Teens Blog : death and dying

But what happens AFTER happily ever after?

kiya@evpl — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:42:00 GMT

Jordan Sonnenblick's new book, After Ever After, explores that question. Jeffrey is in 8^thgrade, and doing pretty well, considering that he is a survivor of childhood leukemia. Even though he's glad to be alive, his life now has some added struggles beyond those expected in adolescence. The powerful drugs that saved his life also caused a fair amount of collateral damage. The possibility of the cancer recurring is diminished, but never goes away. And Jeffrey's older brother Steven, the rock he used to lean on, has gone to Africa to study drumming. [Steven's story of the year Jeffrey got cancer is told in Sonnenblick's first book: Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie.]

Jeffrey struggles through his year, finding more support than he realized was available, but not before stumbling a few times. The story never stops being interesting, and is by turns funny and heart-breaking.

I highly recommend Mr. Sonnenblick's books!

Links:

Jordan Sonnenblick's books at EVPL

Jordan Sonnenblick's website

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:28:00 GMT

I was almost late coming back from my break yesterday to finish if I stay by Gayle Forman. The story stayed with me long after I returned it. Even when I went home last night, I was still thinking about this exceptional book.

Imagine if you had to choose between living the rest of your life without your family and joining them in death? Seventeen-year-old Mia last remembers driving down the road with her parents and little brother listening to the radio. Her head was rested against the window in the backseat as she sat back enjoying the sound of the music and her family's voices. In one short moment, Mia is now standing on the side of the road and sees her family's car smashed, her parents lying dead on the road, and paramedics rushing to save her and her younger brother. She wonders "Am I dead?" as she watches her body being rushed to the hospital.

Thus begins the toughest decision Mia will ever have to make. As she hovers over her body as it struggles to heal, Mia has to decide if she wants to wake up and join her grandparents, best friend, and boyfriend or if she wants to join her parents and brother wherever they are now. One-by-one Mia's friends and family come to her bedside. Some ask her to stay; others tell her that it is her decision. Mia watches as her grandpa sobs at her bedside and her boyfriend struggles with the nurse to be admitted to the ICU.

As I read through the pages of Mia's story and her decision to whether stay or to go, it made me wonder what in my life is worth living for. I highly recommend you check this book out.

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher, with a cameo appearance by ... Chris Crutcher?

kiya@evpl — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:58:00 GMT

Chris Crutcher writes controversial books. Some folks don't like the language he uses, though he will argue that he only uses language that teens themselves use. Some folks don't like the issues he addresses, and he will respond that the issues he addresses are issues that teens face, and that they need ways to explore those issues.

There are similarities to many of Crutcher's books. Most take place in small towns in the Northwestern part of the US. Many of his characters use sports to cope with some aspect of their lives. Most of the issues Crutcher talks about don't have clear-cut right or wrong answers, which is often the source of the conflict in the books.

Crutcher's characters always seem real to me, and Eddie from The Sledding Hill enchanted me from the start. His friend Billy explains:

In fifth grade, when my dad discovered Eddie scored sixty-five on his IQ test, he asked Eddie what happened, because Dad knew that couldn't be right. "I was answering the questions," Eddie said, "and then I started seeing what a neat pattern I was making filling in those little ovals, and before I knew it I was making neater and neater patterns."

The Sledding Hill is about Eddie, and his learning to cope after suffering two great losses in a short period of time. One of the things he finds that helps him is the book Warren Peece that his English class is reading. The book (which doesn't really exist) is written by Chris Crutcher, the controversial author. Surprise - some folks object to the book, and Eddie's minister tries to get it removed from the curriculum. Suddenly, Eddie is in the middle of another mess, and trying to find his way out. Crutcher even makes a guest appearance at the school board hearing.

This wasn't my favorite book by Crutcher, but I laughed out loud at parts of it, and enjoyed meeting Eddie and his friends. If my kids weren't so busy with schoolwork right now, I'd make them read it, but it will have to wait for summer vacation. Oh, what IS my favorite Crutcher book? Ummm, Whale Talk. No, The Crazy Horse Electric Game. Or maybe Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes... It's hard to pick just one...

Books at EVPL by Chris Crutcher
Books about Chris Crutcher at EVPL
Chris Crutcher's website
Purchase The Sledding Hill at Amazon and benefit the Public Library Friends

If you only had a short time to live...

kiya@evpl — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:28:00 GMT

What if you only had a short while to live? What would it change about how you live? Would you take more chances or fewer risks? Would you tell everyone, a few close friends, or no one? Would you make plans for the future or focus on making memories for those you would leave behind?

Chris Crutcher explores this issue in Deadline, the story of 18 year old Ben Wolf. While at the doctor for his sports checkup, he learns that something is not right with his blood. Further tests show that he has a rare blood disease that is certain to kill him - aggressive treatment might extend things a bit, but there is no "long-term" left in his world. All of this happens in the first ten pages of the book. Then Ben starts wrestling with the big questions - what is the best use of the time he has left? What meaning will his life have had once he's gone? What risks are worth taking? As always, Crutcher explores these issues with a side order of humor.

Forever Changes, by Brendan Halpin, also looks at these questions. Brianna Pelletier is a high school senior, gifted in mathematics, who also has Cystic Fibrosis. Her case is fairly severe, and she doesn't think she has a whole lot of time left. All of her friends and classmates are making plans for college and the future, and she's not so sure she has a future to consider. Halpin is good at grabbing the reader's interest. My son picked up the book, thinking he'd read a chapter or two, and finished the book a few hours later.

Interestingly enough, both books have a music link. Ben Wolf finds that the song Too Old to Die Young resonates with him, while Brianna discovers a CD called Forever Changes by the group Love touches her deeply. You can find both of these at EVPL - see the links below.

Deadline, by Chris Crutcher
Chris Crutcher's website
Too Old to Die Young on Linda Ronstadt's Adieu False Heart
Forever Changes by Brendan Halpin
Brendan Halpin's blog
Brendan Halpin's MySpace
Love's Forever Changes

Love's Forever Changes concert

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Moe Bandy's version of Too Old to Die Young

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