'A glorious ode to the beauty of pre-teen friendship and the beginnings of blurred lines and vital questions of identity. Brian and Ezra will stick with me for a long time!'- 'Janae Marks, author of From The Desk of Zoe Washington' This honest portrayal of family trauma, changing friendships, and big emotions tugged at my heartstrings. ' Thanks a Lot, Universe demonstrates how you don't always know what your peers are going through, and how powerful kindness is. 'Lucas's prose is funny and deeply empathetic, respecting readers' ability to handle heavy topics but lightened with frequent laugh-out-loud moments.Perfect for the transition from middle grade to young adult literature.' - 'School Library Journal' The themes and social commentary found here are gentle and organic-never heavy-handed-and the plot's antagonists are far from two-dimensional, expertly reflecting real-life human complexity for a middle-grade audience.' - 'Kirkus Reviews' 'Featuring snappy dialogue from earnest tween voices, skillful prose guides this engrossing story from start to finish. But if they can be brave, they might just find the best in themselves-and each other. Both boys have to decide if they're willing to risk sharing parts of themselves they'd rather hide. īut when Brian and his brother run away, Ezra has no choice but to take the leap and reach out. Ezra wants to help, but he worries if he's too nice to Brian, his friends will realize that he has a crush on him. But now, some of his friends have been acting differently, and Brian seems to be pulling away.

He's friends with most of the kids on his basketball team-even Brian, who usually keeps to himself. And he doesn't know if things will ever be 'normal' again. His dad tries to get him to stand up for himself and his mom helps as much as she can, but after he and his brother are placed in foster care, Brian starts having panic attacks. Book Synopsis A moving middle-grade debut for anyone who's ever felt like they don't belong Brian has always been anxious, whether at home, or in class, or on the basketball court.

Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas