Lisa Fipps does it again- with an amazing middle grade novel in verse called "And Then, Boom!". I think this is a novel that should be read to or read by all middle grade level students. Not only to gain perspective on the characters in the story- but to gain fresh perspective on their own lives. Life is full of and then, boom moments. One boom can lead to another. You never know where they will take you- good or bad. Lisa Fipps has an uncanny ability to delve into the hearts and minds of readers like no other author can. I cannot wait for what she writes next.

Novel in verse
I received an electronic ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group through NetGalley.
Powerfully written about a young boy who lives a life in poverty. Fipps addresses parental abandonment and what happens after a beloved grandmother and caretaker dies unexpectedly. After her death and his mom abandoning him again, he tries to survive on his own. Readers hear him tell the story of hunger and survival in his own words. He is fortunate to have two caring friends and an amazing man plus caring teacher offering support. It's painful to see how he builds lies to keep from entering foster care and to cling to what little he has. I appreciate the positive foster family who welcomes him and makes him feel safe. In particular the way he share that he hasn't looked for a safe space as the whole farm is safe brought tears to my eyes.
This is one for a more mature reader. Sadly, too many of our readers will connect directly with Fipps tale.

This book was so powerful. Joe's struggle both for food and for becoming willing to ask for help was tenderly portrayed. The poems offered a variety of approaches for Joe to find his own voice and the tension in the narrative was taut throughout. An important, well-written, and effectively paced book!

Lisa Fipps is a writer who captures my heart and soul with her words and characters!
I actually found myself speaking out loud at several points in the book the same way I shout at the TV because the feelings were so genuinely and intensely felt. If you need more evidence to capture that: The first time I audibly spoke "oh no!", my husband showed concern. What's wrong? he said. "Oh, something that happened to the character in my book." The next few times he recognized it. "Your book again?"

Not only is the main character one you will fall in love with, but the cast of side characters is strong as well. Fipps painted a glorious picture that brought you into their world and circumstances with the poetic language in this novel in verse. I marked/highlighted several passages that eloquently described something in such a meaningful way that it reached right in.

Like Starfish, And Then, Boom! is another absolutely beautiful, powerful tug at the heartstrings, important book.

I could honestly turn right around and read it again.

If you loved Lisa Fipps's first book, Starfish, this book will not disappoint. Her debut book was rarely on the shelves in my classroom as someone was always reading it and I this will happen with And Then, Boom! as well. With themes of abandonment, loss, perseverance, friendship, and compassion woven throughout, she tells the powerful story of a young boy living in extreme poverty and those around him who are able to help. This is a must have in every middle grade classroom and I can't wait to add. it to my classroom library.

And Then Boom! 💥 by @AuthorLisaFipps was a stunning, emotional read on @NetGalley
Librarians from upper elementary through high school should pre-order this powerful book written in verse. A must read. A perfect fit for a unit on figurative language and/or perspective taking!

I absolutely love this book. The topic is very hard but is so well written. Having a mom who skips out on you must be so devastating for a child. Joe gets knocked down time and time again, but with his Grandmum's help he learns how to pull himself back up. but Joe has such resilence and gumption to never give up. I cannot wait to share this with students when it releases. It is an important book for both childen experiencing hunger, homelessness and loss and for those children whose lives are stable so they can develop empathy.

Just my kind of book--a kid going through hardships has some good friends and even better adults around him, if only he'd confide in them. Perfect for middle school, even fifth grade, I think. Novel in verse.

Lisa Fipps does it again. In the follow up to her debut Starfish, readers meet Joe Oak, an 11-year-old boy with a tough life. He never knew his father and his mother is always feeling The Itch to go where the wind blows. As a result, Joe is raised by his Grandmum. After experiencing houselessness, Joe discovers the importance of accepting help when it’s offered. Joe has a strong friend group. It’s great seeing boys support each other and being vulnerable. We could all use friends like Joe’s! Although this book features a lot of trauma, the strength of community shines through. I’ll definitely be adding this title to my middle grade library.

Amazing. How does this author write such amazing characters, plots, and gut-wrenching scenes?!! I’m a huge fan of Starfish but this is a close second.

Joe is a kid who hasn’t been able to depend on his mom a whole lot, but thankfully, his grandma has been there for him, although they’ve struggled to make ends meet. And then, boom! Things go from bad to worse, but Joe learns to depend on the positive people in his life. So much to discuss with this book, making it a super book club book or independent read for Gr. 6+.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lisa Fipps, and Penguin Random House for an advanced digital copy of the book.

The heartbreaking (albeit powerful) novel in verse is about a boy named Joe who is growing up in poverty. At the beginning of the novel, Joe is being raised by a loving grandmother until tragedy strikes. Joe has to battle against all odds to survive...and that's before the tornado comes hurling toward his town.

A must-purchase for all middle school library collections--likely a 'best book' of 2024.

Get ready reader, this novel in verse will pull hard on your heartstrings.
Joe, middle school kid, has had to grow up fast and hard.

Joe’s mother has gotten in some trouble with the law, so her grandmum puts up the house as collateral for her daughter’s bond. But the mother once again gets The Itch and skips court as well as town. Bond money is gone so grandmum and Joe lose their home. They were already sitting on the precipice of homelessness before mom’s big mess. The pair are now living out of their car. Joe doesn’t want to let anyone know what is happening. He tries to behave at school as though everything is cool. This is pretty hard to pull off when you are starving, stinky from trying to bathe from a hose or dirty public toilet, and your clothing is threadbare. Kind adults assist Joe at school as much as they can. His teacher makes sure there are always snacks available for all the kids, which Joe takes full advantage of but without being greedy, and offers him access to the closet of lost clothes that he can choose from. Some things in there are really nice, like the brand new sneakers that fit him perfectly and even still have the tags on them. Hmmm, how did those get in there among the lost items?

His best friend finds a trailer park that his grandmother can afford to rent. The dwelling is not much… , yellow with brown spots, so they name it The Overripe Banana. They have no things with which to furnish the trailer and King of the Castle trailer park owner, Frank, kindly recognizes this fact. He becomes known as Uncle Frankie. He takes them to his barn filled with secondhand furniture, doors, windows, you name it. They get everything they need even a little gas for The Fishbowl, grandmum’s Pacer. This is an old American Motor’s car with lots of glass kinda like a fishbowl.

Still, Joe and his grandmother spiral downwards into poverty. Food stamps (SNAP) doesn’t pay for toilet paper, or tooth paste, or anything that keeps one clean, so Joe has to find and use whatever he can in public restrooms. Tragedy strikes, then the tornado… so you see why the cover of the book has the weight of the world on Joe’s shoulders.

The human kindness displayed in this book was so heartwarming, which I believe is indicative of most folks. The way Joe and grandmum sacrificed for each other demonstrated a genuine and deep love.

I most highly recommend this novel for kids of all backgrounds to read and understand that there are truly hungry people right next door. Even though ethnicity is never stated, I liked the authors use of names like Hakeem, Zuri and Bashirah.

Lisa Phipps has a unique way with language that brings every aspect of the story to full life.

ARC received from NetGalley.

Sixth-grader Joe lives with his Grandmum and his mom, but only when she's not gone because of the itch. Told in first person, Joe calls this his origin story. The how and why he is the person he is today, only in his story he wasn't blessed with x-ray vision or invisibility.

The positive people in Joe's life include Hakeem, Nick, Uncle Frankie and his sixth-grade teacher Mrs. Swan. Each one of these characters has witnessed changes in Joe, but no one can quite figure it out.

Told in verse And Then, Boom! has two very important messages for both children and adults. First and foremost, a person should not be afraid to ask for help. Secondly, if you are a bystander and have a feeling that something is wrong go with that feeling and dig a little deeper.

I felt a storm of emotions while reading this book. It is a definite must have in my opinion because a child who lives this story, can feel less alone. While a child with a different life experience can learn to feel empathy and compassion for others.

Lisa Fipps (Starfish) writes another masterful book that will tug at readers’ heartstrings and help them put themselves into someone else’s shoes. Being in Joe’s shoes means homelessness, abandonment, poverty, hunger, and fear. But Fipps inserts supportive characters like Grandmum, Uncle Frankie and best friends Hakeem and Nick to keep the overall tone from getting too heavy and who may also encourage readers to be the help that someone else might need. The idea of “And then. Boom!” meaning that life will often hand us some “and then this happens” transitions that lead to bigger “boom” events is completely relatable and applies to many big and small situations in the lives of everyone. Highly recommended for libraries serving grades 4 and up. Would pair nicely with Rex Ogle’s Free Lunch or Chicken Boy by Francis O’Roark Dowell.

Oof. This is a heartbreaking and important book about what it can be like to live in poverty as a kid. The free verse format was a great fit for the story, the characters felt authentic, and the ending left me feeling hopeful. Another wonderful middle great book by Fipps!

Wow, wow, wow! Powerful, unforgettable, and heart-breaking paired with hopeful, enlightening, and beautiful – these are all words to describe this dynamic novel in verse.

Author Lisa Fipps brilliantly adds touches of authentic humor to this children’s fiction text that examines themes of homelessness, abandonment, and survival.

In this book recommended for children ages 9 and older, Joe Oak has an undependable mom and a loving grandma, until he has neither. Joe’s life has never been easy, and the reader is taken on a roller coaster of events – as Joe calls them, “and then, boom” moments just like superheroes.

Struggling through poverty and starvation, Joe must find ways to trust others and reach out for help. An absolute must-read for individuals working with young people and helping others.

The imagery and onomatopoeia is fantastic in this book. This is such a powerful story that will have you rooting for the main character. It is told in an easy to read format, but that doesn’t lower the quality of the writing or the story. The way this is set up it will be the perfect book to connect reluctant readers to phenomenal story telling.

LOVED this heart-wrenching book. A boy who must deal with so many hardships and yet he does it all with the best intentions. This is a story that needs to be told about hunger in our communities and loss.

Outstanding, Incredible. Will stay with the reader for quite a while. This story was captivating, throught-provoking, and feel good all at the same time. i have already pre-ordered for my classroom library. I was rooting for the main character the whole time and the ending was so satisfactory and feel good. Loved this!!!

I knew I would love Lisa Fipp's new book, but I didn't know just how important it would be.
A few years ago when I read "Starfish" by Lisa, I immediately asked my principal to put it in every 4th-8th grade classroom. She did just that and "Starfish" was read in each grade!
I'll be doing the same with "And Then, Boom!"
Lisa Fipps handles poverty, food insecurity and abandonment in a way that is eye opening and accessible. I cried my way through the book, wondering how many students at my school struggle in similar ways. Too many, I'm afraid.
I'm thankful for the honest look at such difficult topics and for the way Lisa fipps brought light and humor and hopefulness to this story.