Step - (Onward) by Deborah Ellis (Paperback)

About the Book

"In this powerful collection of short stories, children around the world turn eleven and take a step into their futures. Each one is changed in ways both big and small. Annoyed at having to walk his sister's dog on his birthday, Connor heads into an undeveloped subdivision, where he comes across chilling evidence of a stranger's unhappiness. A girl sneaks away from her class camping trip to a local conservation area and experiences, for the first time, the terror and joy of fending for herself for the first time. Dom's brother gives him a special crystal to boost his confidence, and the gift conjures up a child laborer from the impoverished area of Madagascar where the stones were mined. Mysterious voices at the local county fair prompt Aislynn to think twice after her older sister dumps her for her high-school buddies. While volunteering at his local soup kitchen, Len discovers that there are bigger shames than having the class bully seeing you in a hairnet. And on an historic bridge in Budapest, Lazlo's dream of the perfect father-son birthday outing becomes a nightmare when his father introduces him to his Neo-Nazi friends. A companion to the critically acclaimed Sit."--

Book Synopsis

In this powerful collection of short stories, children around the world turn eleven and take a step into their futures. Each one is changed in ways both big and small.

Annoyed at having to walk his sister's dog on his birthday, Connor heads into an undeveloped subdivision, where he comes across chilling evidence of a stranger's unhappiness. A girl sneaks away from her class camping trip to a local conservation area and experiences the terror and joy of fending for herself for the first time. Dom's brother gives him a special crystal to boost his confidence, and the gift conjures up a child laborer from the impoverished area of Madagascar where the stones were mined. Mysterious voices at the local county fair prompt Aislynn to think twice after her older sister dumps her for her high-school buddies. While volunteering at his local soup kitchen, Len discovers that there are bigger shames than having the class bully seeing you in a hairnet. And on an historic bridge in Budapest, Lazlo's dream of the perfect father-son birthday outing becomes a nightmare when his father introduces him to his Neo-Nazi friends.

A companion to the critically acclaimed Sit.

Key Text Features

short stories

table of contents

dialogue

Review Quotes

"A first purchase for school and public libraries and a first recommendation for teachers, homeschoolers, and independent readers." -- School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"A worthy addition for all collections." -- Booklist

"Poignant tales told from the young person's point of view." -- Winnipeg Free Press

"Poignant, empathy-invoking stories." -- Cloud Lake Literary

"Read individually, each story is affecting; as a whole, the collection is a potent representation of the onset of mature thought and emotional complexity." -- Publishers Weekly

"Simply written, but powerful in its message." -- CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"This book illustrates a profound and deep well of insight." -- School Library Connection