Sit

Sit by Deborah Ellis

Sit by Deborah Ellis is little book full of small, but mighty, stories. They all start with a child. Sitting. And all move and end differently.

Only two of the stories have the same characters, the rest stand alone. They are moving – some hopeful, some heartbreaking.

All are well-written. All drew me in. I did find myself, about half-way through the book thinking, “I wish parents were nicer. Paid attention to what their words, actions do to their children.” But I suppose two-parent families who try to do the right thing and help their children towards independence don’t necessarily make great stories.

(The later Penderwick books could be an exception. Their story starts as a family with a widowed father who is loving & kind. He later marries a wonderful woman who is also loving & kind. So that kind of story can be written, even today.)

That said, I did hand this book to my 16yo and recommended she read it. It would be a good read-aloud to expose children to others in very different walks of life and hopefully help develop empathy for those who face difficulties we cannot imagine. And perhaps provide a bit of hope for those in a similar situation.

Recommended for ages 8 and up, 6 and up as a read-aloud.