Jo Knowles

Still a Work in Progress

Candlewick Press

 

 

 

 

From the publisher: 

““In a return to middle-grade fiction, master of perspectives Jo Knowles depicts a younger sibling struggling to maintain his everyday life while coping with his sister’s secret struggle.”

​

 

 

Reviews:

 

"A beautifully crafted novel about a very tough topic, encapsulating it in a laugh-out-loud, very real story of a young boy... This is a profoundly important book that should not be missed."—San Francisco Book Review  

 

"A realistic and sensitive depiction of a family in crisis and a young teen’s emotional journey through it." —School Library Journal

 

"… a touching and realistic picture of the effect on those surrounding a person with an eating disorder." —Kirkus

 

"With moments of genuine warmth and middle school humor, this is … a heartfelt exploration of the effects of an eating disorder on a younger ... Readers will appreciate the honesty and accessibility of this tale about Noah’s desire to save the sister he loves but doesn’t understand." —Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

​

"The relative lack of eating disorder stories told from a male point of view (especially for middle graders) makes this a welcome addition to the canon and a realistic look at how one person’s severe illness can adversely affect everyone around them."

—Publishers Weekly

​

"With all the compassion of her acclaimed middle-grade novel “See You At Harry's, Knowles explores a family in crisis… Knowles skillfully captures the banter and vulnerability of boys this age…As this clear-eyed, gently humorous novel evolves, Noah begins to take in what’s “good and new and hopeful” and to understand deeply that we’re “all just human, trying to live another day” — insights that may prove key to his own (and the reader’s) resilience during tough times. —The Washington Post

 

"The novel is a great addition to a middle grade collection and will promote discussion in classes and homes."—VOYA

​

"Knowles has written a beautifully crafted novel about a very tough topic, encapsulating it in a laugh-out-loud, very real story of a young boy… This is a profoundly important book that should not be missed. —Seattle Book Review

 

 

Awards:

​

• A Junior Library Guild Selection

• An American Booksellers Best Book of 2016 

• A Washington Post Best Book of the Month

• A Children's Book Review Best New Kids Book (August 2016)

• 2016 Nerdy Book Club Award

• The Housatonic Book Award

• Kansas National Education Association Reading Circle Recommended Title