Parents' Guide to

The World Ends in April

By Joly Herman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Madcap tween drama focuses on impending doomsday.

Book Stacy McAnulty Coming of Age 2019
The World Ends in April Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

In THE WORLD ENDS IN APRIL, veteran author Stacy McAnulty (The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, Goldie Blox Rules the School series) takes the topic of the world ending and throws it into middle school, where various scenarios play out. Seventh-grader Eleanor Dross, who's being raised by her widower father, has been well prepped for the end of the world by her Grandpa Joe, who gives two-way radios and military-grade MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) as holiday gifts. His bunker is equipped with walls of rations, rope, cord, rain-catching water basins, tents, presumably guns and ammo, and all the things he thinks he'd need to keep the family alive after the end of the world. Eleanor, whose loner demeanor and self-administered haircut keep her stuck in the "loser" social bracket of her class, has only one friend -- Mack -- who may soon be going to a school for blind kids, where his needs will be better met. Eleanor doesn't feel there will be much to look forward to without her only friend around. That may be reason enough to believe that the end of the world is coming. But what happens if it doesn't?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Funny, well-paced, and at times sad, this doomsday story will appeal to media-savvy kids who see how internet trends affect their social scene. But instead of gossip spreading by means of Snapchat or Insta, in The World Ends in April, the story that rocks Eleanor's middle school is about an asteroid predicted to make impact in a few months' time. Kids will appreciate McAnulty's humor -- i.e. Mack names his cane "Candy," and Eleanor's blue-dyed haircut makes her look like a "sad mushroom." That said, some of the hard-line disaster-prepping content could be a little frightening for sensitive readers, because it really feels like the end of the line.

A parallel that isn't drawn in the book is that Eleanor's real grief and feelings of desperation may have to do with the loss of her mother, who's never really mentioned. This might be a missed opportunity to explore an obvious topic. But Eleanor's grit, her desire to survive, her dad's tender helplessness, and the lovely friendship she has with Mack, make this story an enjoyable read -- with some end-times food-for-thought to keep it real.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about trusting a source for information on the internet. In The World Ends in April, Eleanor believes wholeheartedly in information she gets from someone she thinks is trustworthy. What news or information sources do you trust, and why?

  • Eleanor's dad puts parental controls on her computer when he finds out she's been communicating with an older man, so she goes to a friend's house to check on a computer without restrictions. Did her dad do the right thing? Are parental controls helpful?

  • Londyn's parents are getting a divorce, and her mom shuts herself in her room, depressed. Eleanor's mom died several years ago. What other books or media can you think of that deal with loss and grief? How do they help?

Book Details

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