This book was read and reviewed by my 12-year-old daughter who is dyslexic. She prefers books written in verse, because visually they are easier to follow. This was an excellent book for her, and I highly recommend it. The following is her review:

This book I might have stayed up reading it just mayyyyyybe.

The book had a perfect amount of suspense! The whole time I was wondering what was going to happen “was she going to make it?? “Or will she get wrapped up in her fears?” I like a book when you don't know what's going to happen.

I also liked how she never gets completely ok with her fears. It's not like oh now we have this safe space and the fear is all gone. (Though I don't want the main character to suffer.) It's perfect how she takes little steps (or should I say rolls) forwards or backwards. She's not suddenly taking a huge leap. As if she woke up one day and she was completely fine. But instead she wakes up in the night from nightmares of silver boots and the doors.

Bea is scared, she is scared that people will hurt her and she can't get away. She is scared that more loved ones will die, innocent people that she knew, that she loved, maybe she didn't realize how much she loved them until they were gone.

I highly recommend the book “Please Pay Attention” to anyone who likes “Out of My Mind,” and also to those who want to be at the edge of their seats the whole time.

The subject of this book is so heavy, but so important. Bea is a 6th grader who survives a school shooting. The shooting isn’t completely on page, but close enough so it would be a good read aloud (it’s in verse) with a middle schooler to open up the topic. In addition, Bea has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair so she was born a survivor and this figures importantly in the story.. The book’s second half is Bea’s journey as she begins to heal. Bring the tissues with you I needed them for sure.

5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for an eARC of this book.

Thank you @simonkids and @NetGalley for the #gifted ARC. All thoughts are my own.

“Sorrynotsorry
if that was hard for you to read.
Trust me,
it was worse to live through.”

Please Pay Attention is a Middle Grade story written in verse about Bea, a resilient young lady who is in a wheelchair because of CP and a survivor of a school shooting. It’s a book with heavy but realistic topics and themes about grief, anxiety, processing/coping, and learning how to live after a traumatic event.

This was a tough read…there’s a lot to unpack in this book, especially considering it’s written for children. My heart broke for Bea as she went through so many tragic events in her life but loved the found family aspect of the story. I appreciated that we got to see how she handled the anxiety and stress from the trauma. I can see some kids really connecting with the character’s thoughts and feelings. It showed the importance of mental health and how it is normal to have these feelings after traumatic events.

The novel-in-verse structure and the short incomplete sentences was a great way to show how Bea’s brain was struggling while trying to process the horrific event.

As a teacher, this is one of my biggest fears and hate that this is even something we have to worry about and prepare for. I’m not necessarily one to think children should be sheltered from reality, however, this isn’t a book that I would recommend to a student due to the extremely heavy topics that could frighten some kids. Most people read to escape reality, including many children, but this one hits too close to reality. However, I do think it is very informative and would be a good book for a parent/guardian to read with their child to start conversations.

Every single person who works with children should read this book!!!! "Sorrynotsorry if that was hard for you to read. Trust me, it was worse to live through" The depth and range of emotions than Sumner has you experience is unmatched. I do not want to spoil anything so below are some quotes that made me stop and process/feel/live in Bea's body.

"If the government can make sidewalks with dips, stoplights with chirps, buses with lifts, so that we have an equal opportunity to participate in the world, then you can make sure we also have equal opportunity to survive"

"Some questions like 'Why do you see fireworks before you hear them?' have satisfying answers: because light travels faster than sound. But others life Why do people do what they do? Will never make sense"

"I am a survivor again, but it doesn't fell lucky at all"

"In the wild, horses can sync up their heartbeats so that when one senses danger, the whole herd can respond without even having to make a sound. I wish humans could do that, but we never notice what's going on until it is too late"

"Horses are intuitive creatures, you can't steer them like a car. They read your emotions and reflect them back to you like mirrors"

"I need to go back before the memory of the fall grows bigger than the fall itself"

"Because we all deserve some sweetness from a buddy on a Monday"

TW: school shooting
Loosely based on the author’s friend’s experience, this middle grade free verse story tells the before and after a school shooting from a 6th grader’s point of view. While some may argue that there weren’t enough details in the book or that this is too hard of an issue for this age group, because it is from a 6th grader’s point of view, and told in verse, I felt it was authentic and portrayed enough to get the emotional depth desired for readers. My only negative comments would be that the main character needs more counseling than riding horses, and the letters to the governor weren’t necessary. Side stories include that the main character is in a wheelchair and is adopted.

Please Pay Attention...but you should not have to. Bea's world is split into a Before and an After, after a school shooting that takes the lives of several students and faculty. This book, primarily for middle grade, but really for all of us, tackles a subject that should hit close to home if you've been living in the US. We all know, are, or have a kid, friend, or family who is part of a school, and school shootings and drills are only becoming more common.

I will certainly admit to crying and tearing up, not just for Bea, or Josie (her Little buddy), but for all of the students who have had to deal with or prepare to deal with this sort of fear, grief, and loss. I would highly recommend giving this a read, and plan to check out other books by Jamie Sumner.

thank you so very much to netgalley, author jamie sumner and simon and schuster for this absulutely fantastic ARC.

this book will stick with me for a while. while i discuss disabled isssues online, safety during events like this is far from my mind and now i ask myself, what do i do? in the back of my mind at every mall, event, ect i see it as a possibility that could happen, even as an adult this unsettled me and spoke to me specifically.

i want to shout this book from the rooftops and have everyone read it. it’s a must read and i am left to think on the impactful storytelling for a long time to follow.

Trigger Warning: school shooting, PTSD, grief

After a school shooting took the lives of some of her schoolmates and her teacher, Bea Coughlin must figure out how to grieve, live, and keep rolling forward. But as her community begins to rally and protest, Bea can’t get past the helplessness she felt in her wheelchair as others around her took cover.

When her foster mom signs her up for therapeutic horseback riding, Bea finally begins to feel like herself. As she begins to heal, she finds her voice and the courage to demand change.

In a way, books about school shootings make me so sad because it’s become almost a norm for children, especially in America, and to think that someone reading this book may very well feel seen is a bit bittersweet in a way. I wish we didn’t need a book like this, but I’m also glad that we had one.

Besides the overall storyline of the school shooting, this book really focuses on Bea feeling helpless in a situation she had no control over and how with the help from her family, and a horse, she was able to get her power back.

Overall, this book is worth the read for younger students to feel seen and to help those maybe overcome the tragedy of being in a school shooting. This would also be great for adults to read to understand what the younger generation is going through just to get an education.

*Thank you Atheneum Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION – by Jamie Sumner

‘There is a Before and an After for sixth grader Bea Coughlin. Before the shooting at her school that took the lives of her classmates and teacher and After, when she must figure out how to grieve, live, and keep rolling forward. But as her community rallies in a tidal wave of marches and speeches and protests, Bea can’t get past the helplessness she felt in her wheelchair as others around her took cover.’

‘Through the help of therapeutic horseback riding, Bea finally begins to feel like herself again. And as she heals, she finds her voice and the bravery to demand change.’

The story opens—by way of poetic verse—in the form of a letter written by sixth grader Bea Coughlin, with the preceding salutation, Dear, Sir…

‘You have to hear the whole story / so you understand. /So if you don’t mind /I politely demand, /for the next little bit, / that you please pay attention.’

Highly Recommend!

Reading Age: 10 years and up
Grade Level: 5 – 6

Scheduled For Release – April 15, 2025 (Though Subject To Change)

Thank you, NetGalley and Atheneum Books For Young Readers (Simon & Schuster Publishing), for providing me with an eBook of PLEASE PAY ATTENTION at the request of an honest review.

summary:
This story follows 8th grader Bea Coughlin who grapples with the after effects of the day a gunman invaded her school, her nightmares and her recurring feelings of helplessness due to not being able to move as quickly as the others during the incident because of her wheelchair. With the help of a horse named Dumpling and her mom, Bea finds a way to move forward and make sure no other kid has to experience what she did ever again.


my thoughts:
Honestly I think this book has become one of my favorites for 2025. It's so raw and I felt so much emotion reading about Bea. A school shooting is something no child should ever have to experience yet SO many do every single year.
It's something that affects everyone in the community and I'm really glad Jamie Sumner was able to bring this topic into the form of a middle grade novel. The prose worked really well in my opinion and really helped to bring out the many feelings that Bea grappled with throughout the story.
It's easily 12+ but I do think it's written in such a way that is accessible to a variety of ages.

Bea was born prematurely and has cerebral palsy. She’s a sixth grader in a wheelchair which may slow her down, but doesn't let that stop her from leading a big life. Her best friend is Josie who she cares about deeply and delights in being a friend for her at school to help her through her anxiety. So you see, life is pretty great for Bea. Then one day during class there are loud pop, pop, pops and it’s not fireworks. The alarm whines and there is yelling to get down, get down! Yes, it’s a shooting at her school. Suddenly Bea is dealing with feelings and fears she has never experienced before and no-one especially at her age should have to feel. Her guardian Max recognizes Bea’s sense of grief and loss gets her into equine therapy where she begins to get her confidence and joy back.

"Please Pay Attention" is told in verse and through the lens of writing to her local governor in a plea to enact stricter gun laws.

Bea’s character is extremely compelling, possessing great will and a very strong voice she to uses even though she struggled to at times.

Although not much could stop this strong girl, still she of course had limitations. It’s scary enough for an able-bodied individual to experience the fear of not being able to escape an active shooting but it greatly pales in comparison to the terror that must be felt by being physically unable to get away let alone onto the floor and out of sight.

School shooting is a sensitive and tough yet very relevant topic so this book may not be for everyone. I read in horror as the events unfolded in that classroom, even though there was nothing graphic depicted. There were children and adults who died that day.

This story written in verse by author, Jamie Sumner is loosely based on a school shooting that occurred in 2023 in Nashville. Be sure to read The Afterward.

A sincere and heartfelt quote from “Please Pay Attention”

"Sorrynotsorry
if that was hard for you to read.
Trust me,
it was worse to live through."

This is not a long book and gets to the point quickly. It is a good read and I would recommend this book to an upper middle grade or adult reader looking for a book that is sure to strike a chord on your emotions and empathy

Please Pay Attention


The journal in verse format works in this instance as the reader can see into the emotions, and mindset of a preteen girl with cerebral palsy. Her life is good, if not perfect, before a shooter enters her private school, kills several people, and changes everything in her life forever. She grieves and feels helpless. Her mother wisely finds a wonderful way to cope. Therapeutic horseback riding seems to help.

This book would fit well into a YA collection in a public library, in addition to being a mainstay for a middle school or high school library.

This is a difficult but important book to read. The author was friends with Katherine Koonce, one of the victims of the school shooting at Covenant, and was partly inspired by these events. The author also has a child with cerebral palsy, so she writes as a knowledgeable source of a parent of a child with a disability.

This beautiful book is written in verse, and celebrates found family, healing in more ways than one, and the importance of taking a stand for students and their future. This story forced me to consider a new fear about school shootings--when we are told to run, hide, or fight, some children are at the mercy of their assistive devices. Bea was strapped into her wheelchair, with the wheels locked. This is a frightening reality that classrooms will also have to consider on top of how to barricade doors, break windows, or throw textbooks to distract a shooter. We shouldn't have to live like this, and at the end of the book we learn that she has been writing her story to advocate for better gun control. May it be so.

I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Readers meet Bea as she faces a traumatic event which triggers PTSD. There is a school shooting and she freezes in her wheelchair and does not know what to do. Sadly, she loses someone close to her and doesn't want to deal with the emotional pain. Her adoptive mom pushes her into horse therapy and it helps Bea recover. The entire book is written as a letter to someone and in the final pages we discover who that is. Sumner wrote for the lower middle grade level and uses sensitive and real language to convey the book's message.

This is a hard book and I had trouble finishing through my tears. Bea is such a sassy little spitfire and she doesn't let her limitations get her down. She's already bravely faced so much before she is present during a school shooting.
You can tell the author knows someone with cystic fibrosis and she was friends with a lady who died during a school shooting. What will it take before this is dealt with? This is such an important story
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

"Sorrynotsorry
if that was hard for you to read.
Trust me,
it was worse to live through."

Bea is a young girl, sixth grader to be exact, with cerebral palsy but she doesn't let that stop her. She is a buddy for her Little Josie who she cares about deeply and love being a friend for her at school to help her through her anxiety. Life is pretty great for Bea. Until a shooting occurs at her school. Suddenly Bea is dealing with feelings and fears she has never experienced before and never should have had to. Feeling lost her guardian Max get her into equine therapy and Bea begins to get her power back.

This story is told in verse and through the lens of writing to her local governor in a plea to enact change.

"Please Pay Attention" was a deeply moving and important story. No child should fear going to school or wondering if they will make it back home that day. Bea as character was extremely compelling. She had a very strong voice and wanted to use it even if she struggled to at times. Bea's telling of her story was very impactful. As an able-bodied individual the fear of not being able to escape an active shooting pales in comparison to what Bea was feeling during the incident, being unable to get away let alone onto the floor and out of sight. I will admit that when thinking about "imminent threats" I do feel that we as a society lack significantly in providing practical information about keeping oneself safe if one has a disability. Its certainly something that hadnt crossed my mind but I will always cross my mind from now on. I felt that the portrayal of PTSD was also very well done and digestable for a younger audience.

I think that this is a very important book and children should be made aware of this issue as it effects them directly. This is a book that I feel should be read and discussed with adults so that questions can be asked and answered and an open discussion can be had. There was nothing egregious or graphic and though there was death it was not of characters that were super close to Bea which I thought was a tasteful decision by the author but did not take away from the emotional impact of the story. I was still in tears multiple times.

Overall this is worth the read and I believe we could all learn a lot from this story and find a little more compassion in our daily lives.

I wish that this book didn't have to be written, but I'm very glad that Jamie Sumner was able to tackle this topic with such grace.

Bea is a student with cerebral palsy who experiences a school shooting. She goes through an incredible amount of trauma, as she isn't able to hide or move her wheelchair after hearing the gun shots. The book covers the days before the shooting, the day of the shooting, and the days after. It shows Bea's fear, frustration, and eventually her way to healing.

As someone with a family member who is wheelchair bound with cerebral palsy, I recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is heartbreaking and scary, but well worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read this book. It is on preorder for our library already. And thank you to Jamie Sumner...you wrote this book phenomenally and I appreciate the thought and effort into making this book so realistic from the point of view of a child with PTSD.

This is so terribly gut wrenching. I tried to read it from the perspective of a young audience, imagining me as my middle school self again. It hurts you, it makes you feel, it makes you understand tragedy and care for everyone about you but one concern I have with it as how serious will middle schoolers take this book. Everyone knows this is our reality, a horribly sad reality but it may be hard for middle schoolers to truly grasp what the meaning and feelings are behind it without only seeing it as fictional.

Lockdown drills are a shared experience amongst all school aged children and youth in America. However, what happens when it's no longer a drill? Bea is in a wheelchair and has grown up practicing for the "what if". However, this time it's not a drill and she experiences the loss of classmates and a teacher. Flipping between Bea before and Bea after she grapples with this traumatic experience and what she can do to push for change.

Sumner goes for the heart with this incredible, heartbreaking story that is a reality for too many kids in America every year. Bea is an inspiration. She shows kids that you don't have to be loud and on the frontlines to make a difference. She shows kids that healing from tragedy is possible. These types of stories are so hard to read - but they are just as important as textbooks and pamphlets.

Please Pay Attention
by Jamie Sumner
2 out of 5 stars
To be published April 15, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for a free copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion.

After living through a school shooting, Bea finds that she has the strength to speak up and to be a fighter.

I liked that this middle-grades novel was written in verse so it had short sections of text and short chapters. I liked the character of Bea and her mother Max. I appreciated the friendship of their neighbors. Bea has a community that surrounds her and is able to support her.

What I didn't like, however, outweighed the good. I am definitely going to be an outlier here, but I didn't find this book appropriate for middle-grades readers. It was much too heavy for a young reader to process, while at the same time written too simplistic. There were far too many themes for a young reader to handle all at once- school shooting, character who uses a wheelchair, and adoption.

The character was making an appeal to the Governor regarding gun control laws, and she was saying she was ready to fight. In my opinion, 6th graders don't need to be ready to fight. They need to be protected. It is the adults who need to be ready to fight. The depth of pain and fear were not portrayed to the extent that is realistic, and middle grades readers don't need to be subjected to that fear.

My overall opinion of this book is that it was a big miss. I would recommend this book to adults who want to start a personal conversation about school gun violence and to be reminded of the children who we are all tasked with protecting every day.