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If This Were the World

by Stephen Barr Publisher: NEAL PORTER BOOKS

A recess game opens onto a bigger question

Regular price $18.12 USD
Regular price $30.21 USD Sale price $18.12 USD
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Hardcover New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A recess game opens onto a bigger question

When a class turns the search for an imagined world into a recess game, each possibility brings practical limits: an orange is too small to share, a dodgeball can be kicked away, and a maple tree is hard to carry. The children’s playful experiments also leave litter and damage in their wake, bringing the story’s imaginative premise into conversation with care for the planet. The book connects children’s inventiveness and the need for shared space with the idea that the world everyone depends on deserves protection.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 4–8 who enjoy stories about imaginative play and group games.
  • Young readers interested in books that connect play with caring for the planet.
  • Adults seeking a read-aloud about sharing space and looking after the world.

Themes

Imagination and playSharing and inclusionEnvironmental care

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Recess is wholly transformed when Omeed holds up an orange and asks one question: "What if this were the world?"

Ms. Lee's class had come perilously close to running out of games, but the hunt for the best world gains steam right away. The orange is tasty, but too small to share. A dodgeball world can be punted to outer space by a mean older kid. A maple tree isn't portable enough.

Imaginations have never been so alive. But still no perfect world turns up, and the kids' search is leaving a trail of litter and destruction behind them. Maybe there really is only one world that ticks all the boxes, only one world where everyone fits and can get what they need. . . and maybe it's time to treat it a little better.

With a cast of big personalities and a hearty helping of witty banter, If This Were the World reads like the very best recess, with a well-earned nod to our planet and the work of protecting it.
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Customer reviews

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Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

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Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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Olivia

Smooth.