Toppling

Gr 3-5–In first-person free verse, John tells what he loves most: setting up and toppling his huge collection of dominoes. While his sister, Tess, and some of his classmates mock his hobby, he has unflappable confidence and takes it all in stride. “Maybe I’m not normal/but I’m happy./If Tess is normal,/then that’s something I don’t want to be.” What helps is his solid, loyal group of close friends, including his very best bud. But then Dominic gets sick. John takes readers with him emotionally while he waits and finally learns that Dominic has cancer. Although John’s social environment at school sometimes feels a bit contrived, his struggle to navigate fifth grade, be a supportive friend, and cope with the possibility of loss are authentic and tangible. Ultimately he and his friends and the rest of their class come together in a special way that allows them to see one another more clearly and to support Dominic, whose fate is unknown but hopeful. Peppered with black-and-white illustrations, this story presents an accessible look at serious illness and classroom dynamics.–Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA