The One Thing You'd Save

By: Linda Sue Park

Narrated by: Nancy Wu, Maxwell Glick, Elizabeth Pan, Full Cast

If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park explores different answers to this provocative question in linked poems that capture the diverse voices of a middle school class.

When a teacher asks her class what one thing they would save in an emergency, some students know the answer right away. Others come to their decisions more slowly. And some change their minds when they hear their classmates’ responses. A lively dialog ignites as the students discover unexpected facets of one another—and themselves. With her ear for authentic dialog and knowledge of tweens’ priorities and emotions, Linda Sue Park brings the varied voices of an inclusive classroom to life through carefully honed, engaging, and instantly accessible verse.

Unclear story beginning

It’s hard to tell when the story starts. The plot wasn’t strong. It’s mainly a bunch of classmates talking about what they’d save from a fire.
Review by Jack, 5th grade