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Start giftingIn Honor of Broken Things
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Learn moreThree unlikely friends become partners in heartbreak and hope during a middle school pottery class in this powerful, poignant novel—perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Lynda Mullaly Hunt.
At West Beacon Middle School, eighth graders Oscar Villanueva, Riley Baptiste, and Noah Wright become unlikely friends during Introduction to Clay class. Oscar, a football star, just lost his little sister to cancer. Riley's been dragged away from Philadelphia by her single mom to a new life in West Beacon, a tiny Pennsylvania coal town that's smaller than Riley's old school. Noah's spent his whole life as a homeschooler and just started West Beacon Middle School as a result of his parents' train wreck of a divorce. Through art, football, failure, faith, and trust, the friends help one another to piece things back together again. In true friendship, they also discover that some injuries may never heal, some things can never be unbroken—and that's okay too.
Paul Acampora has written numerous novels and short stories for young readers. Kids, parents, and critics praise his work for its laugh-out-loud humor, rollicking dialogue, and heartfelt characters. Paul is a dad, husband, former kindergarten teacher, and full-time development professional now living in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.
Reviews
Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year*“Three students united by their respective family troubles form a supportive friendship circle in Acampora’s earnest narrative, which encourages vulnerability and acceptance. . . . Acampora approaches the characters’ struggles with levity and intentional thoughtfulness, making for a tender tale.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A solid story of friendship . . . The characters are multidimensional and compelling, and the plot includes some unexpected turns . . . Despite these twists, the book has a hopeful ending, leaving readers eager to learn more about the characters. A multifaceted, realistic fiction tale.”—School Library Journal
"With brokenness as a theme, crushing sadness could have sunk the narrative, but Acampora leavens the story with Noah’s humor, Riley’s tell-it-like-it-is feistiness, and Oscar’s openness to receiving help.”—The Horn Book
“Reminiscent of Gary D. Schwartz’s sparse writing style . . . [A] fine testament to kindness, friendship, and positive parent-child relationships.”—School Library Connection
“Writing with insight and wit, Acampora portrays teens and adults as complicated, sometimes surprising people.”—Booklist Expand reviews