
Falling Short
Audible Audiobook
– Unabridged
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Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
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Ernesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Efrén Divided, is back with a hilarious and heartfelt novel about two best friends who must rely on each other in unexpected ways. A great next pick for listeners who loved Ghost by Jason Reynolds or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez.
Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home - not without each other’s help.
This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team.
But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?
- Listening Length5 hours and 11 minutes
- Audible release dateMarch 15, 2022
- LanguageEnglish
- ASINB09K4Q5MPV
- VersionUnabridged
- Program TypeAudiobook
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Product details
Listening Length | 5 hours and 11 minutes |
---|---|
Author | Ernesto Cisneros |
Narrator | Timothy Andrés Pabon, Gary Tiedemann |
Whispersync for Voice | Ready |
Audible.com Release Date | March 15, 2022 |
Publisher | HarperAudio |
Program Type | Audiobook |
Version | Unabridged |
Language | English |
ASIN | B09K4Q5MPV |
Best Sellers Rank | #211,489 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #917 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Boys' & Men's Issues (Books) #3,231 in Teen & Young Adult Friendship Fiction #11,386 in Audiobooks for Children |
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One a gifted athlete who struggles academically due to what appears to be ADHD, the other a diminutive and clumsy boy who wins every possible academic prize, Isaac and Marco share a strong feeling of falling short of parental expectations or needs. Cisneros allows us to deeply feel each boy's emotional anguish, while retaining a sense of fun and delight throughout the novel with enough likeable, trustworthy characters and scenes of triumph to keep a reader smiling. Readers who might reject the prospect of a "friendship book" will be hooked because Falling Short also stands tall as an engaging basketball book
I connected deeply with Isaac's love for and sense of protectiveness toward his troubled and loving father. It is rare for an MG book to include a protagonist with a parent who fights substance abuse, and those characters with addictions are often drawn like cardboard caricatures of overtly abusive "bad guys," which checks the box for "problem many children have" but is not relatable for kids whose parent is loving but suffering and unreliable. Cisneros deftly sketches a realistically flawed parent that will be recognizable by so many children of alcoholics: one who is loving and has the best of intentions, but himself falls short, and copes with every negative emotion (including shame for falling short as a parent) with alcohol.
Readers young and old will cheer with joy for the fiercely loyal friendship between Isaac and Marco, especially for how they navigate the unfamiliar waters of middle school by turning even more deliberately toward the friendship which buoys them and sustains them through their deepest hurts. Isaac and Marco are models of masculinity, courage, and strength that I am delighted to offer to my own son as he develops his own identity and navigates difficult social and emotional challenges.
Falling Short is a must-buy for all elementary and middle school libraries and highly recommended for parents of readers in grades 3 and above.
I loved this book because it shows an amazing friendship between two boys, where they both are fully invested in supporting each other. Off hand, I can't think of other middle grade books that show this positive male friendship so strongly.
There are two equally endearing point of view characters—athletic Isaac and cerebral Marco—and there’s so much basketball, humor, and heart in this moving and entertaining friendship story. There’s also a fun EFRÉN DIVIDED Easter Egg in a bathroom scene! So many many kids are going to adore this one!
Marco's dad has pretty much disappeared from his life. Isaac's father is dealing with some alcohol issues, causing him to be asked to leave the home.
This book is a wonderful example of friendship who have not yet discovered the angst of junior high. They kiss their moms goodbye. They're surprised to hear words that aren't said at home. They appreciate that they have a friend who accepts them unconditionally. And discover that sometimes family doesn't always look the same.
This book will be going in my classroom library quickly.