Book Review: Paul, Big, and Small by David Glen Robb

Paul, Big, and Small by David Glen Robb

Book Description:

Paul Adams has always been short, but he’s an excellent rock climber. And his small size means he can hide from the bullies that prowl the halls of his high school.

Top on his list of “People to Avoid” are Conor, from his Language Arts class, Hunter, who hangs around the climbing gym, and Lily Small, who happens to be the tallest girl in school. But he might be able to be friends with a new kid from Hawaii who insists that everyone call him “Big.” He’s got a way of bringing everyone into his circle and finding the beauty in even the worst of situations.

When the three of them—Paul, Big, and Small—are assigned to the same group project, they form an unlikely friendship. And Paul realizes that maybe Lily isn’t so bad after all. He might even actually like her. And maybe even more than like her.

Paul and Lily team up for a rock-climbing competition, but when Lily is diagnosed with leukemia, Paul ends up with Conor on his team. And when Paul learns that Conor is dealing with bullies of his own—as well as some deep emotional pain—he realizes that the bullying in his school has got to stop.

Paul, Big, and Small is about the turbulent, emotional lives of young adults who are struggling with life’s challenges openly and sometimes in secret.

Rorie's Review:

Wow. Just...wow. If you're looking for a book that will make an impact, this is the one. Before I was even halfway finished with this story, I knew my older two kids needed to read it. Really, everyone needs to read it. Having been bullied to some extent in my middle and high school years, I could relate a bit to the misery that was high school for Paul. I completely understood the feelings of just wanting to be invisible and not draw attention to yourself. This story gives you all the feels and then some. There is more than one story going on and the author really makes you think about the situations that are happening in a different way. Kind of an uncomfortable way, to be honest. 

I LOVED Big. His character made me smile every time he was present. The world would be such a better place if we had more Bigs and less Hunters in it. 

I highly recommend this story.

Andrea's Review: 

I really enjoyed Paul, Big, and Small, and encouraged my kids to read it. Not only is it well-written, but the messages are important for all ages. The bullying aspect was hard to read, but it's so important to know that everyone is fighting their own battles. We don't know what most people are going through and kindness goes a long way.

My favorite character was Big. I loved his cheerful, friendly attitude, and aspire to be more like him. He truly was the sunshine to those around him.

I liked the rock climbing aspect of the story. I've done a little climbing, and have friends and loved ones who are really into it. It was heartwarming to see the confidence it gave Paul. We each have something we are good at, and it was wonderful to read about how Paul didn't need to be tall or strong to succeed at climbing.

I also have friends and loved ones who are very short, and was able to connect to Paul and understand some his struggles.

I saw the other day that the audio book is available and I started listening to it. It's a great book to re-read or listen to multiple times. I highly recommend this book.

Tarah's Review:

Once I dove into this story it was really hard to put it down and focus on other things. It's very insightful and thought-provoking. It broke my heart how Paul felt he had to be invisible, and being noticed made everything worse. I loved how the author brought in the aspect of putting people in boxes and judging them before knowing them at all. I think we all tend to do this to some extent and really, we should all be like Big and look for the beauty around us. I'm intensely curious as to Big's backstory. I appreciated Paul's dad, and his insights. I was shocked when he told Paul he needed to apologize to Small. What a wonderful way to handle that situation. Which brings up the point that none of us are perfect, and even if, in our mind, we think we are right, we should still think about our impact on other people.

It also hit home to me how much of a difference good friends can make in a life. My kids have dealt with this, and it was a part of the story that I could really relate too. After reading this it made me really recommit to being nice to others, and thinking before I speak to or about others. This is definitely a book I want my children to read and really act on.
 
Kember's Review:

I really liked this book. I liked how almost any one could relate to this book. You really come to know the characters and feel what they are feeling. One thing I really liked was how they rock climbed. I like this because with in all the hard stuff going on they found something that made them happy. Or with Big, he focused on the beautiful stuff in life. I wish more people could see the good in today's world. I like this story because it taught me how important good friends are. They can help you or hurt you. I will most definitely read this book again. I would recommend this book if you are starting Jr. High or middle school. Or any one else who wants to read a good book.


Title: Paul, Big, and Small
Author: David Glen Robb
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: October 2019
ISBN: 1629726028
Source: Review copies from the publisher. All opinions expressed are our own.

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book