What if you knew you were going to die?
In Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls we meet an eleven-year-old boy named Sam who is dying from leukemia. Amazingly brave, Sam writes a list of things he would like to do before he dies. This leads him to write a book with his thoughts on dying, questions no one ever answers and the ways in which he and his family come to terms with his impending death.
While sentimental and poignant, this touching story never crosses the line by overly dramatizing the events in Sam's last months.
I also recommend Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, another beautifully written story dealing with the difficult questions of dying and loss in sensitive and gentle ways.