How to Find What You're Not Looking for

by Veera Hiranandani

Book Overview

New historical fiction from a Newbery Honor-winning author about how middle schooler Ariel Goldberg's life changes when her big sister elopes following the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, and she's forced to grapple with both her family's prejudice and the antisemitism she experiences, as she defines her own beliefs.

Twelve-year-old Ariel Goldberg's life feels like the moment after the final guest leaves the party. Her family's...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 052555503X
• ISBN13: 9780525555032
• Release Date: September 2021
• Publisher: Kokila
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.6" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

I couldn’t put it down!

I honestly did not think I would like this book as much as I have. I have stayed up late in the night to finish it which is something I have not done in a long time. So many issues are packed into this middle grade book, racism, learning disabilities, family, financial struggle, growing up. However the author weaves all of the issues together without being forced. The result is that the reader feels exactly what you felt growing up. We all deal with so many complex situations at once and emotions. It truly felt like the story was alive. All of the issues discussed in the book are historical fiction however they are the same issues that we face today and especially in the past year and a half. I think that readers of all ages can relate to our main heroine in different ways. The little pieces of poetry were sprinkled throughout the novel and just added to its beauty. I was amazed at how many feelings the author could pack into a small poem and I normally do not enjoy poetry that much! If you are on the fence about reading, take the jump, you will not regret it!

Good book

I mean, I didn't actually realize this was going to be a middle grade novel at first, so that kind of came as a surprise. Not that I have a problem with middle grade novels, I think they're great, and not that this wasn't made clear to me before I started reading the book. . . if I had read the description and actually paid attention to what it said, I probably would have realized what I was getting myself into. But I have never been one to pay attention to pretty much anything. Anyway, I thought this book was a well-written, sweet, and sincere portrayal of a family working through challenges, a community learning to adjust with change, and a middle schooler dealing with the hardships of being a kid. The second person interested me at first, bothered me after a chapter or two, and then sort of faded into the background as something I got used to. I guess things are like that. In summary. . . this was a well-written, interesting, and thoughtful book I'd probably recommend to a middle schooler looking to learn something new.