Last week the major TV networks collaborated to present Stand Up to
Cancer, a new kind of telethon to raise
money for cancer research.
However, literature about cancer seems to be stereotyped as “disease of the week” style weepies, but two recent books raise books on this topic to a very high level.
For middle school boys, James Preller’s Six Innings seems to be a book about a Little League baseball game, with one inning per chapter and in fact, that is exactly what it is. Most of the boys take a turn expressing their feelings and concerns about both baseball and their lives. But overriding all of the stories is the story of Sam, our narrator and the scorekeeper. As the story progresses we realize Sam is in the booth because cancer has cost him the ability to walk. This book manages to talk about disease from a very boy friendly place.
But probably my favorite book of last year was Jenny Downham’s Before I Die. This British import is the story of Tessa, who at 17 has been battling cancer most of her life. As she feels the end approaching, she creates a list of things she needs to do before she dies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the list is full of boundary pushing activities, sex, drugs and mild criminal activity, many of which take place with some frank language.
But the end starts coming faster and faster, and Tessa really does cram a lot of living into her last days. You WILL cry at the end of this book.
We’ve come a long way since Love Story and early Lurlene McDaniel!
However, literature about cancer seems to be stereotyped as “disease of the week” style weepies, but two recent books raise books on this topic to a very high level.
For middle school boys, James Preller’s Six Innings seems to be a book about a Little League baseball game, with one inning per chapter and in fact, that is exactly what it is. Most of the boys take a turn expressing their feelings and concerns about both baseball and their lives. But overriding all of the stories is the story of Sam, our narrator and the scorekeeper. As the story progresses we realize Sam is in the booth because cancer has cost him the ability to walk. This book manages to talk about disease from a very boy friendly place.
But probably my favorite book of last year was Jenny Downham’s Before I Die. This British import is the story of Tessa, who at 17 has been battling cancer most of her life. As she feels the end approaching, she creates a list of things she needs to do before she dies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the list is full of boundary pushing activities, sex, drugs and mild criminal activity, many of which take place with some frank language.
But the end starts coming faster and faster, and Tessa really does cram a lot of living into her last days. You WILL cry at the end of this book.
We’ve come a long way since Love Story and early Lurlene McDaniel!