Seven short stories, some written in first person, some in third, offer glimpses into the lives of seven middle-school boys as they navigate complicated relationships with fathers and grandfathers.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: STORIES ABOUT SONS, FATHERS, AND GRANDFATHERS by Avi shares seven short stories exploring the complicated emotions experienced by boys and their dads.

From a boy meeting his grandfather for the first time to a child interviewing potential stepfathers, each story explores a different aspect of interpersonal relationships. While some stories focus on bullying, abandonment, abuse, and neglect, others explore acceptance, compassion, and discovery.

Librarians will find that these stories provide a nice introduction to Avi’s writing for young readers. Work with teachers to build short stories into a literature circle activities focusing on family relationships.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.avi-writer.com/.

Published April 26, 2016 by Candlewick. ARC courtesy of the publisher. ( )

Avi has been a beloved storyteller for…a long time now. This collection of short stories revolves around the complicated relationships between fathers and sons. I enjoyed how he presents a range of relationships of varying degrees of closeness and understanding.

Being fairly short stories—I read the whole book in about 90 minutes, they don’t have long or complex plot development. Some of them even have an open-ended finish, leaving it up to the reader to interpret what might happen to the characters.

None of the stories is particularly gripping or exciting, so this might not be the book for reluctant readers, but it is a definite option for those who like interesting, complex characters.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Broken families, theft, fighting, PTSD.

Who Might Like This Book:
Although it reads as being primarily for boys, there’s no real reason that girls wouldn’t enjoy it, too. There are elements of parental relationships that are universal, regardless of gender, and there are strong mothers in several of the stories. The suggested age range seems appropriate.

This review is also posted at http://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2016/04/fathers-sons-and-grandsons.html

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. ( )