World Made of Glass, written by Ami Polonsky, and published by Little, Brown and Company.

World Made of Glass, written by Ami Polonsky, is a middle-grade, historical novel that takes readers into the not-so-distant past when the AIDS epidemic swept the nation. Twelve-year-old Iris Cohen’s world is shattered when her father dies of AIDS. The novel takes place in New York City in 1987, when the ACT UP movement was starting to draw public attention to the indifference of the medical industry and the callous public regard for people with HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ community in general. Iris is furious at her own loss and what she sees around her, and with the help of supportive adults and friends, channels her anger into activism. While this issue is central to the novel, so are other important topics such as loss, friendship, and love. A large cast of well-developed characters bring this story to life with vivid immediacy. Iris’s journey is one of self-reflection, acceptance, and recognition of the beauty, strength and fragility of life that will resonate on different levels with all readers.

Author: Ami Polonsky
Award: 2024 Honor Chapter Book Category

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