Hope can be a funny thing. We tend to feel hopeful for things that we wish for but are also cautioned not to get our hopes up. We teach our children to dream and hope, but we also tell them to be realistic with their expectations. We don’t want to allow ourselves to feel hopeful because we hate to feel disappointment. So that’s why today I’m sharing a great YA novel by Keith Calabrese and eight other children’s books about hope with you today. This post is in collaboration with Moms Meet and Scholastic Books, Inc. Links contain affiliates, all opinions are my own.
a drop of hope review
I enjoy reading books about hope and recently I was given the chance to read screenwriter Keith Calabrese’s first novel, A Drop of Hope. Meant for Young Adult readers, A Drop of Hope takes place in the small town of Cliffs Donnelly, Ohio. Jokingly nicknamed If Only, Ohio by some graffiti artists, the name seems more appropriate for a town full of longing for lost dreams and what ifs. However, it’s here that three sixth grade classmates slowly start to believe in hope as they connect over an unexpected discovery. We’re able to follow along as the town of Cliffs Donnelly discovers what a single drop of hope can do as it creates ripples of change.
In conclusion I’d like to share that somehow this book was able to balance a quick, light-hearted read with a meaningful and thought-provoking story line. Not to mention that the intermingling of characters and lives and plots was enjoyable to read. I was able to read it in about a day and found myself laughing and tearing up as I read. A Drop of Hope was a very enjoyable read and I can’t wait to share it with my kiddos next!
other thoughts on A Drop of Hope
…A Drop of Hope is the kind of book kids need right now. The kind of book we all need. Because making wishes for each other and working to make them come true is more important than ever. …sometimes a drop of hope can make waves, and a simple story can change everything.
Jenne Abramowitz, Executive Editor Scholastic Press
more books about hope for children and young adults
- Because Amelia Smiled, by David Ezra Stein.
- Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, by Kathleen Krull
- Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, by Laurie Ann Thompson
- Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, by Dr. Seuss
- If You Plant a Seed, by Kadir Nelson
- A Time to Dance, by Padma Venkatraman
- Hope in the Holler, by Lisa Lewis Tyre
- A Boy Called Hope, by Lara Williamson
