Every Story Ever Told

In this life-affirming novel of trauma and recovery, a girl searches for a path forward after being forced to confront the reality of gun violence, for fans of Dusti Bowling and Jasmine Warga.

Stevie Jane Cohen-Kaplan's sheltered suburban life is shattered by a mass shooting at a festival in her town. In the aftermath, her brain feels broken. She can't bear to visit her mom, recovering in the hospital under Stevie's dad's watchful eye, or to be pent up in her grandparents' nearby Manhattan apartment.

To escape the apartment and her own thoughts, Stevie starts adventuring around New York City with her best friend, Avi, and a new therapy dog (in training). The trio starts chasing stories-about a neighbor's life after the Holocaust, Stevie's grandfathers who died of AIDS long before she was born, and even about her own mom's activist upbringing. These stories may not bring Stevie all the way back to "normal," but can they help her find a new version of herself?

Written with compassion and care, Every Story Ever Told places readers at the center of their own story and within a larger human tapestry, as one girl tries to make sense of the unthinkable.

"A buoyant tale of hope...A poignant and powerful tale of resilience."--Kirkus Reviews
"Ami Polonsky's Every Story Ever Told is a lyrically written, moving story about family, friendship, and the desperate need to tell our stories to a broken world. Some stories may feel too painful to speak out loud, but those can end up being the most important ones we'll ever tell and the most important for others to hear. Even when we can't yet see the ending, even when we only have beginning or a middle, we give others the opportunity to add to our story and finish it. And those stories, written across generations, really can make the world a better place." --Dusti Bowling, bestselling author of The Canyon's Edge and Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
"Deeply moving ... A sensitive and powerful look at grief with the uplifting reminder that even with all the bad crowded in, there is still room for joy and happiness. Highly recommended." --School Library Journal, starred review
Praise for World Made of Glass
A Kirkus Best Children's Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A CCBC Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Year
A Horn Book​ Fanfare Pick

"The book shows a girl focusing her rage and pain into love.... Simultaneously sad and life affirming; a poetry-filled, inspiring call to activism." --Kirkus, starred review

"Ami Polonsky has crafted a beautiful story which speaks of courage, family, love, anger, discrimination, ignorance, and hope.... Polonsky has delivered a powerful message to us all that should not be passed up." --School Library Connection, starred review
"Beautifully written...with its sensitive portrayal of loss, and its carefully researched depiction of a devastating time in American history, this lyrical novel is highly recommended." --School Library Journal, starred review
"Foregrounding believable, dynamic characters [this novel shows] both the cost of inaction and fear around the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the power of activism to bring change and build community." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This is the best kind of family story, filled with love and, yes, loss, but most importantly with caring. The narrative is lyrical and heartfelt, and young people will be inspired to see Iris transcend her grief, use her voice, and find a way to make a difference." -The Horn Book, starred review
"A valuable education in AIDS history and emotional wellness."--Booklist
"Impeccably written and emotionally powerful."--BCCB

Ami Polonsky is a middle school teacher, mother, and author, among other things. She is the author of World Made of Glass, Gracefully Grayson, and Threads, and invites you to visit her at

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