{"product_id":"an-impossible-thing-to-say-isbn-9780063248359","title":"An Impossible Thing to Say","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Poet X \u003c\/i\u003emeets \u003ci\u003eA Very Large Expanse of Sea\u003c\/i\u003e in a bold novel-in-verse starring a Persian American teen navigating his first crush, his family’s post-9\/11 dynamics, and the role of language in defining who we are.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A dazzling story with a whole lot of heart. Read it.” —Michael L. Printz Award winner Daniel Nayeri, author of \u003ci\u003eEverything Sad Is Untrue \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOmid needs the right words to connect with his newly met grandfather and distant Iranian heritage, words to tell a special girl what she means to him and to show everyone that he truly belongs in Tucson, Arizona, the only home he’s ever known. Neither the school play’s Shakespearean English nor his parents’ Farsi seems up to the task, and it’s only when Omid delves into the rhymes and rhythms of rap music that he starts to find his voice. But even as he does so, an act of terrorism transforms familiar accents into new threats.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen a family member disappears, and it seems everyone but Omid knows why. When words fail altogether and violence takes their place, what will Omid do next?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eAn Impossible Thing to Say\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Funny on one page, poignant on the next, and often both at the same time, this beautiful tale of a tender, bewildered, and generous teen will find its way into readers’ hearts.” —#1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling writer and Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park, author of \u003ci\u003eA Long Walk to Water\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eAn Impossible Thing to Say\u003c\/i\u003e is tender, honest, and unforgettable, filled with characters that delight, verses that shine, and moments that took my breath away. Few books have ever made me feel so seen.” —Adib Khorram, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eDarius the Great Is Not Okay\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Arya Shahi just blew the door down on how we are allowed to tell our stories. Words are clearly his jam.” —Firoozeh Dumas, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eFunny in Farsi\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eIt Ain't So Awful, Falafel\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Shahi gives readers embarking on a path toward agency an insightful, eloquent companion in Omid.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A unique and thoughtful coming-of-age story that masterfully takes advantage of its unconventional narrative to reveal the truths that we all—no matter what our age—are often unable to say out loud.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A beautiful love story brimming with painful historical truths. It is also the best introduction to the rhythms of rap music that I've ever read. This book is one of my favorite verse novels of 2023.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMargarita Engle, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree and national Young People's Poet Laureate Emeritus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Sensitively felt, beautifully rendered, and expertly crafted. A story that is at once nostalgic and universal, viscerally specific and yet completely timeless, like a pocket universe where every first-generation American kid gets to feel seen. This is on my shortlist of books I feel grateful to have read during my lifetime.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlexene Farol Follmuth, author of Twelfth Knight\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[The first-person narrator’s] voice leaps off the page; Shahi employs Shakespearean dialogue and original rap to kinetic effect.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eAn Impossible Thing to Say\u003c\/em\u003e is tender, honest, and unforgettable, filled with characters that delight, verses that shine, and moments that took my breath away. Few books have ever made me feel so seen.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAdib Khorram, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Arya Shahi just blew the door down on how we are allowed to tell our stories. Words are clearly his jam.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFiroozeh Dumas, New York Times bestselling author of Funny in Farsi and It Ain't So Awful, Falafel\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A heartfelt and nuanced depiction of what it’s like to straddle different cultures and the critical need to understand oneself. [And] a love letter to words and their ability to not only define us, but shape who we are.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A compelling coming-of-age story about finding your own voice and holding on to hope in the face of uncertainty and doubt.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHorn Book (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Allida","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890530087141,"sku":"NP9780063248359","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063248359.jpg?v=1730233503","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/an-impossible-thing-to-say-isbn-9780063248359","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}