This weekend, I had the immense pleasure of reading a soon-to-be-released book. One of my favorite things about book blogging is getting to read amazing books before they come out, and Sarno’s Just Under the Clouds is exactly that.

Always think in threes and you’ll never fall, Cora’s father told her when she was a little girl. Two feet, one hand. Two hands, one foot. That was all Cora needed to know to climb the trees of Brooklyn.

But now Cora is a middle schooler, a big sister, and homeless. Her mother is trying to hold the family together after her father’s death, and Cora must look after her sister, Adare, who’s just different, their mother insists. Quick to smile, Adare hates wearing shoes, rarely speaks, and appears untroubled by the question Cora can’t help but ask: How will she find a place to call home?

After their room at the shelter is ransacked, Cora’s mother looks to an old friend for help, and Cora finally finds what she has been looking for: Ailanthus altissima, the “tree of heaven,” which can grow in even the worst conditions. It sets her on a path to discover a deeper truth about where she really belongs.

Just Under the Clouds will take root in your heart and blossom long after you’ve turned the last page.

Just Under the Clouds is middle-grade fiction, which I don’t usually read, but as I’m switching out of the music room and into the English classroom, I’m making a concerted effort to fix that. And something I’ve realized as I’m making that effort? A good book is a good book–regardless of its intended audience–is a good book.

Just Under the Clouds intrigued me from the start. Cora’s voice is authentic. It feels real and it feels like the voice of a young teenager/preteen. So often in fiction, children speak too much like adults. I’m guilty of this in my own writing, as well. But as someone who spends several hours a day with teenagers, I know how teens should talk. I know the thoughts that young teens have every day. I know how they function. And it’s clear that Sarno does, as well. (Or she has a really good editor. But I’m going to give Sarno the credit here.)

Cora’s story is sad. From the opening of the book it’s sad and heavy and there is little hope. Cora finds the beautiful things in life and in nature, but at the end of the day, it’s apparent that Cora and her family are returning home to a shelter, to temporary housing. Cora is still mourning the death of her father. Cora isn’t doing well in school. And she is forced to play surrogate parent to her younger sister with an unstated mental exceptionality. (I assume she is on the autism spectrum, but it’s never explicitly stated.) It was tough to read, even as an adult. But it was important.

Something I really love about Just Under the Clouds is that it’s a story that needs to be told. It’s important to be told. Sarno has given a voice to people who don’t typically have a voice in fiction. And she’s done it masterfully. She’s done it artfully. And she’s done it in such a way that the readers are able to put themselves in Cora’s shoes. The reader is able to feel empathy—not pity—for Cora and her family.

“Home is more than a place. It is a feeling. Of warmth and security. Of love and stability. That no matter what we face out there, in here, we will always be looked after.”

The opening letter of this book—written by Julia Maguire, an editor at Knopf—tells the reader from the beginning that this book is about finding home. And that home is about a lot more than just having somewhere to sleep at night. This, alone, is an important lesson for anybody to learn. As a teacher, I know many, many students who do not feel at home in their own houses. Safety, security, and stability are just as important as having a roof over your head.

Just Under the Clouds opens in the middle of Cora’s story, which is something I really love. I love when the book opens and the reader is thrown into the fray of day-to-day life. I don’t like exposition. I don’t like back story. Eventually I want it, but not at once. I want to love the characters before I learn why they’re the people that they are.

Cora starts the book in a tree, watching her little sister, Adare. When her mother calls, she quickly descends and prepares to meet her mom, with Adare in tow. Except Adare is holding her breath and refuses to let it out. From Cora’s commentary, it appears that this is a regular occurrence. And this is a theme that runs throughout the book. The breath holding is important and it matters.

Another thing I love about Sarno’s writing is how everything matters. Everything in this story is important and returns later. She’s very much like J.K. Rowling that way. She’s a very smart storyteller.

As the story unfolds, we see Cora fail math. This is not uncommon in students—even brilliant students—whose needs aren’t being met. Maslow theorized that students had to have their needs of food and security and stability met before any learning could take place. And after seven years in the classroom, I believe he was onto something.

We also see Cora make her first true friend, a drifter of a very different nature named Sabina. Sabina grew up on a houseboat, floating from port to port, existing in her family unit and never attending public school. Her life is very unlike Cora’s. Her life is very like Cora’s.

Just Under the Clouds is peppered with little hints of the issues that come with homelessness, issues that don’t occur to most people. In the middle of the story, Adare and Cora are enjoying an after-school snack. When Adare doesn’t finish her peanut better, Cora feels obligated to eat it, merely so it won’t go to waste. This very subtle detail hit me hard. This is real life. And this is real life every day for students I come into contact with daily.

This is daily life for hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. It’s heartbreaking.

But stories like this offer hope.

I’m excited to stock this book in my classroom library. Many of my students have never considered what life is like on “the other side.” Most of the students I teach have never been homeless or had want for anything. They’ve never missed a meal or spent a night in temporary housing. And that’s okay. But because they’ve never had these experiences, chances are they’ve never reflected on experiences like this. It’s their privilege.

Before anybody gets their feathers ruffled: yes, I believe in privilege. I believe I’m privileged. I believe that everybody has varying degrees of privilege. And I think it’s important to understand and identify our innate privilege. Everybody’s is different. Everybody’s brings something unique and special to our society.

But it’s there. It’s real. It’s a thing that has to be acknowledged. It’s so well-written; it will make a great read for any middle grade reader, or a fantastic read aloud to younger readers. Take this opportunity to educate yourself and your children about the issues that others face.

I’m excited to share this book with you and with my students. I think Sarno has told a story that’s important.

Just Under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno will be available June 5, 2018 at all major book retailers. Pick yourself up a copy ASAP.

Plucky’s rating?

4 out of 5 stars.

A big thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for making a digital ARC available of this book.

The cover itself says much about the book. Cora is the older sister and the narrator. She often mentions trying to match hands and feet with younger sister Adare. This middle grade novel deals with both homelessness and disabilites. Readers in this age group will learn about Cora's life of uncertainty as she moves from one living situation to another and also helps care for her younger and special sister. Her love of trees and living things gives her life variety and beauty as well as a connection to her dead father. I especially loved having the Tree of Heaven figure heavily in the plot as that reminds me of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. Would make a wonderful read aloud for this age group so they could discuss concepts like home, friends, family and more.

A poignant middle grade novel about Cora and her sister, Adare. They live in Brooklyn with their mother, who has not been able to provide a stable home for them since their father died suddenly. Cora is a tree climber, fascinated with her father’s work involving all sorts of nature and especially trees. Adare is “special,” different from all the other kids Cora knows. She is fascinated by cats and crows and doesn’t say much. She can even hold her breath without stopping. When they find their way to mom’s friend, Willa, who has a beautiful and safe apartment, Cora makes her first real friend at school in Sabina. She also finds her father’s “tree of heaven” and is determined to climb it. It includes themes of home and family and belonging and tackles issues such as homelessness and poverty.

This book was a good look at what causes a family to become homeless. It was interesting to see how she dealt with it and where her breaking point was going to be. I liked the relationship she had with the other characters and how those relationships could make her feel safe or not safe. I wonderful book about coping with an unexpected crisis.

Just Under the Clouds, is told in Cora's twelve year old voice. Cora trys really hard to be strong for her family, even though she is grieving the loss of her Dad and struggling to work through problems at school. Cora proves that she can do hard things. I loved that Cora loved trees and that she was a friend to her little sister. A great middle school read about, loss, friendship and family. Once I picked this book up, I just kept on reading, the story will stay with me for awhile.

With the backdrop of the family's homelessness, Cora must learn to appreciate each place her family lives. The one thing she loves most is mapping her surroundings, especially the trees. This is a love she learned from her deceased father. After being placed in the remedial math class she becomes very upset with herself, but later learns she just needs extra help. Math begins to make sense to her. Finding her father's favorite tree is her goal. When she finally finds it and is able to climb it she does something she regrets. But even through the regret of not living up to her responsibility she begins to appreciate her family and their situation even more. This is a great book that shows readers that life will have many ups and downs. It is important to understand how to deal with them and look to the clouds. Life is always moving in one direction or another and it is what you see in those clouds/life that counts. I would recommend this book to everyone. I will be purchasing this one for my classroom!

This is a really sad story about a girl named Cora who is responsible for her younger sister, Adare, who has an unnamed disability (but behaves in surprising and often inappropriate ways). Her mother works a lot, her dad has died, and her family finds themselves homeless. Cora is a scientist but is struggling with math, she wants a place to live safely and they end up with a family friend, which seems good to Cora but her mother thinks the friend meddles too much. I found the story compelling but a bit confusing-the mother character wasn't fleshed out enough to understand her motivations and so she often seemed irresponsible. Cora vacillated between being the adult and being a kid. The whole story felt like it was trying to cover too much ground.

This is one of those books that opens your eyes to the issues of the homeless. With her mother and sister, Cora, the main character who is a child, moves from shelter to shelter after her dad’s death, but all are temporary and none is truly theirs.

Cora is a budding naturalist, due to her father’s field journal and interest in botany. She painstakingly documents all the tress around her in her “tree book”. The author has done some great research about the nature that lives in Brooklyn, naming varieties of trees that are new to me.

The reader sees a variety people through her eyes: an old friend of her mom’s who lives a life of relative luxury; a homeschooled new friend who lives on a houseboat ; a building of artists; as well as her sister, Adare, who is “special.” Adare has a magical way of interacting with the world.

This is a great book for middle readers — and one who should give them an empathetic view of the world not all see. I would highly recommend this book and give it five stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a pre-publication ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book tackles many difficult subjects with grace and care. I am looking to add this book into some of my social justice units, as it will help facilitate discussions with my students on a number of important topics.

Cora is big sister to a special needs sister. She's responsible for watching her after school until her mother picks them up at a park so they can go to a homeless shelter. They're dad died last year and mom's trying to find them a home. Sweet story and could be highly relatable to some of our students. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced readers copy!

Since the death of her father, Cora, her mother, and her sister Adare have been homeless, never living in one place for very long. At the time that this book takes place, Cora is very concerned: about how she is doing in math, about her family's lack of a permanent home, and about Adare, who has special needs. While these concerns weigh heavily on Cora, Sarno handles each with care, and tenderness. This is coupled with the power of both old and new friendships. Willa, a friend from Cora's mother's childhood, provides a place of refuge for the family after a particularly challenging event. At school, Cora meets Sabina, a girl whose family has moved from place to place in a houseboat, and whose story parallels her own. The family's struggles may be painful for readers, but are ultimately resolved in a way that seems both realistic and true to the story's characters. Just Under the Clouds is a beautifully-written novel, which will hopefully encourage understanding and empathy in young readers.

I adored the characters in the book. I think this is a middle grade must read. There are kids out that are dealing with a lot of things at home that you may not know are going on, like not having a real home. Growing and surviving as a family when there are struggles like these is hard. And trying to find your place in the world is even harder. This was a touching read. And I felt for the characters. A must buy for anyone with middle grade readers.

Just Under the Clouds was a sweet middle-grade contemporary novel. It painted a vivid picture of the setting and a narrator with a thoughtful and genuine voice.

3.5 stars.

This was a really cute, sweet middle grade story. The main character, Cora, was a fun narrator to follow, and I think a lot of middle grade readers would relate to her and her thoughts.

I enjoyed getting a perspective of a homeless child. I think this is a topic that is lacking, especially for middle grade readers. This book was a great look at the topic without getting too much into the dark, gritty reality which might be hard for younger readers.

However, this lack of depth of the topic made the book less enjoyable for me as an adult reader. I felt like some thoughts were repeated too many times (Adare was different, especially) and others were glossed over too quickly. While this did impact my enjoyment, I do think it would go unnoticed by someone in the demographic the book is intended for.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of this story in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cora carries the weight of the world on her shoulders as she tries to navigate through challenges that are not ordinary for a twelve year old. After the passing of her father six years earlier, Cora clings to his journal of secrets of growing things. Her mother must work long hours leaving Cora to care for and protect her sister with special needs. I highly recommend this beautiful story of friendship, family and discovering who you are in the universe.

A very sweet story, moving. It's about sister's, parent's, and friendship. The author does a great job of telling "home is where the heart is".

E ARC from Edelweiss Plus



Cora's mother has struggled to keep a roof over Cora and her sister Adare's head ever since the death of their father six years ago. This can be a challenge in New York City, even though the mother has given up her artwork and is working in a store. Cora does fairly well in school, although has been moved around so much that she struggles to make friends. Adare had a lack of oxygen at birth and has a host of unspecified challenges, mainly characterized by not focusing on the present, and occasionally holding her breath. When their last shelter is broken into, the family moves in with Willa, who is from the same town in Texas as their mother, but doesn't exactly approve of her choices. Cora finds the nice apartment, and taking the subway, to be interesting, and she is open to making some friends. Sabina is friendly, and lived near the shelter, so she seems safe. It turns out that her family is also a little unusual, and they live in a boat on the canal. Cora is very interested in trees, since her father worked in the parks and left her a notebook of his sketches and information about trees. When she finds the particular "tree of heaven" that he was studying, she wants to climb it to feel closer to him. Things with Adare get out of hand, however, and when she goes missing, Cora must come to terms with her past and present and find a way forward.

Strengths: The author MUST be drawing comparisons with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, with the poverty and instability, the beloved father, and the "tree of heaven". There need to be more books about students who are not comfortably middle class, so that readers can either see themselves or understand others a bit more. Cora's experiences are realistically and sympathetically done, and the book is short and moves quickly, which is never a bad thing in a middle grade novel!
Weaknesses: It seemed odd that Adare, at age ten, would not have been identified with a particular condition, even with the family's instability. Also, the grieving for the father takes up more of the book than I would like.

What I really think: There is a delicate balance of things my readers like in a sad book. They like lots of descriptions of what life is like, but they are not as fond of the character's introspection about their situation, if that makes sense. (I spend a large part of my day involved in the nuances of what students want in a book!) This isn't bad, but it's half a bubble off of what my students want, somehow. I will probably purchase it, and this is certainly a great book to look at for most collections.

Walk through a few weeks in the life of Cora.

For me March 21st is special b/c it is my oldest's birthday. For Cora, while I wouldn't call it special, has huge meaning to her as it is the date her father died.

Cora is a 12 yr old seventh grader having a hard time finding a place in this life as well as in math. She carries her fathers Tree Book and loves to draw and document various trees in her world.

Since her father's death, her home life has been unstable. She is in charge of making sure her younger sister Adare makes it from school to "home".

The journey is quick, heartfelt, and at one point heart-wrenching.

This book really made me wish I knew what my own kids thought at times.

As a children's librarian, when I talk to children about books, especially realistic fiction, I am always bringing up the images of books as windows. These windows open and we see how things might be, how things are, or how things were. Based on our experiences, as we look through those windows we learn, experience, empathize, or simply identify. The book Just Under the Clouds is the perfect example.
The family in the story is going through tough times, we see this clearly as we read the story, but there is so much more. There is some grieving, some growing, some understanding; there is change in the main character, but more than that, there is beauty in the main character's connection with nature. And it is all told (and shown) with a clear language that my students (fourth grade and up) can access and I can appreciate.

I must thank NetGalley for a preview copy of this title, but more than that, I must thank Melissa Sarno for writing this book.

I really enjoyed this book! I felt for the characters and just wanted them to be ok (with a place to call home). It made me sad for Cora, but hopeful that she'll make a better life for herself. I look forward to the next book by Melissa Sarno.