Librarians have power to change the world, one reader at a time – and I am here to work. I believe that books and libraries are critical tools for helping to create the next generation of citizens and leaders that will shape our future. Great for fans of Lara Williamson, Tom Avery, and Jo Cotterill.

My name is Sarah FitzHenry, but my friends call me Ms. Ali Standish has packed them all into a beautiful story exploring a difficult topic. #bookreview #theethaniwasbefore #middlegrade #kidlit #readthis #twothumbsupĪ post shared by Ms. Thank you to Spicer for the recommendation! I loved it, and I hope you will too. Fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and Absolutely Truly will binge read Ethan in a single sitting. Good MG mysteries are hard to come by, and The Ethan I Was Before is now at the top of my list. This method doesn’t always work for me, but author Ali Standish masterfully lays out just enough detail at just the right time to keep you both invested and curious (a very tricky combo). Ali Standish, author of the critically acclaimed The Ethan I Was Before, August Isle, and Bad Bella, grew up in North Carolina and spent several years a. It deals with themes such as grief, guilt, letting go, forgiveness, and hope, which the author has handled here greatly. “The incident”, and Ethan’s feelings and actions as a result, are revealed little by little as you read. The Ethan I Was Before is a heartwrenching story about a boy running away from his past and doing his best not to repeat the same mistake. Ethan’s family has just moved from their home in Boston to his grandfather’s place in Georgia hoping that it will help Ethan move on from “the incident”. While The Ethan I Was Before has all of those components, they are mixed in with what turns out to be an exciting and spooky mystery/adventure, all laid out beautifully in a novel that goes by so fast you won’t believe it’s 350+ pages. When a student suggested this to me, I thought I knew what to expect boy faces tragedy, boy has to move far away to heal, boy makes a new friend to help him get over tragedy.

The ethan i was before by ali standish