Staff Writer: Julie
Book Title: All the Blues in the Sky by Renee Watson
Published date: February 4, 2025
Number of Pages: 208
Format: Physical book
Genre: Middle Grade
Tags: Middle Grade, Friendship, Death, Grief
Cardigan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
On Sage’s 13th birthday, her life changed forever when her best friend died. She begins to attend a counseling group with other girls her age. Through it, she can go through all the emotions and understand that she can feel it all.
I picked this book up because it won the Newbery Award for 2026, which determines the “most distinguished contribution to children’s literature” that year. It had me from the beginning. While the poetry form is not my favorite, I think it worked well for this story. It made for a fast read, but with all the emotions. You feel for Sage as she goes through her grief, finding new friends, and forgiving herself. The conversations with her family and with the group make the story intriguing and keep you reading. While it is a difficult topic, it does need to be covered more in literature, especially for younger people. A great read for middle graders.