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| Photo source: Barnes and Noble Website, www.barnesandnoble.com (accessed April 17, 2011). |
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| Photo source: Barnes and Noble Website, www.barnesandnoble.com (accessed April 17, 2011). |
The Novel: After ever After is a novel about two 8th grade boys who have survived cancer and who are trying to return to a normal life. One boy, Jeffrey Alpers, was known as “the boy who had cancer” because he had always been a part of this school. The other boy, Thaddeus Ibsen moves into the school and becomes Jeffrey’s best friend because he is also a cancer survivor. The “gorgeous” Lindsey Abraham comes to the school and becomes Jeffrey’s girlfriend. The three become a trio whose lives are showcased in the book. The book showcases the struggle of these 8th graders as they deal with friends, relationships the dreaded state tests (which require passing to move on to 9th grade), the struggles of being a cancer survivor and what happens when the cancer returns.
The Poetry Book: Journey Through Heartsongs is Mattie J.T. Stepanek’s second book of poetry. What makes this book amazing is that it is written by a boy who, at the time of publication, was 11 years old. He had a rare form of muscular dystrophy that was genetically transmitted. He had three siblings who had died from the same disease. He started writing poetry when he was three years old.
Quality:
The Novel: After ever after is a very well written book. It uses language that is easily understood by the upper elementary and middle school student. It deals with issues that middle school students deal with as well as some that we all pray students will never have to deal with. This book is the 2011 winner of the Schneider Family Book Award. This award is given to an author for a book that “embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.” (ALA Website)
The Poetry Book: This book is well written in the language of a child. I say the language of a child because the vocabulary is advanced but not too complicated. The feelings and emotions conveyed in the poems, however, are very deep and extremely mature for a child of Mattie Stepanek’s age. Some of the poems date back to the time he was 3 years old. You can see the maturity in the poems as he gets older as each poem is dated. A good example of this is found in the following two poems:
“Never-ending Story” (written when the poet was 4; Jamie was his brother): Once upon a time/there was a Jamie and a Mattie/and for a while/they were both alive/but one day/Jamie died/and of that/Mattie cried/and this story goes/On and on and on/with a Jamie dying/ and a Mattie crying/and on and on like that/ever- and after-after.
“Rebecca’s Reminder” (written when the poet was 10): It is sad/when a friend/dies/death becomes/suddenly/painful/suddenly/real/suddenly/reminding/when a friend/dies/perhaps/we should/suddenly/remember/how real/death is/and wonder/how our/LIFE/ will be/suddenly/ based on how much of/a friend we are/now/regularly.
Appeal:
The Novel: Although this book won a middles school award and it the characthers are 8th grade students, I believe this novel will appeal to children from grades 5 through 8. It is easy to read and they will find it relevant to themselves and their peers.
The Poetry Book: This book fits along with the novel in that it is all about living and dying with a severe illness. It reflects on the emotions felt by the person with the illness as well as those around him and the survivors of those who have died with an illness. This book will appeal to grades 4 and above. Adults will appreciate the poignancy of this book.
Use:
The Poetry book and the novel would work well together as a class exercise. Students can read both books as a class. Discuss how personal the poems are to Mattie’s life. He is really putting his heart into each poem he writes to discuss his illness and his feelings for his brothers and sisters who have gone before him. After reading the novel and the poetry book, ask students to write a poem from the perspective of one of the characters in the book. There are many for them to choose from: the three main characters, the parents and siblings of these characters, or the several teachers mentioned in the book. It could even be taken to the extreme and students could write a poem from the perspective of Thad’s wheelchair and Jeffrey’s bicycle.
References:
ALA Website. 2011. http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?template=/CFApps/awards_info/award_detail_home.cfm&FilePublishTitle=Awards,%20Grants%20and%20Scholarships&uid=A839B3A9DB37CD78 (accessed April 17, 2011).
Sonnenblick, Jordan. 2010. After ever after. NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0-439-83706-4.
Stepanek, Mattie J.T. 2001. Journey Through Heartsongs. Alexandria, VA: VSP Books. ISBN: 1-893622-10-X.
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