Sam, 11, is dying of leukemia. He is being home schooled with his friend, Felix, who also has cancer. He lives with his mum, dad, and younger sister, Ella, who is 8. He decides to write a book about himself. Some of the book is lists that he makes to include in his book.
Things I want to Do -
1. Be a a famous scientist. Find things out and write books about them.
2. Break a world record. Not an athletic one, obviously. A silly one.
3. Watch all the horror films I'm not allowed to watch. Rs or NC-17s.
4. Go up down-escalators and down up-escalators.
5. See a ghost
6. Be a teenager. Do teenage things like drink and smoke and have girlfriends.
7. Ride in an airship.
8. Go up in a spaceship and see the earth from space.
In one way or another he fulfills his wish list. His friend Felix dies and he has many questions about death and dying and what it will be like. The book describes his treatment, his feelings about his illness and death, and he does die at the end of the book.
My only problem with the book is that it is English. There are many English words and phrases used. I don't know if students will understand all of them.
It's a tearjerker.
