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From School Library Journal

March 1, 2024

Gr 3-7-With no tropes to lean on, Fong has taken apart the topics of "alone" and "together" that preoccupied everyone during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, and created an accessible guide to individual integrity. By opening with anecdotes and references to COVID-19 and then the orphans found in stories ("A Series of Unfortunate Events," the "Pippi Longstocking" tales), the narrative lays out a spectrum of what alone means, whether by choice on one end, or at the other, the "forced isolation" of segregation that led to the Greensboro Four, the Black college students who took seats at the "whites only" lunch counter in 1960. The information covered, in five chapters such as "Taking a Stand Against Loneliness" and "With Mac and Cheese, You're Never Alone," is peppered with Dyck's inviting full-color, comic-style panels and photographs, suggested reading (such as Megan E. Freeman's Alone), the inclusion of superheroes who battle their own isolation, and other cultural references that will resonate for middle graders. There are many avenues into the material; browsers can scan the table of contents for possible remedies for feelings of being too alone; researchers can access the index; the book also works as a solid read-through, and lends itself to a foundation for classroom studies. Back matter includes a glossary, resources, and an index. VERDICT The challenges of this topic are invisible; Fong is thoughtful in the material included but lighthearted in its rendering, and young readers will find much to consider in this "Think" series entry.-Kimberly Olson Fakih

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Booklist

February 15, 2024
Grades 4-7 For readers still recovering from the traumatic isolation of COVID-19 comes this exploration of the now-global phenomenon of loneliness. While the subject may seem depressing, Fong's upbeat approach looks at related topics on fighting loneliness, finding connections, and even embracing being alone at times in thematic chapters. For instance, the author starts with lonely superheroes and how loneliness can inspire change, as with the Greensboro Four, who participated in a sit-in to fight the social isolation of segregation. The book integrates historical and personal narratives and scientific studies that relate to human well-being, such as the study of swarm intelligence, in which bees' best defense is sticking together, and why we crave comfort foods and comfy clothes when we're feeling lonely. The final chapter focuses on boredom from being alone and using this time to foster creativity and kindness. No matter the topic, Fong emphasizes that even when we're alone, we're in it together--and we can work through it together. An excellent SEL resource.

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