Every Story Ever Told, Ami Polonsky
Every Story Ever Told, Ami Polonsky
List: $18.99 | Sale: $13.29
Club: $9.49

Every Story Ever Told

Author: Ami Polonsky

Narrator: Cassie Holloway

Unabridged: 5 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/29/2024


Synopsis

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.

About Ami Polonsky

Ami Polonsky is a reading and writing tutor, mother to two young children, and author of Gracefully Grayson, among other things. A former language arts teacher and literacy coach, Ami remains passionate about guiding children towards a love of books and helping create lifetime readers. Ami lives outside of Chicago with her family.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Caitlin on March 05, 2025

Big important topics covered in this one, but it was just too much for a single book.......more

Goodreads review by Amy on February 12, 2025

Personally victimized by Ami Polonksy once again. I didn't even know that this in the same universe as World Made of Glass but I love that it was. I think that she just SO gets it when it comes to trauma and grief, especially the physical sensations that can manifest (like getting randomly dizzy) an......more

Goodreads review by Linda on February 23, 2025

This is a sequel to World Made of Glass and once again Ami Polonsky writes about trauma and grief in a way that is accessible for children and she writes about the importance of learning about history and the dangers of gun violence without being preachy. I hope that children read this and decide to......more

Goodreads review by Anna on April 23, 2025

I listened to this one as an audiobook and I was pretty hooked towards the beginning when the shooting was the main focus. I think the author tried to address too many other systemic and social justice issues in one book, so I got a bit lost as the book continued into issues of antisemitism, the Hol......more


Quotes

Praise for World Made of Glass
A Kirkus Best Children's Book of the Year
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A CCBC Best Book of the Year 
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Year
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

* "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

* “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

“Impeccably written and emotionally powerful.”—BCCB

“A valuable education in AIDS history and emotional wellness.”—Booklist