Book Review: Hope Wins

 


1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Angleberger, T., Mlynowski, S., Brallier, M., Buxbaum, J., Cartaya, P., Cervantes, J. C., Ogle, R., De La Peña, M., Gibbs, S., Gidwitz, A., Stine, R., Hiranandani, V., Khan, H., & Korman, G. (2022). Hope wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers. Penguin.


ISBN: 978-0593463932

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

From a family restaurant to a hot-dog shaped car, from an empty road on a moonlight night to a classroom holiday celebration, this anthology of personal stories from award-winning and bestselling authors, shows that hope can live everywhere, even—or especially—during the darkest of times.

No matter what happens: Hope wins.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book was amazing! It's a must-read! Reading through each page, I immediately remembered Chicken Soup for the Soul. Growing up, this was one of my favorite book series to read because each story in that book either taught me a lesson or inspired me in some way. This book was no different! Each author shared a story that helped readers understand them and made them more relatable. For example, reading through Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Thai Restaurant by Christina Soontornvat showed readers that everyone makes mistakes like she did when she mistakenly charged a customer $5,000 instead of $50.  I was also reminded that appearances may be deceiving through one of her recollections. Another of my favorite short stories in this book came from Adam Gidwitz, who shared wonderful insights into his childhood and how his experience being a “Poseur” eventually helped him find strength and what he liked. Each of the stories the different authors shared genuinely inspired hope. 

Although each of the featured authors shared insights into their lives and briefly mentioned either their culture or experiences that they learned growing up, their cultures weren’t described in great detail or enough to determine whether their experiences were accurately depicted in their writings. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this a bad thing; that was not the purpose of this book. Instead, this book was written to inspire hope and resilience among readers.

This is definitely a book I plan to purchase for my personal book collection. I absolutely loved it!

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in Publisher’s Weekly:  "These personal essays, whose authors embody myriad worldviews and represent a widely intersectional spectrum, provide a much-needed window into how hope can flourish in hardship, and stress the importance of perseverance and a supportive community."

Starred review in Booklist: Grades 4-7. Brock has anthologized a treasury of short essays and stories that captures authentic feelings and creates encouragement, much like her teen-focused Hope Nation (2018). Aimed toward middle-graders, this book’s unifying theme is also hope, and it delves into such questions as, What does hope look like? How can it change lives? The contributors deliver personal thoughts and reflections on the meaning of hope in their lives, sharing anecdotes of family, fear, and fun. The success of this collection lies in its breadth and depth of understanding, as the personalities and writing styles of the included authors envelop the reader. With contributors ranging from Tom Angleberger and Gordon Korman to Veera Hiranandani and Matt de la Peña, the collection’s chapters comprise a diversity of backgrounds and styles while bringing home the reality that though hard times and circumstances challenge everyone, hope can be nurtured in all hearts. Bibliotherapy in small doses.

5. CONNECTIONS

* Engage students in writing journal entries sharing personal stories about overcoming challenges or moments where they felt inspired. Once their entries are complete, they should share them with the class.

* Engage students in a research project about people from history who exemplify hope and resilience.  Have students create a presentation that can be shared with the class.

* Other books readers may enjoy

Thomas, A., Reynolds, J., Yoon, N., & Lu, M. (2019). Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration. Penguin.

 

ISBN: 978-1-52474-185-3

 

Media, I. T. T. (2018). Nevertheless, we persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

 

ISBN: 978-1-52477-196-6

This book was written for an SHSU MLA course. 

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