Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein
Five out of Five Magical Coffee Cups
I don’t want to say too much about this book, but it made me cry. At school!
Will loves turtles; he even has a few in his room and maybe a few more his mom isn’t even aware of. He also has issues with his jaw, which makes him a target for bullies. This jaw issue has gotten so bad that he needs surgery. Will also hates hospitals. You will learn why he hates hospitals as the book goes on. I have a similar jaw issue (not as severe) that I was supposed to have surgery on when I was younger. I never ended up getting the surgery, and I sort of regret that. Sometimes, I look in the mirror and wish I would have gotten my jaw fixed.
As Will’s bar mitzvah nears, he is working on completing his community service hours. His Rabbi suggests he spend time visiting RJ, a boy in the hospital with a severe illness. Will is not a fan of this idea and does his best to pass the time by doing as little as he can with RJ. Little by little, the boys start to talk, and Will learns about RJ’s bucket list. Will starts to help RJ live vicariously through his actions. Some of the tasks are things like going to a concert and going to a school dance.
Will has some awesome adventures as he tries to complete the list. This book was funny, sweet, and devastating. Oh, I loved it!
Literary Coffee 