The One Thing You'd Save

In this middle-grade novel written in verse, a teacher asks her students a hypothetical question: if your house were on fire and your family and pets were safe, what one object would you rescue? The narrative unfolds through the internal monologues and classroom dialogue of various children as they weigh the value of physical items. Some choose practical tools, while others select heirlooms like a grandmother’s sweater, a box of old photographs, or a hidden collection of baseball cards. The poems utilize the sijo form—a traditional Korean poetic structure—to capture the students' decision-making processes and the memories attached to their possessions.

Readers interested in minimalist poetry and character-driven vignettes will find this work useful for examining personal values and minimalism. It serves as a practical introduction to the sijo format for those studying verse structures. By observing how different characters prioritize sentimental legacy over monetary worth, a reader gains a framework for evaluating their own relationship with material goods. The book provides a look at how a single prompt can reveal the diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and private histories within a modern classroom.