Sit

Short but powerful.

Sit is a compilation of nine short stories by Canadian author Deborah Ellis who has gained international acclaim for her books that give insight into the lives of children living in developing countries. 

In Sit, each of the nine stories begins with a young main character from different countries and times sitting and observing the world around them. Through these perspectives, Ellis illustrates social issues like homelessness, war, child labour, violence, refugees, privilege, unhappy family life and more. I was surprised to see one story centred in my own community where there is a strong Mennonite presence and I appreciated how the final story circles back for a satisfying conclusion. 

Due to the topics discussed, I'd recommend this collection of stories for kids 10 years and up. It is a great conversation starter with middle grade readers and their adults about social issues that impact kids around the world. The topics and perspectives will hopefully encourage empathy and compassion in young readers as they see the world through the eye of other children. 

Sit has a quiet but undeniable power, and though brief, the stories have great impact. This a book that will stay with me for quite some time. I already have Ellis' The Breadwinner waiting for me on my Kobo and eagerly look forward to reading her other collections Step and Go.

Literary Award: OLA Silver Birch Award Nominee for Fiction (2019)

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Deborah Ellis

Genre: Short stories, middle grade, Canadian

Type and Source: ebook from public library

Publisher: Groundwood Books

First Published: Oct 1, 2017

Book Description from GoodReads: Nine poignant and empowering short stories from the author of The Breadwinner.

The seated child. With a single powerful image, Deborah Ellis draws our attention to nine children and the situations they find themselves in, often through no fault of their own. In each story, a child makes a decision and takes action, be that a tiny gesture or a life-altering choice.

Jafar is a child laborer in a chair factory and longs to go to school. Sue sits on a swing as she and her brother wait to have a supervised visit with their father at the children’s aid society. Gretchen considers the lives of concentration camp victims during a school tour of Auschwitz. Mike survives seventy-two days of solitary as a young offender. Barry squirms on a food court chair as his parents tell him that they are separating. Macie sits on a too-small time-out chair while her mother receives visitors for tea. Noosala crouches in a fetid, crowded apartment in Uzbekistan, waiting for an unscrupulous refugee smuggler to decide her fate.

These children find the courage to face their situations in ways large and small, in this eloquent collection from a master storyteller.