If This Were A Story
If This Were a Story
If This Were A Story
“Like Ali Benjamin’s The Thing about Jellyfish (2015), Turley’s accomplished novel is deeply rooted in the imagination of its protagonist, whose hopes and fears are truthfully voiced...An imaginative debut.” —Booklist “Hannah’s growth is organic and well earned.” —Publishers Weekly In the tradition of Crenshaw and The Thing About Jellyfish, ten-year-old Hannah copes with the bullies at school and troubles at home through the power of stories in this sweet and sincere debut. Tenacious. That means strong-willed. My mother calls me that. I wish I felt the same way. If this were a story, I would discover I was a direct descendent of a famous soldier who won countless battles and protected hundreds of people. This resilience running through my veins wouldn’t be damaged by the notes; it would fight off bullies and prevent my parents from yelling at each other. But this is not a story. This is real life. My life as ten-year-old Hannah Geller, who is the only girl in fifth grade to have little red bumps on her face, is unable to let the sad thoughts escape her mind, and leaves heads-up pennies wherever she can to spread good luck. And who also finds magic in the most unlikely of places.

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Fiction

Age Level: 

  • 8 - 12
Profile Picture

If This Were a Story is a book about a girl named Hannah. She has been finding mean notes that say things like, "Nobody Likes Hannah," in her locker. She has a stuffed animal named Ambrose, and she tells him everything before she goes to bed. 

To add your comments, login above or request a LitPick membership.