Shape of Thunder

Jasmine Warga is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of middle grade novels A Rover's Story, The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan, Other Words For Home, The Shape of Thunder, and A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall. Her books have won numerous awards, including a Newbery Honor. Originally from Cincinnati, she now lives in the Chicago-area with her family in a house filled with books.

“[Cora and Quinn] are well developed, and Warga skillfully handles both their delicate, emotional friendship and larger subjects of grief and gun violence. Powerful and emotionally complex.” — Kirkus Reviews“The story builds steadily toward a moving conclusion; Warga’s lyrical language and credible rendering of both middle school life and of the tensions of two families coping differently with personal devastation make for a perceptive, sensitively told novel about the effects of gun violence.” — Publishers Weekly“Warga skillfully develops unique voices for her narrators, and the novel’s alternating-perspective structure works well. Emotions run high throughout the book without dragging down the plot, and the portrayal of middle-school life is utterly authentic.” — Horn Book Magazine“Warga limns a tale that downplays sensationalism while acknowledging the deep fear that many readers may carry regarding school shootings.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books“With taut pacing, nuanced characters, and compassionate depictions of grief and trauma, Warga’s novel is both timely and transcendent; a must-purchase for all collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review)“A beautiful story about the love that is possible even when the worst has already happened.” — Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medalist“Eureka! My heart and mind received a workout while reading The Shape of Thunder. I underlined, highlighted, starred, and put asterisks around words, phrases, and paragraphs. I pored over every sentence. It is the perfect book club selection. It asks big, important questions that will result in you asking big, important questions.” — Mr. Schu“Brimming with hope in the midst of a tragic loss, Jasmine Warga's The Shape of Thunder is a fierce and brilliant reminder of the healing power of friendship. Intimate, heartbreaking, and gut- wrenchingly honest, Jasmine Warga continually solidifies why she is one of the best middle grade writers around - and why Cora and Quinn's story will resonate especially with anyone who has lost a loved one. I am wholeheartedly in love with this book.” — Cody Roecker, The Novel Neighbor“Young people will identify with Cora and Quinn’s need to fix the big problems of the world with both science and a bit of magic. Through these two girl’s emotional journeys after a violent shooting, readers will realize the importance of speaking up about hard things. An homage to Katherine Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia, Jasmine Warga’s The Shape of Thunder is an important and gorgeously written classic in its own right.” — Jennifer Kraar, City of Asylum Books“The Shape of Thunder is a powerful and necessary story for our times, and it will leave no reader unchanged.” — Melissa Posten, The Novel Neighbor“This will spark meaningful discussions.”  — ALA Booklist