Monday's Not Coming
Gripping thriller about a girl disappearing without a trace.
Parents say
Based on 4 reviews
Kids say
Based on 16 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Tiffany D. Jackson's Monday's Not Coming won a 2019 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award. It's a gripping, heartbreaking story about a girl in middle school who goes missing. Parents should be prepared to have conversations about abuse, bullying, poverty, addiction, and low-income housing. This story will spark discussions about neglect, alcoholism, dyslexia, trauma, and grief. There's infrequent strong language (including "f--k" and its variations, "s--t," and "bitch"), a few references to adult and underage drinking and mentions of crack.
Community Reviews
Many Challenging Subjects Including Sexuality Topics
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What's the Story?
"This is the story of how my best friend disappeared. How nobody noticed she was gone except me. And how nobody cared until they found her ... one year later." As MONDAY'S NOT COMING begins, it's the last year of middle school at Warren Kent in Washington, D.C., and Claudia's best friend is missing. When Monday doesn't show up for the first day of school, Claudia worries, and as the days pass, Claudia's sure something's wrong. She's desperate to find out what happened to her friend, even if no one else seems to care. The storyline jumps around in time as the tension builds and secrets are revealed. In the end, this is a story dedicated to the missing kids of color in this country. "We have not forgotten about you," Jackson says in her dedication. "We will continue to fight and give you a voice. You matter."
Is It Any Good?
This is a gripping page-turner about an eighth-grader who's gone missing. It's also the heartbreaking story of friendship. Monday's Not Coming illustrates with incredible depth how child protective services fails, how alcohol and drugs cause family dysfunction, and how poverty devastates a community. Readers will love the girls in this story who are so real and fully developed. Parents and teachers will appreciate this author's writing on many complex social issues.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about poverty in Monday's Not Coming. How do you talk about class and race issues with your friends and family?
Have you ever decided to help a friend who needed help? What steps did you take to make it happen?
What prejudices might you have against someone who's not like you? Do you know anyone who has a learning disability? Do you know anyone who lives in low-income housing? How can you learn more about people to avoid stereotypes?
Book Details
- Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Topics: Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, High School, Middle School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication date: May 22, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 18
- Number of pages: 448
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: January 28, 2019
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