This is a very strong collection of short stories, with many award winning writers. Emersive is the word I would use for the stories, despite being so short. I don't know if it is due to the caliber of the writers or perhaps that loss has a tendency to grab at your heart. Each story has an aspect, all varying, which is a hook to draw in the reader. In The Tin Butterfly by Norma Fox Mazer, it is Mim's not belonging and finding her haven to grow. In The Fire Pond by Michael J. Rosen, it is the trout in the pond. Reading Red Seven by C. B. Christiansen, I wanted to know more about Grandma and what caused the depression of the mom. For The Rialto by Jacqueline Woodson and Chris Lynch, I very much wanted to know how the difficult relationship situation was going to turn out. Reading their bio afterward, I was also intrigued by their writing process.

There is only one of the twelve that didn't really touch me. That is excellent for short story collections! While there tends to be something for everyone, it is much harder to have all of the stories impress someone, because the writers have widely varying styles and tastes in content. I do sometimes wonder if others' favorites within the collection are totally opposite mine.

related-dealing with loss, living & growing afterward, grief and grieving, learning to celebrate memories
RL=7th-adult

Stories included:
Summer of Love by Annette Curtis Klause
What Are You Good At? by Roderick Townley
Atomic Blue Pieces by Angela Johnson
The Tin Butterfly by Norma Fox Mazer
The Fire Pond by Michael J. Rosen
Chair: A Story for Voices by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Red Seven by C. B. Christiansen
Shoofly Pie by Naomi Shihab Nye
You're Not a Winner Unless Your Picture's in the Paper by Avi
Season's End by Walter Dean Myers
The Rialto by Jacqueline Woodson and Chris Lynch
Enchanted Night by James Howe