Review Detail

Glory Be is a poignant middle-grade novel by Jamie Sumner written in a novel-in-verse style. Nine-year-old Glory lives in an apartment in New Orleans with her mom, dad, and her rescue dog Roux. When her dog goes missing, Glory’s life feels like it’s unraveling.

Desperate to find her dog, Glory feels increasingly isolated. Her father has disappeared again, her mother is overwhelmed by a new job, and a tiff with her best friend has left them not speaking. Undeterred, Glory sets out on a solo mission to find Roux. Her search leads her to the river, where she meets and befriends a group of people living in a local homeless encampment. As the story unfolds, we learn the touching backstory of how Roux joined the family and the difficult reality of Glory’s father’s struggles with gambling and alcohol.

What I liked: Novel in Verse is the perfect format for this story. You get to hear Glory’s voice feisty and vulnerable, and the emotional pain she is feeling is front and center. Like most verse novels, this is a fast-paced read that feels deeply impactful without being too wordy and dense.

Sumner handles heavy topics like addiction, abandonment, and homelessness sensitively, and the writing is appropriate for middle-grade readers. My fourth- and fifth-graders are constantly asking for books about real life that reflect the challenges they see in the world around them, and Glory Be fits that request perfectly.

Ultimately, this is more than just a story about a missing dog. It’s a reminder that even when things feel like they are unraveling, you can still find friends in places you didn't expect. And more importantly, you can find strength within yourself. Glory Be is a must-read because it’s a mix of honesty and heart-wrenching raw emotions, and the end result is something beautiful.