue with her friend Mikayla who has been weird for awhile. Natalie has Twig, and Twig is great, but it's still weird with Mikayla. Everything feels weird and wrong and Natalie does not have enough information. She is processing what she has in a science observation journal given to her by her overenthusiastic new science teacher. Actually, I think he is pretty funny and Natalie is a realistic character. At that age, you won't get to know everything and the pieces she puts together about her mom are sometimes wrong, but not so wrong to be exaggerated. Just...not right, not emotionally mature enough. It's a nice journal of feelings that feels like it happened to a real kid.

YAY for girls + SCIENCE!!! My 6th grade daughter is majorly into science and it is SO hard to find books for her that fit this interest area, so I was ecstatic to start reading this and realize just HOW science-y it is! The entire story is based on the scientific method and the science projects of Natalie and her friends, along with a storyline about Natalie's botanist mother and her research. SCIENCE HEAVEN! However, this isn't JUST for science fans. There are excellent storylines about Natalie's changing friendships in middle school and her mother's depression, along with her relationship with her father and feelings about counseling and middle school in general.

Required purchase for middle school libraries and highly recommended for grades 5-8. I am purchasing a copy for my library and have already pre-ordered a copy for my daughter.

A middle grade story that explores mental illness with a scientific element. Natalie was extremely empathetic for a teen and the secondary characters were just as fantastic.

I thought this was a very touching book, and might be helpful for an elementary age child who has a family member battling depression. I read it fairly quickly, and I was generally drawn in. I cannot speak from personal experience, but it seemed to address the anger and helplessness a child would feel and express. There was also a lovely thread of friendship and kindness, and it was good to see positive portrayals of adults who are coping with difficult situations and doing their best.

Natalie's family is going through a rough time. Her mother is going through an intense period of depression. She lost her botanist job, barely leaves her bedroom, and Natalie explains that the light has left her mother's eyes. Natalie doesn't want to share with others what is going on in her life, so her friends begin having problems with Natalie because she is acting weird and they know she is hiding something. Natalie's science teacher assigns a major project, where students must use the scientific method to answer an important question in their life. Natalie and two of her friends work together to compete in an egg drop challenge, where they could win some money that Natalie plans to use to take her mother on a trip which she hopes will break her mother's depression.

I enjoyed this book. The content was important. The characters were relateable and easy to connect to. I appreciate the fact that this book explores the impact of mental illness on family members, as opposed to the person struggling.

Natalie's mom is a force of nature - exuberant, helpful, focused - until she isn't. After a setback in research about a Cobalt Blue Orchid Natalie's mom goes into a deep depression. Natalie doesn't understand and is frustrated that she is not enough to get her mom out of it. Natalie thinks if she can just win the egg drop contest, win the money, and find another Cobalt Blue Orchid that her mom will rediscover her passion and be okay.
The book is told in a way that follows the scientific method which Natalie applies to both the egg drop project and to her mother's brokenness. Overall, the effect of the book is good and will probably find an audience. My biggest issue in the book was that the father was a therapist and yet was not able to really help his wife. Of course, depression is a complex subject and his wife was an adult so maybe it was realistic - not sure...

What a sweet story for middle grade readers! Mental illness has been a hot topic in the classroom with the coverage that has been occurring in the news, and many students have a connection with depression and anxiety. I think this is a great book for readers to see that they might not be alone in having someone close to them struggle with depression. I enjoyed the friendships in the story, and the use of the scientific method. At times I found the book to only touch on topics on a very surface level, but I think that is more reflective of the intended audience.

I was excited to get a copy of this ARC through NetGalley as I had been hearing a lot of buzz about this book! I was not disappointed!
I really enjoyed getting to know Natalie as she tries to navigate through a tough time in her life. Natalie's mother seems to have given up on the things that she used to enjoy in life. Natalie spends her days trying to figure out ways to help her mother love life again. Along the way, Natalie realizes how important friendships are. She also learns some important things about herself and about family.

The Science of Breakable Things was an incredible window and mirror book. It allowed readers into what is often a hidden situation, not often talked about. As one family deals with the depression of a mother and another friends deals with an absent mother, the friends lives collide in an egg drop competition that only leads to trouble, adventure and discovering one another on a much deeper level.
This book should be in all libraries providing windows and mirrors for many children.

I fully support the use of fiction to normalize and start a conversation about mental illness. We see how things like depression don't just happen to "other people" to the poor and ignorant. The protagonist is decidedly average, her mother an accomplished academic. The girl's reaction is realistic. SHe's angry and confused and ashamed. That part I loved.
I had a few smaller complaints. It's pseudo-scentific. There is much discussion of learning science, but no actual information. I also expected more exploration of the father's heritage. That lack felt like a missed opportunity.

As adults, we often don’t give kids the credit they deserve. We hide things from them to keep them safe. We shelter them from our troubles. But kids are smart. Even from a young age they understand the change in mood and sideways glances. In The Science of Breakable Things, Tae Keller deftly explores depression and the complex roles each person plays within a family.

In the case of Natalie, her therapist dad wants her to talk, wants her to explore her feelings, but never gives her the most important piece of the puzzle — understanding. It isn’t until the very end of the novel that Natalie is given a “why” of sorts. She spends months trying to fix things based on an assumption rather than facts.

I love Natalie’s fight. Even though the situation with her mom is broken, she’s not ready to give up. She’s persistent and creative and everything you could hope for your child to be. I love that even though they don’t have all the answers, both her friends and her father are trying. Natalie’s never really alone, even when it sometimes feels that way.

The Science of Breakable Things is a magnificent debut that explores family dynamics in a breathtakingly relatable way.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this perfect addition to any middle school library collection. When Natalie’s science teacher asks his students to ponder one big question over the course of the school year, Natalie knows that she can’t possibly answer the real question on her mind. She is sure that a science project can’t help her find the answer to what is going on with her mom, and why her family can’t be the way it used to be. Through the year, though, she finds herself with unexpected new friends and more answers than she expected. This is perfect for fans of Counting By 7s and Fish in a Tree and it is out TOMORROW (3/6/18).

I saw this book, and I was curious. The author was employing one of my favorite things, science, to tell the story of a young woman dealing with her mother's mental health issues, and it was done beautifully.

•Pro: Natalie was a charming and engaging narrator. Her voice was clear and real, and I cared very much about what she had to say.

•Pro: Nat's squad was top notch. Twig was already her steadfast friend, but she grew over the course of the book, and she demonstrated how she was a true friend and supporter of Natalie's. I also thought Davi was a fabulous addition to their twosome, and together, this "team" had great strength.

•Pro: You have to know, that the science geek in me was all over so many things in this book. There were awesome illustrations, fun science investigations, and I loved when Natalie's reflections were told via a science report format. The way the formats were employed was very thoughtful and effective as well.

•Con: I liked dad, but I would have liked to know what his hang up was with his Korean heritage, and I would have liked to have seen Natalie explore that a little more with him. It was treated in passing in the book, which made it stand out to me.

•Pro: Yeah for therapy! Natalie's dad is a therapist, and he takes her to a therapist. Natalie may joke about therapist "tricks", but in the end, she admitted it made her feel better. At first, I thought maybe the family was ashamed of mom's mental health issues, but I think them keeping it under wraps had more to do with Natalie's youth, than shame.

•Pro: Keller did such a good job making me understand how Natalie felt about her mother's health issues. I ached for Natalie. When she would talk about her mother in the past tense, and how she missed her, it really tugged at my heart.

•Pro: So much growth! Natalie grew tremendously over the course of this book, and started seeing things that were always there in a new way. Keller expertly took us through Natalie's struggle to understand what had happened to how mother. It was real, it was honest, and her emotions were believable.

•Pro: There were all these fantastic things accomplished in the writing. The metaphors and parallels Keller presented were quite beautiful.

•Pro: This book deals with something painful and sad, but it goes in the direction of hope, which worked for me.

Overall: An honest look at how mental health issues can affect others within a family, which was told thoughtfully and beautifully.

What is depression, and how can you explain to your child that her mother is suffering from an illness that even adults sometimes don’t understand? Natalie is struggling to understand. What happened to her mother that triggered these dark days? Why doesn’t she try better for her, Natalie, to push the darkness away?

Tae Keller’s witty and emotional writing, mixed with a heavy subject, resulted in a perfect book for any ages.

Written in journal entries, «The Science of Breakable Things» provides a different perspective on a widely-spoken subject - depression and what does it mean to the people around.

Natalie is determined to save her mom and start working on the new assignment. However, the scientific question does not come easy, as all she wants to find out is how to make her mother enjoy life again.

It was impossible to stay indifferent to Natalie’s struggles, her lively character and humorous descriptions. If you are looking for a book that will make you smile and cry, sometimes even at the same time, this is the book for you!

It is an example of what middle grade should be - humour, adventure and difficult subjects presented in a simpler way, captivating and utterly emotional!

Natalie and her father wait for Natalie's mother to come out of the bedroom in this book about dealing with illness in the family. Since no one has told Natalie why her mother has retreated to her room, Natalie draws her own conclusions. Her therapist father is just as helpless as Natalie is. Natalie and her best friend come up with a plan to solve this problem and it all hinges on winning the Egg Drop competition. Friendship - old and new- determination, hope, and finally, open discussion give this book a positive ending.

Natalie is dealing with a lot-- her best friend, Mikayla, no longer talks to her; she likes her teacher Mr. Neely but is occasionally overwhelmed by his enthusiasm; and her mother is so depressed that she doesn't get out of bed most days. Natalie knows this is because her mother was fired from her job at the university botany department by Mikayla's mother, but she wishes that she had her "old" mother back. When Mr. Neely suggests that she enter the Egg Drop competition for her science inquiry project, Natalie doesn't really want to, but thinks that she could use the prize money to cheer her mother up by taking her to Mexico to see the rare Cobalt Blue orchid that she was studying. Natalie works with her best friend, Twig, whose mother was a super model and doesn't always see eye to eye with her daughter, and eventually the two work with Dari, a fairly new student as well. Dari is very smart, but is having trouble making friends. The group tries many different ways to cushion their eggs for the drop (my favorite is using marshmallows and chocolate for the S'megg! If only they had incorporated a graham cracker box!). They sneak into the school to practice dropping the egg from a height, and their stealth tactics come in handy later in the book. Natalie's father is a therapist who makes Natalie see Dr. Doris to talk, and eventually things come to a head and her mother also must be brought into the conversation.

Strengths: The situation with Mikayla is SO true to life. Very strange things happen with middle school friendships, and the reasons aren't always clear. There is a good mix of home and school life that I wish I would see in more books. Natalie's ethnic heritage is interesting-- her father is half Italian and half Korean (but not being interested in anything Korean), and her mother is described as having blonde hair. There's a lot of support for Natalie all around, even though it isn't always effective. There are enough other things going on in the story to make the book interesting. Love the cover.

Weaknesses: I have come to the conclusion that I am the only person involved in #MGLit who is tired of all of the depressing stories. Everyone else (including Kate DiCamillo and Matt de la Pena) and is coming out with articles about why Sad Is Good. Fine. It must some horrible, Trump-induced Zeitgeist. I don't get it, but I have given up complaining. All I know is that sad books make me sad, and I don't need any help in that direction. I think a much better plan, when bad things happen, is to ignore them and move on. NO ONE agrees.

What I really think: I will probably purchase. The cover is appealing, the length is right, and it's less depressing than a lot of books.

Twelve-year-old Natalie is having a bad year. Her mom seldom leaves her room and seems to have turned into not-Mom. She is worried about her botanist mother and a little angry at her too. Luckily, she has the support of her best friend Twig who keeps school interesting with her big personality. She also has a new friend in Dari who is here from India with his parents.

Natalie has a plan to fly her mother to see the Cobalt Blue Orchids that she has been studying. They are unique plants that can suck up toxins in the soil and become a beautiful blue color. She is hoping that seeing the flower she loves will make her mother feel better and reconnect to life. But she needs money which is where the Egg Drop contest comes in. First Place has a $500 prize.

Natalie, Twig and Dari spend most of the school year working on their contraption to keep their egg from breaking. This egg drop project is what they will all be using for their year-long science project on the scientific method. Twig and Dari have come up with big questions that their research will answer but Natalie's question takes a while to develop.

Natalie has quite a year of growth and change. Since the story is told from Natalie's point of view, I was left with a number of questions. It didn't appear that her mother was receiving any kind of treatment for her depression despite the fact that her father is a therapist. It also looked to me that the changes in Natalie, i.e. daydreaming, lack of interest in school work, and failure to complete assignments, were being ignored by the school. It felt like Natalie was being left to cope on her own both at home and at school.

This was an interesting story about a child dealing with a parent's mental illness which was well-written and thought-provoking.