3/18/2009
Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls
Sam is eleven years old, has leukemia and is dying. He decides to write a book about his experience. At once extremely funny and tear-jerkingly sad, this book is a fantastic read for middle school students. Sam's older friend Felix is also dying and they are home-schooled together by Mrs. Willis who loves science and keeps the boys engaged in unique and inventive ways with learning and expanding their minds, even in this rather hopeless situation. The boys develop lists of things they want to do and Sam puts them in his book, along with his description of what happens as they pursue some of the things on the lists. NOT just a wimpy story about a Make-a-Wish kid, this robust and real tale will make you cry and laugh out loud.
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Second! Here we have the authentic voice of an eleven year old boy, asking profound questions about death. Why does God make kids get ill? Does it hurt to die? Where do you go after you die? Sam and his friend Felix are normal in their behavior and thinking, so they do the things that middle school boys do, such as stealing a hospital trolley to ride on while everyone frantically searches the halls for them. It's funny and sad, but above all honest. The cover has no kid appeal, so it's going to be up to media specialists and teachers to introduce kids to this little gem.
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