All This Time
on Goodreads (47,824)
What’s inside...
Kyle and Kimberly have been the perfect couple all through high school, but when Kimberly breaks up with him on the night of their graduation party, Kyle’s entire world upends—literally. Their car crashes and when he awakes, he has a brain injury. Kimberly is dead. And no one in his life could possibly understand. Until Marley. Marley is suffering from her own loss, a loss she thinks was her fault. And when their paths cross, Kyle sees in her all the unspoken things he’s feeling. As Kyle and Marley work to heal each other’s wounds, their feelings for each other grow stronger. But Kyle can’t shake the sense that he’s headed for another crashing moment that will blow up his life as soon as he’s started to put it back together. And he’s right.
Age
11-12
Length
336 pages
Text complexity
Character compass
Kyle
Kimberly
Marley
Discussion points
How do you think the main characters felt when they met each other, and why do you think they felt that way?
What are some ways the characters changed from the beginning to the end of the story?
What would you do if you were in the same situation as the main characters?
How do the choices the characters make influence the story’s outcome?
What did you learn about dealing with loss and moving forward?
Tip: Role play these questions
Start by sharing your own thoughts on the book’s theme of connection and healing after loss to create an open space for dialogue.
Encourage your child to think about the emotions and motives behind the character’s decisions, relating them to personal experiences or hypotheticals.
Discuss the importance of resilience and the different ways people cope with challenges, emphasizing empathy and understanding.
Use examples from the book to talk about friendship, love, and the importance of support systems in overcoming life’s obstacles.
Ask your child how they might rewrite a part of the story to create a different outcome, encouraging creative thinking and deeper understanding of the narrative.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: The importance of coping with loss
Explanation: The book explores the journey of coping with devastating loss through its characters, particularly focusing on how Kyle and Kimberley navigate their grief.
Real-World Application: Children learn that grief is a natural response to loss and that it's healthy to express emotions and seek support.
Example Lesson: The value of friendship
Explanation: Throughout 'All This Time', the supportive friendships between characters, notably between Kyle and Kimberley, showcase how crucial friends are during hard times.
Real-World Application: This demonstrates to children the importance of building strong, supportive relationships and relying on friends when facing challenges.
Example Lesson: Understanding and acceptance
Explanation: As characters in the story come to terms with their own and others' pasts, the book promotes messages of acceptance and understanding towards people's unique histories and experiences.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to be more accepting and understanding of others around them, recognizing that everyone has their own story and struggles.
Example Lesson: Resilience in the face of adversity
Explanation: The characters' ability to find hope and create meaningful lives after personal tragedies serves as a powerful model of resilience.
Real-World Application: This can inspire children to persevere and maintain hope, even during difficult times, and to view challenges as opportunities for growth.
Example Lesson: The power of love and healing
Explanation: The story conveys that love, whether romantic or platonic, can be profoundly healing and transformative.
Real-World Application: Children learn the importance of giving and receiving love, and how it can significantly impact emotional health and recovery.