World Made of Glass

Starred review from November 21, 2022
Set in 1987, this short, emotionally charged novel by Polonsky (Spin with Me) follows a few months in the life of seventh grader Iris Cohen, whose father is dying of AIDS. People at Iris’s largely white, private New York City school know her father is gay, but Iris hasn’t told her friends, DnD players who head up an after-school Philanthropy Club, that he’s sick. Surprising herself, though, she suddenly tells new kid Julian, who’s just moved from Indiana and doesn’t balk at the news, or at Iris’s family situation—she and her mother live in the same West Village building as her father and his boyfriend. Alongside emotional first-person prose peppered with mentions of era-specific entities and people—ACT UP, Indiana teen Ryan White—acrostic poems exchanged by Iris and her father address themes of life’s fragility as well as managing grief and rage. Iris’s father says that writing a poem means first identifying its “beating heart”; foregrounding believable, dynamic characters and showing both the cost of inaction and fear around the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the power of activism to bring change and build community, Polonsky has done just that. Ages 10–14. Agent: Wendy Schmalz, Wendy Schmalz Agency.

December 1, 2022
Grades 5-8 Thirteen-year-old Iris' father has died of AIDS, leaving her furious at his partner, J.R., who was the one who infected him with HIV. She also feels anger toward her once-favorite teacher and her two best friends, Will and Toby, who react with fear when they learn that her dad had AIDS. It's 1987--the height of the plague years--and Iris, warming to J.R. a bit too easily, goes with him to a demonstration and an ACT UP meeting, realizing these are the only times since her father's death that her anger has abated. Additional respite is found in Julian, the new boy in class who becomes her staunch ally and then her crush. As time gradually passes, she begins to come to terms with what she thinks of as her rage monster. The novel's character-driven nature is underscored by an enlightening acrostic that Iris and her dad have written for each other. Altogether, the novel offers a valuable education in AIDS history and emotional wellness while never becoming overly didactic.

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Starred review from March 10, 2023

Gr 5 Up-It's 1987, and seventh grader Iris Cohen has a secret. Everyone at school knows her parents divorced after her dad revealed that he is gay and planning to move in with his boyfriend JR, but none of them know that her dad is dying of AIDS. When her father dies far sooner than she expected, Iris is filled with anger at all the people who are scared of getting close to her (including two of her best friends) because of HIV, even though she is not infected and the virus isn't spread through casual contact. She finds some relief from her anger by joining JR at one of the ACT UP protests on the streets of New York, demanding help for AIDS victims from President Reagan, the FDA, and Anthony Fauci. She realizes with her new friend Julian that people are often willing to help once they know the facts, so she and her friends come up with a plan to educate students at their school. This beautifully written novel explores the complexity of grief while showcasing the stigmatizing fear, ignorance, prejudice, and anger surrounding the AIDS crisis in the late 1980s. Iris is a sympathetic, authentic character whose love for her father shines through in the acrostic poems they composed for each other, which appear throughout the novel. All of the main characters are white, with the exception of Iris's friend, Will, who is described as the only Black student in Iris's grade in their private school. An author's note at the end offers a brief history of the AIDS crisis and the ACT UP movement, while expressing the hope that the book will inspire readers to fight for justice in their own ways. VERDICT With its sensitive portrayal of loss, and its carefully researched depiction of a devastating time in American history, this lyrical novel is highly recommended.-Ashley Larsen

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2022
It's the height of the AIDS panic in New York City, and Iris' father is dying. Last year, when Iris Cohen was in sixth grade, her parents got divorced because her dad came out. Her folks still love each other and even live in the same building. Dad's boyfriend, J.R., is so wonderful and kind that it's hard work to hate him ("If you lost your focus for even a minute, you started to love him"). But it's 1987, Dad is dying of AIDS, and the panic over the so-called gay plague is at a fever pitch. Iris discovers his diagnosis is no secret when the best teacher at her mostly White private school overreacts with ludicrous terror when Iris gets a splinter and there's a tiny drop of blood on her finger. How can you grieve when people are so scared that they won't go near a dead man's ashes without protective gear? Framed by lovely acrostic poems by Iris and her dad, the book shows a girl focusing her rage and pain into love through the nascent radical activism of ACT UP. An informative author's note describes the complex relationships of early AIDS activists with Dr. Anthony Fauci and adds factual historical nuance to various elements of the story as presented. The homophobia of the 1980s and the horror of AIDS deaths are softened for the middle-grade audience but still clearly present. Simultaneously sad and life affirming; a poetry-filled, inspiring call to activism. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

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Starred review from March 1, 2023
It's 1987, and twelve-year-old Iris Cohen is feeling extremely fragile. In the past year, her father, an NYU professor, has moved to an upstairs unit in their Greenwich Village apartment building and begun a relationship with a man. Before Iris can wrap her head around the new living arrangement, Dad contracts AIDS and is given little hope for survival. Iris and her father are kindred spirits and share a special bond -- a love of words, writing, and poetry. The acrostic poems left on each other's doorsteps give readers a glimpse into their relationship and shine a light on their wit, expansive personalities, and mutual affection. The devastation of his loss is made palpable when the poems abruptly stop. To honor her dad's wishes, Iris works at getting to know his partner, J.R., and, in the process, learns about her father's activism and advocacy for fellow AIDS patients. This aspect of his life is totally unknown to her, and participating in early ACT UP demonstrations allows her to channel some of the rage and frustration she feels. With the support of her mom and a small cadre of friends, she sets out to try to change the conversation about the epidemic, including the way the public is being educated about the disease and the way it is spread. This is the best kind of family story, filled with love and, yes, loss, but most importantly with caring. The narrative is lyrical and heartfelt, and young people will be inspired to see Iris transcend her grief, use her voice, and find a way to make a difference. Luann Toth

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2023
It's 1987, and twelve-year-old Iris Cohen is feeling extremely fragile. In the past year, her father, an NYU professor, has moved to an upstairs unit in their Greenwich Village apartment building and begun a relationship with a man. Before Iris can wrap her head around the new living arrangement, Dad contracts AIDS and is given little hope for survival. Iris and her father are kindred spirits and share a special bond -- a love of words, writing, and poetry. The acrostic poems left on each other's doorsteps give readers a glimpse into their relationship and shine a light on their wit, expansive personalities, and mutual affection. The devastation of his loss is made palpable when the poems abruptly stop. To honor her dad's wishes, Iris works at getting to know his partner, J.R., and, in the process, learns about her father's activism and advocacy for fellow AIDS patients. This aspect of his life is totally unknown to her, and participating in early ACT UP demonstrations allows her to channel some of the rage and frustration she feels. With the support of her mom and a small cadre of friends, she sets out to try to change the conversation about the epidemic, including the way the public is being educated about the disease and the way it is spread. This is the best kind of family story, filled with love and, yes, loss, but most importantly with caring. The narrative is lyrical and heartfelt, and young people will be inspired to see Iris transcend her grief, use her voice, and find a way to make a difference.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)