Me & Death

March 15, 2010
In this fast-paced tale of life and death, Scrimger (Into the Ravine
) explores the consequences actions can have on both sides of the mortal veil. Fourteen-year-old Jim is the neighborhood bully, a tough guy who steals fruit and cars and has nothing but disdain for his victims. After being run down by a car, he's taken to the Jordan Arms, where ghosts pass the time. While his body is in a coma, Jim's given the chance to relive key moments of his past and see where things went wrong, with a series of ghosts as his guides, and the promise of a chance to atone when he returns to the land of the living. Scrimger packs a lot into this short, philosophical tale, which openly acknowledges its Dickensian inspiration. The story largely plays out as a slightly gritty modern version of A Christmas Carol
, though Scrimger dedicates the second half of the book to Jim's recovery from the accident and attempts at making reparations. If it doesn't break new ground thematically, readers should still find it an accessible story of redemption. Ages 11–up.

February 15, 2010
Grades 7-10 Jim isnt an easy guy to like. He bullies kids and kicks cats, and he steals fruit from the Korean grocer and shirts from Goodwill. While he is chasing another kid, he falls in front of an oncoming car. So begins his epic journey into the afterlife, in which he is shown scenes from his past by three different ghosts, all of whom have a key to his future in the real world. The plot patterns are familiar, but Scrimger creates unpredictable, sad, and authentic scenes that enliven the story. As Jims life flashes before him, he and the reader witness the abuse and neglect he has suffered, and his own trajectory into cruelty. His struggle to be good, which is sometimes less realistic, ultimately leads to a violent and totally unexpected conclusion. With nods to the TV program Touched by an Angel and Dickens A Christmas Carol, Scrimgers novel is a difficult, compelling read that taps into teens fascination with death, as well as the line between good and bad behavior.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)