A Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner
Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. And for his bar mitzvah community service project, he's forced to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. The boys don't get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will: ride a roller coaster; go to a school dance; swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone. But as RJ's disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his friend's behalf before it's too late. It seems like an impossible mission, but as he completes each task with RJ's guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell.
Age Range: 10-14 | Grade Level: 5-6 | Lexile Measure: 640L