As the story continued the boy would see his neighbor shooting hoops and having a crush on his older sister but then getting rejected. One night the boy really wanted to go fishing and saw his neighbor and was going to go ask him if he wanted to also but he never did. Later that night they heard a lot of ambulances next door and later found out that the neighbor boy had died. It does not say how he dies in the book but I am guessing, since it is controversial, that it was suicide? In this sense I can see why parents wouldn't want their children to read it but I think that since it doesn't come out and say anything that the book is fine.
It is recommended for grades four and above and I think that I would have it in my classroom if I taught upper elementary.
Well judging from your review this wasn't much of a controversial book. I get the feeling that with what kids are watching on T.V. now anways to be controversial you would really have to push the envelope. I got the same feeling while reading The Misfits.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to hear your thought processes as you thought through this book. If we were in Block right now, I would say good job for making connections in the text and searching for deeper meanings. Luckily we're not because that's the longest 2 hours and 45 minutes of my life! :)
ReplyDeleteIf you can't figure out what makes it controversial, I'm guessing your students won't either.