{"product_id":"speed-of-life-9781492654490","title":"Speed of Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom award winning author Carol Weston comes an uplifting, heartfelt tale of bravery and strength in the face of loss and grief, perfect for tweens, teens and adults alike.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I will eagerly place it on my daughter's bookshelf, so that she, like Sofia, can find her own resilience and voice in our painful, joyful, speeding world.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e--New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it's a new year and they're ready for Sofia to move on. But being a motherless daughter is hard to get used to, especially when you're only fourteen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProblem is, Sofia can't bounce back, can't recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for \u003cem\u003eFifteen Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. Turns out even advice columnists don't have all the answers, and one day Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e2018 Best Fiction for Young Adults - American Library Association\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year - Bank Street College of Education\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e2017 Best Fiction for Older Readers - Chicago Public Library\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e2019-2020 Young Hoosier Book Award Longlist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFour STARRED Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRead the first page from \u003cem\u003eSpeed of Life\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWARNING: This is kind of a sad story.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt least at first. So if you don't like sad stories, maybe you shouldn't read this. I mean, I'd understand if you put it down and watched cat videos instead. I like cat videos too.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen again, this book is already in your hands. It starts and ends on January 1, and I was thinking of calling it \u003cem\u003eThe Year My Whole Life Changed\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eOr Life, Death, and Kisses\u003c\/em\u003e. Or maybe even \u003cem\u003eThe Year I Grew Up\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor me, being fourteen was hard. Really hard. Childhood was a piece of cake. Being a kid in New York City and spending summers in Spain, that was all pretty perfect, looking back. But being fourteen was like climbing a mountain in the rain. In flip-flops. I hoped I'd wind up in a different place, but I kept tripping and slipping and falling and wishing it weren't way too late to turn around.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book does have funny parts. And I learned two giant facts: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNumber one: everything can change in an instant--for worse, sure, but also for better.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNumber two: sometimes, if you just keep climbing, you get an amazing view. You see what's behind you and what's ahead of you and--the big surprise--what's inside you.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Sourcebooks Young Readers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/04\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781492654490\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 352\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.95lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 5.80w x 1.40d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/13\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/15\/2017 pg. 146\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2017 pg. 140\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/14\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/15\/2017 pg. 51\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHorn Book Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2017 pg. 148\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHornbook Guide to Children\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2017 pg. 150 - Superior,Well Above Average\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAccelerated Reader Quiz #\/Name: \u003c\/b\u003e188411 \/ Speed of Life\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/b\u003e 4.3 \/ \u003cb\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/b\u003e Middle Grade Plus \/ \u003cb\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Carol Weston","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43067685273781,"sku":"9781492654490","price":14.44,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_76eb550d-7495-4e7d-bdab-306ed34c2d34.jpg?v=1690863028","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/speed-of-life-9781492654490","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}