The Sledding Hill – Chris Crutcher

Crutcher, C. (2005). The sledding hill. Waterville, Me: Thorndike Press.

Summary: 

In The Sledding Hill novel, you will meet Eddie, who encounters a great loss and feels miserable, when his father and his best friend pass away.  Eddie does not know how to react when they pass away and stops talking, he chooses to become mute.  His best friend Billie’s soul remains in Earth and wanders next to him and gives him hope over the deaths.  Eddie’s mother desperately not knowing how to help Eddie decides to join a church, the Red Brock Church.  She seeks help for him and Eddie slowly begins to talk again.  Eddie starts speaking again and only because he desires to defend the teachings of a novel of Warren Peece.  The ending of this novel ends when Eddie makes new friends and even gets a girlfriend.  After seeing Eddie become stronger, the soul of Billy decides to say his final goodbye’s to Eddie forever.   

Strengths/Textbook:

 This novel meets the emotional developmental criteria because Eddie at such a short-age has to cope with life’s tragedies.  This book also meets the mental developmental criteria because Eddie believing or feeling Billy’s soul next to him could be a sign of the emotional/mental developmental criteria’s.  Ages recommended for this novel are 13 and up.

Other books by author: