Pieces of Why

Pieces of Why

K. L. Going2015
From the award winning author of Fat Kid Rules the World and The Liberation of Gabriel King comes a lyrical, middle grade gem that asks all the hard questions and hits all the right notes--perfect for fans of Cynthia Rylant and Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine Tia lives with her mom in a high-risk neighborhood in New Orleans and loves singing gospel in the Rainbow Choir with Keisha, her boisterous and assertive best friend. Tia's dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might be talented enough. But when a shooting happens in her neighborhood and she learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison years ago, Tia finds she can't sing anymore. The loss prompts her to start asking the people in her community hard questions--questions everyone has always been too afraid to ask. Full of humanity, Pieces of Why is a timely story that addresses grief, healing, and forgiveness, told through the eyes of a gifted girl who hears rhythm and song everywhere in her life.
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Reviews

Photo of Jeni Enjaian
Jeni Enjaian@jenienjaian
5 stars
Oct 30, 2021

A student of mine brought this book in and told me that I had to read it. Having previously known nothing about the book, only a little about the author, I picked it up here and there while my students read during English class until I got to point where I wanted to extend their reading time so that I could continue reading this book. Going creates a heart-breaking realistic tale of a young girl, Tia, who lives in a lower-income, diverse neighborhood of New Orleans with her mother and the taint of a father in prison for robbery, at least that's what Tia believes about her father when the narrative begins. Tia and her best friend, Keisha, sing in a local choir, the Rainbow Choir, a drive-by shooting that results in the death of a young child less than a year old reopens old wounds and restarts old rumors that paint Tia with the taint of her father, not just an armed robber. I highly recommend this book.

Photo of Hailey
Hailey@uh_reader
5 stars
Mar 2, 2022
Photo of Alissa Kirchner
Alissa Kirchner@lissajoelle
3 stars
Nov 18, 2021