Joel and Tony are neighbors and best friends with completely opposite personalities. Tony never wants to do what Joel wants to do, but they still manage to stay friends despite their differences. One afternoon, the boys decide to lie to their parents and go to the park many miles away by bike. Unfortunately, Joel double dares Tony to jump in the river with him and race to the sand bar. Little does Joel know-Tony has never learned how to swim. This is a heartbreaking novel about a boy who loses his best friend and must deal with the grief and shame that death brings.

Evaluation

Unfortunately, this book was not my favorite book I have ever read. Perhaps this was because our nation has been watching at least five hours of news a day regarding the shooting in Connecticut. I think the way in which the author talked about death and dying was appropriate, but I found the plot of the story extremely unrealistic. It is realistic that a young boy may drown if he is unable to swim, but it is unrealistic that the boy would come back and shield this information from his parents. However, I suppose Joel decided to hide this information because he was in a complete state of shock and was unable to come to terms with reality. Although this is a very powerful book about loss, I certainly would not recommend it to elementary students. It is extremely dark and depressing and it takes a more mature mind to handle the information and the facts the author is choosing to throw at us.

Marion Dane Bauer Author
Houghton Mifflin Company Publisher
1986 Year