World Made of Glass by Ami Polonsky

Abstract

Reviewed by: World Made of Glass by Ami Polonsky April Spisak Polonsky, Ami World Made of Glass. Little, 2023 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780316462044 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780316462259 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-7 Iris just wants more time with her dad, but in 1987 his AIDS diagnosis is all but a brutal death sentence. She’s gotten used to her parents’ divorce after her dad came out, she’s learned to (barely) tolerate her dad’s partner, J.R., and she has even tried to learn what she can about AZT, the new FDA-approved drug to treat AIDS, but she just cannot accept that her poetic and loving father will be gone in a matter of days. After her dad dies, Iris needs something to ground her, and that quickly becomes activism, which opens her eyes to the glacial speed of AIDS research and medication approval, President Reagan’s unfathomable refusal to address AIDS, and the continued misunderstanding about the contagion that has her teacher, for example, lose his mind about a drop of her blood after she gets a splinter. Impeccably written and emotionally powerful descriptions capture Iris’ grappling with loss, as she pores over poems she and her dad wrote to each other, and tries to fill the part of herself hollowed out by grief. Iris’ eventual bonding with J.R. opens opportunities for historical background that feel naturally integrated after he guesses correctly that activism may be a balm for her heart and a worthy direction for her anger. Early AIDS history will likely be new ground for most younger readers, and detailed notes at the end provide additional context. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois