A heart-warming story that tugs at your heartstrings. It handles difficult topics with sensitivity. You grow to love the characters.

How often do you see a book about a young female budding comedian? Not enough if you ask me. This was a good realistic fiction book, that allows readers to see some pretty sad situations.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

This book is a heavy read. It is well written. The story and characters are well written and developed. I really liked Izzy and her story drew me in.

I think the book gives a realistic picture of the life of teenagers today. I think the way the kids with hard stories gravitate to each other is reality. I enjoyed this book despite the heaviness of the material. I think this story will help to develop higher levels of empathy.

The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts

It took a while to get into this book, but once I did, I wanted to see how the characters solved their problems. Each of the 3 kids had a different major parental problem to overcome, but working together they made progress and helped each other. I like this book and will recommend it to my students.

Although I had a copy of this book to preview, I kept putting it off because the problems faced by the various characters seemed overwhelming. However, when I finally started reading, I quickly was drawn into the lives of Izzy, Oliver and Ben. They are dealing with difficult situations - divorce, blended families, a boy known as a bully, a mother who committed suicide and a father sinking deeper and deeper into depression. But what comes through more strongly are the deep family ties that grow between the three kids on their road trip adventure. Heavy, yes, but filled with love and hope. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

The 2019/2020 school year is beginning and I am so looking forward to having this on the shelf. Actually, I should say off the shelf as I know it will be out more than it is in.

Wow. Heavy topics....but they are skilfully dealt with in ways that make the reader think. Wittlinger adds lightness in the form of Izzy. There's a lot that this book does right for middle grade readers.

I thought this book did an excellent job at making you think and consider life from different perspectives. Young People need books like this to help them relate as nuclear families are becoming increasingly rare. Good Read.

Someone Else's Shoes has so many heavy topics, but Ellen Wittlinger them deftly. Izzy, a middle school student who is dealing with her parents' divorce and their new families, gets thrown for a loop when her aunt commits suicide. Afterward, Izzy's uncle and cousin move in, and Izzy finds it hard to get the attention she so desperately wants in such a distracted household. Grief and loss are big themes in this book, but perhaps what I liked most about it was how Wittlinger pulls back the veil on what it means to be human (for adults and kids alike): Grappling with the "right" thing to do is hard! The author also shows characters processing with friends, trusted adults, and counselors, which I thought was well done.
Of course, there is lightness to this book, too! Izzy is a stand-up comic! And her mom's boyfriend's son miiiiight just be a juvenile delinquent... and there is a quest in which the kids in Izzy's extended family have some absurd - and some heartfelt - moments.
I recommend this book to mature 6th graders and up!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's always a really good idea as a teacher to provide books in student's hands that allow them to see into someone else's life aka walk in someone else's shoes. Especially noticing, students experiencing issues, life changes, feeling like an outcast, always seem to find one another. This story helps understand that need for company during hard times in your life.

ARC provided via NetGalley

I love books that tackle the hard topics. While I am a strong fantasy/sci-fi reader, realistic fiction that is actually real is hard to come by, especially for middle grade readers. People always kind of forget about them.

The different family dynamics, and subject matter (suicide) is hard stuff to write about and deliver in a way that students this age would understand. The telling of this story is not neat and pretty. It's messy a little rough and dark. Izzy, Oliver, and Ben really put together the story of what it sometimes can be like for children living with different and hard circumstances like this.

I applaud this book so very much and recommend it.

Not sure why I waited so long to read this thoroughly enjoyable middle grade read by author Eileen Wittlinger. With a charismatic 12 yr old protagonist named Izzy and a multitude of real life struggles teens and preteens face with family and friends, “Someone Else’s Shoes” hits it out of the park with authentic character voice and meaningful plot points. Focusing on issues of bullying and suicice is never easier but Wittlinger offers a sensitive yet realistic portrayal of how these issues impact not only those directly involved but also those feeling the emotional waves that unrelenting move outwards for the source.

Highly recommend.

Based on the book's page on NetGalley, Someone Else's Shoes was meant to be a about suicide prevention and metal health but, honestly, I think they failed to portray that well in the story. All we got was a glimpse; it was never fully discussed and dealt with. Instead this book is about children coping with issues they have with their single parents, such as the possibility that their mom or dad could get involved with somebody else eventually. It's also about how kids may feel invisible and would do unusual things to stand out and be noticed. But most of all, it's the story of finding friends and families in the unlikeliest of people.

I was halfway through the book before I got to the promised problem in the synopsis and Uncle Henderson (finally!) went missing. The search for him was a fun and very brave adventure, I admit. It was reckless and almost impossible, but who am I to judge? I've never attempted one like it.

The character's issues could have been more diverse. Both cousins were struggling with their parents, their dads in particular; Oliver's dad was mourning his wife's suicide thus neglecting his son most of the time, while Izzy's has a new family and so she was feeling neglected as well. There's also Ben, Dr. Gustino's son, who also has his own reasons to rebel against his dad who's dating Izzy's mother.

What I liked best is that the author smoothly developed the characters and their relationships with each other. The three children matured very well along the way and began to understand things differently, seeing the goodness that wasn't apparent at first.

Despite all the things I wish was improved, I really enjoyed this book. Do I recommend it? Yes, definitely!

This book deals with the hard subjects of loss, depression and finding hope again in different than ordinary families. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend it for purchase at our library.

Appropriate MG story that approaches loss and grief. Students will find someone to relate to whether they come from a broken home or not.

Trigger warning for suicide and bullying.

10 September is World Suicide Prevention Day. In America National Suicide Prevention Week is the Sunday through Saturday of the week surrounding this date. In 2018 this is 9 to 15 September.

If you are thinking about suicide, please know that you are not alone and help is available.

In Australia you can call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au

In America you can call 1-800-273-8255 or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

A list of international suicide hotlines can be found at https://www.befrienders.org

Twelve year old Izzy wants to be a comedian but life hasn’t been funny for a while now. Since her parent’s divorce she rarely sees her father. He’s remarried to someone too young for him and they’re having a baby soon so Izzy feels like she’s been replaced. Izzy lives with her mother who seems too preoccupied with everyone else’s problems to listen to Izzy’s.

Her mother’s dentist boyfriend has a 16 year old son, Ben, who is mean and scary. Plus Izzy now has to share her home with her annoying 10 year old cousin, Oliver, and her Uncle Henderson. Oliver’s mother died by suicide and while Izzy is sad about her aunt’s death she doesn’t really understand why it happened or why it’s making her uncle act so strangely.

‘Izzy knew from experience that when something bad happened to you, your friends got scared, as if they could catch your problems.’

Izzy, Ben and Oliver come from different worlds and don’t seem to have any common ground but they wind up on a road trip together searching for Uncle Henderson when he suddenly goes missing. The three kids, through death or divorce, have all experienced the loss of a parent and they all feel abandoned. They each deal with feeling invisible in their own way. They’re kids that wouldn’t normally choose to spend time together but discover they’re not so different after all.

I initially found Izzy’s attitude annoying and sorry, Izzy, but I think your comedy routine needs some work. She grew on me though. Throughout the book Izzy becomes more empathetic and learns that not all change is bad. I thought Oliver was a sweetheart from the beginning. The character that surprised me the most was Ben who, while I think we’re supposed to dislike him (at least initially), I loved from our first meeting.

“Be always tender, a little fragile.
It’s not a weakness if your heart breaks just a little.”

I loved that this book didn’t shy away from difficult discussions. Izzy asks questions about her aunt’s death by suicide that I expect would be typical of any child trying to understand and I thought her mother’s answers were quite sensitive and age appropriate. I appreciated that grief wasn’t one size fits all in this book; each character responds to loss in their own way.

I did have a problem with one aspect of the discussion surrounding suicide. I’m not sure how others will feel about this and perhaps I’m being overly sensitive but I was wary of the discussion of the method used. While all of the details are not revealed enough were that I wondered about the wisdom of their inclusion.

Given the subject matter this could have been a devastating book but it was ultimately hopeful, with a focus on the children supporting one another and becoming family.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the opportunity to read this book.

Someone Else's Shoes is a book that deals with some tough topics and all of the emotions that go with it. Izzy and her extended family members deal with a myriad of issues that involve many layers of emotions with each one. The topic of suicide is addressed in a compassionate manner where the author does an excellent job of capturing the characters emotional struggles as they try to cope with the loss of someine they love. The title is perfect for a story that allows the reader to journey into tough topics (suicide, divorce, depression, loss, finding where one fits in) and walk in 'Someone Else's Shoes' to feel the emotions they are feeling. I highly recommend this book!

A sweet story about three young people who help each through times of trauma. 12-year old Izzy Shepherd is none too happy about her cousin Oliver (10) an his father Henderson coming to stay with her mother and her after Oliver’s mom commits suicde. She is even less happy when the tattoo-wearing 16-year old son of the man her mom is seeing is foisted on the family as well when his father has to leave town on an emergency trip. However, when Oliver’s father disappears, the three join forces and learn a lot about what it means to be a family — even if it isn’t the one you’re born into. Some good discussions of the guilt children can feel when a parent leaves.

Someone Else's Shoes is written for middle grade readers and touches on some very heavy topics. The Izzy's parents are divorced and she feels let behind when her dad moves away and starts a new family. Her aunt has committed suicide, so her uncle and cousin move in. Her mom starts dating her dentist and Izzy is not a fan of his teenage son. Izzy has to learn to navigate all of the new changes in her life.

Izzy comes across as a brat in the beginning of the book. With everything happening to the people around her, I felt that she should have shown a little compassion. Then I remembered what it was like to be her age. The portrayal of a girl her age and how she might react to the changes Izzy experiences are very accurate, although at times extreme.

I enjoyed this book and loved reading about all the characters' challenges and how they overcame them.