ALL THE BLUES IN THE SKY by Renee Watson
January is a big month for youth literature. Librarians, authors, and children’s literature fans spend months reading and making guesses in anticipation of what some (me) might call the Super Bowl of youth literature: the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards. Every January, a slew of award winners and honorees are announced. The awards include, most notably, the John Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Award. I hadn’t read any of the three winners prior to the announcement, so I rushed to read all three as soon as they were announced.
The John Newbery Medal is awarded for excellence in children’s literature. Renee Watson, this year’s winner, is no stranger to acclaim, though this is her first Newbery medal. The winning title, All the Blues in the Sky, is one of just a few novels-in-verse to win the award. I have loved many of Watson’s other books, but I was a bit reluctant to read this one. The book follows 13-year-old Sage in the months after the death of her best friend on Sage’s 13th birthday. Although I recognize the importance of books about death and navigating grief, I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for such a heavy read. However, I like to read every Newbery Award winner, so I abandoned my reservations and checked out All the Blues in the Sky.
Watson’s newest middle-grade novel is certainly heavy, but it contains important themes and valuable lessons that upper elementary and middle school-aged readers could benefit from. All the Blues in the Sky is sad, but it’s never hopeless.
From the outset, Sage’s grief is palpable. The novel’s poetic format lends itself to a stream-of-consciousness narrative style, where the reader feels as if they are in Sage’s head. Through her poems, readers also gain insight into the nature of grief, at least in the ways it affects Sage. As she comes to terms with what happens, Sage slowly starts to connect with new friends, open up to her family, and acknowledge this new reality. Watson fully illuminates the experience of losing a loved one. Such a loss can feel too heavy and nearly impossible to survive, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that joy cannot exist alongside loss.
Novels in verse can fall into a few categories: sometimes they limit the effectiveness of the story and sometimes they illuminate it. All the Blues in the Sky falls in the latter category. Watson utilizes the length and language within each chaptered poem to share what Sage is willing to divulge at that time. At the beginning of the novel, Sage is more guarded and the text shows that. As she opens up in therapy, makes new friends, and allows herself to feel her feelings, the reader gains more details about what happened.
All The Blues in the Sky has many valuable lessons to impart: how we survive hard things, forgiveness for ourselves and others, and our ability to hold conflicting emotions. Watson’s novel will be helpful to readers struggling with grief. It will also be an insightful read for upper elementary and middle school readers using books to learn about other experiences and to process difficult emotions in a safe space.
