
Three students find solace and strength in pottery class amidst personal turmoil.
In a small Pennsylvania town, Oscar, Riley, and Noah form an unexpected bond in pottery class. Each grapples with personal loss—Oscar mourns his sister, Riley adjusts to a new life, and Noah faces his parents' divorce. As they mold clay, they also mend their fractured lives, discovering that some wounds may never fully heal. Can art and friendship help them find peace in their brokenness?
Three unlikely friends become partners in heartbreak and hope during a middle school pottery class in this powerful, poignant novel–perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Lynda Mullaly Hunt. At West Beacon Middle School, eighth graders Oscar Villanueva, Riley Baptiste, and Noah Wright become unlikely friends during Introduction to Clay class. Oscar, a football star, just lost his little sister to cancer. Riley’s been dragged away from Philadelphia by her single mom to a new life in West Beacon, a tiny Pennsylvania coal town that’s smaller than Riley’s old school. Noah’s spent his whole life as a homeschooler and just started West Beacon Middle School as a result of his parents’ train wreck of a divorce. Through art, football, failure, faith, and trust, the friends help one another to piece things back together again. In true friendship, they also discover that some injuries may never heal, some things can never be unbroken–and that’s okay too.
Surprise a reader with their next favorite book.
Spotted a mistake or something missing? Improve this page.
Are you the author or illustrator? Claim your book.