I so wish this book had been around when I was a kid. This would have been something I devoured and tucked away some of the lessons for future use. "Adult" me (I'm always looking around for a real adult before I realize 'Oh, I'm a real adult. Crap.') devoured this and took away some lessons I knew but needed a refresher in. Mostly, I was reminded that while the big picture future is important to remember, the little moments are also important since they add up to that big picture (kind of like the Seurat painting- all the little dots add up to a gorgeous final product). For a little book, this sure packed a punch. 
 Rebecca Stead is quickly becoming one of my favorite middle grade/YA writer. I think the thing I most enjoy is that she never treats her books like they're aimed at less intelligent readers. The books are deep and the characters fully developed and complex in ways that are rarely seen in other books marketed for younger readers. The main character, Georges, may be a kiddo but he, like most other kiddos I know, is smart and perceptive and is just trying to figure everything out. 
 This book got me out of my reading slump and I definitely appreciated the deep and lovely story for getting me back into devouring books.