Teen Tuesday: If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth

Image: Scholastic Inc.

Happy Tuesday! Teen Tuesday features If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth. Mr. Gansworth's YA debut, published in 2013, is set in 1975. The Beatles just broke up and Lewis "Shoe" Blake's world is rocked by this. The twelve-year-old just loves the Beatles and music. He also moves between cultures every day where he lives in abject poverty with his mother and uncle on the reservation and is the only Indian kid in his Gifted and Talented class. Add his wry and sardonic humor to the mix and Lewis is pretty much an outcast. Enter George Haddonfield. George grew up on military bases all around the world. He's used to moving and used to meeting people from diverse backgrounds. He also loves music and the Beatles and wants to be Lewis' friend.

Readers who like a leisurely paced story will love this story of identity and friendship and music. Readers who prefer a faster pace should stick with it, because it's just lovely. Here's a link to my review from 2013, where I pulled tons of quotes that resonated. I think I need to reread this one.