Book Description
Nobody knows what to make of the new boy in Frannie’s class. Not only does he look different, but he’s kind to everyone, he refuses to fight, and he doesn’t even seem to mind when the other kids nickname him Jesus Boy. But as winter progresses, Frannie realizes that she’s starting to see a whole lot of things in a new light: her brother’s deafness, her mother’s fear, her friend Samantha’s faith, their classmate Trevor’s anger, and her own desire for hope—“the thing with feathers.” And it’s all because of Jesus Boy’s differences . . . and his friendship.

About the Author
Jacqueline Woodson is the author of numerous award-winning books for young adults. She often chooses subjects that she thinks kids should be able to read about — even if they're topics that are hard to explain or uncomfortable to talk about. One example of this is Visiting Day, a picture book about a little girl's trips to see her father in prison. It's not every day you see a children's book about this topic, but Woodson believes that it is an important subject because lots of people have family members in prison, and she wants them to know that it's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, Woodson says that Visiting Day is about the same thing that all her other books are about: caring about one another. Woodson currently lives in Brooklyn, where she writes full-time and can be found in the mornings hanging out in Prospect Park with her dog.