{"id":22160,"date":"2021-07-21T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/?p=22160"},"modified":"2024-05-12T09:00:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-12T13:00:11","slug":"linked-gordon-korman-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/linked-gordon-korman-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Review | Linked"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Linked\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Linked<\/h2><\/div>
By Gordon Korman<\/div><\/div>
Age <\/span>10 +<\/span><\/div>\n
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A propulsive, compelling new release by veteran Gordon Korman combining serious issues with his trademark humorous characters.<\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Realistic Fiction<\/a><\/div><\/div>
256<\/span> pages <\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Summary: Linked<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Linked<\/em> is Gordon Korman’s latest middle grade offering, set in Chokecherry, Colorado, a small town where everyone knows everyone and all the kids have been together since kindergarten. There are a few new kids — one of whom is Jewish — whose parents work as paleontologists digging for dinosaur fossils in town. The small town is thrown into an uproar when a swastika is painted in the school building — and multiple swastikas continue to pop up throughout the school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Told from the POV of multiple kids, including Dana Levinson (the one Jewish kid), Michael Amoroso (a Latino boy), and Caroline (the seventh-grade class president) as they deal with the impact of the swastikas and work to create six million paper links to represent the Jews killed in the Holocaust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Good<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This was such a gripping rollercoaster of a read! I had no idea what to expect going in (I think I skipped reading the blurb) so it was shocker after shocker for me. The book opens with the discovery of the first swastika after a bunch of kids go to prank the paleontologists. After some big reveals every quarter, this story shapes up to be a real tear-jerker in some parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gordon Korman is particularly skilled at writing multiple narrators, and he does a fantastic job with this story. Each of the (at least) six kids whose perspectives we read from are exceptionally well drawn with unique voices and circumstances. I loved all the kids, but especially Link and Dana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There isn’t much to be said without spoiling\/unraveling the plot, but I will say there isn’t much upsetting content in this story, except that it may be mildly triggering for Jewish people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OVERALL: <\/span>Linked<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Linked<\/em> is a propulsive, compelling new middle grade release by veteran Gordon Korman combining serious issues with his trademark humorous characters. This story tackles very sensitive issues like casual racism, anti-Semitism<\/a>, the impact of the Holocaust, as well the messiness of going viral. There’s something for everyone in this riveting mystery<\/a>, and I would highly recommend it as an engaging way to learn about the Holocaust for kids in grades 5 and up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Star Rating<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Buy This Book<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Linked\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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BUY ON AMAZON<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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