Rearranging and Other Stories

 Call it revelation. Call it a flash of stunning insight. Call it enlightenment. Or simply call it Rearranging.  It is a moment, an episode--sometimes small, sometimes large--whose contents bend the mind and heart from old patterns to new. In nine stories, nine very different young people confront moments of truth--moments of Rearranging--that lead to a new understanding of self.  Ages 12 up.
 
"Taking the theme of coming of age through epiphanies large and small, Gifaldi's nine stories score a bull's-eye in targeting the heart of personal growth. The characters are easy to relate to: average kids in familiar settings with predictable problems (family tension, unrequited love, shaky self-confidence, peer pressure) and time-honored questions (about death, sex, prejudice). What sets these kids apart, however, is their level of perception and honesty in facing their own self-deceptions." -Publishers Weekly
 
"...Skillfully constructed to make readers stop and think about the unexpected endings...Reminiscent of the best work of Chris Crutcher, the selections in this collection are pure gems. " -School Library Journal