A girl, a city, and a scavenger hunt left behind by her artist father. The prize isn’t just a treasure—it’s the truth.
Caroline Gertler’s debut middle-grade novel “Many Points of Me” is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story about grief, identity, and friendship. The novel introduces readers to eleven-year-old Georgia, who is navigating life a year after the death of her famous artist father. When Georgia discovers a sketch her father made of her with mysterious markings on the back, she becomes convinced it’s evidence that she was meant to be the subject of his unfinished masterpiece. Set against the backdrop of New York City’s Upper West Side and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Georgia’s quest for answers strains her friendship with her best friend Theo while leading her on a journey of self-discovery.
“Many Points of Me” provides educators with a thoughtful entry point to explore aspects of SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities through its rich portrayal of New York City’s cultural landscape. The Metropolitan Museum of Art exemplifies how cultural institutions contribute to sustainable urban communities by preserving heritage and fostering personal connections to shared spaces. The novel beautifully aligns with Reflective thinking as Georgia navigates her grief, and the development of Thinker skills as she investigates artistic clues.
Teachers might use this book to facilitate discussions about the role of arts and cultural spaces in creating inclusive communities, design projects where students map personal connections to local community landmarks, or explore how shared urban spaces shape our identities and relationships. Georgia’s journey illustrates how sustainable communities are built not just through physical infrastructure but through the emotional and cultural connections that bind people to places and to each other.
