The sledding hill by Chris Crutcher

Bibliographic Information:
Crutcher, C. (2005). The sledding hill. New York: Greenwillow Books.
ISBN# 0060502436

Plot Summary:
Eddie has what would probably be considered ADHD and as a result has a difficult time in school. Things become more difficult when he discovers his father dead from an accident at the family gas station. His grief is compounded when less than a month later he discovers his best friend, Billy, dead at school also from an accident. This is more than Eddie can handle. He deals with his grief be choosing to be mute while still maintaining his daily routines. Billy, from the beyond, sees that his friend is in need of help. He watches over Eddie, “talking” to him and gently nudging him toward recovery Eddie’s mother deals with her grief by heavily consulting her religious leader Reverend Tarter. Tarter is a strict Christian fundamentalist who believes that Eddie can only be helped if he is baptized. Meanwhile, Eddie’s English teacher assigns a controversial book for the class to read. Eddie gets a lot from the book; its concepts help him deal with his grief. Reverend Tarter leads a crusade to have the book banned. Eddie, with the help of Billy and Billy’s father, deals with not only his grief, but his need and desire to fight the impending censorship.

Critical Evaluation:
Wow, this is one packed book. Narrated by Billy, Eddie’s dead friend, the reader not only grieves with Eddie, but is taken on a ride through the process of censorship. While it is not inherently clear from the beginning how Billy is speaking to Eddie, that doesn’t matter. This type of narration will grab the attention of some teens and keep them reading. There are several interesting storylines in this book. First there are the various ways that the characters deal with grief. Then there is the whole process of censorship. It is quite interesting, and I find amusing, that the questioned book in the story, though fictional, is written by Crutcher himself. While some of the reviewer felt that this was self-indulgent on Crutcher’s part, I felt it showed Crutcher’s understanding that his material is often challenged and his willingness to boldly and unapologetically face this fact. Some of the reviewers also found Crutcher’s message to be a bit heavy handed. I didn’t feel this way. The story flowed while the message was very obvious, I didn’t feel that it bombarded the reader or detracted from the story. Crutcher may offend Christian teens who feel that Reverend Tarter is unfairly stereotyped, but Billy points out that Tarter and his followers aren’t evil or bad, they have a different point of view and genuinely are doing what they think is best for the teens of the school. This book would be a great book for discussing grief, religion, and censorship.

Reader's Annotation:
Eddie chooses to be mute after he finds his father dead from an accident and within a month then finds his best friend, Billy, also dead from an accident. Billy comes to Eddie in dreams/visions to help him overcome his grief as well as deal with the censorship of a book from the school that Eddie can relate to and find helpful in dealing with his situation.

Information about the author:
• Crutcher was born on July 17, 1946 in Dayton, Ohio. His father was a pilot in the US Air Force and his mother was a housewife. Chris has an older brother and a younger sister. Crutcher’s father taught him “everything from religion to the physics of relativity to political ideals.” While his mother “softened his father’s pragmatic influence with her sense of humor, her love of music and her more traditional take on Christian faith,” she was a functional alcoholic and showed Chris the painful side of addition.
• Chris received a BA in psychology and sociology and then obtained his teaching credential. He taught in Washington state, and Northern California. After teaching for over ten years, Crutcher took “a position with the Spokane Community Health Center and Child Protection team.” His books are based on the many experiences from his personal and professional life.
• While Crutcher’s books have been challenged, they are also on multiple Best Books lists. Eight of his books have been placed on the ALA’s “Best Books for Young Adults” list and four of his books were placed on “Booklist’s Best 100 Books of the 20th Century, compiled in 2000, more than any other single author on the list.”
http://www.chriscrutcher.com/content/blogcategory/20/9/

Genre: Fantasy/Realistic fiction (fantasy is included only because of the ghost character.)

Curriculum Ties: Language Arts; Political Science; religion

Booktalking Ideas:
• What is grief?
• How does Eddie deal with his grief?
• How does Billy’s father deal with his grief?
• What is censorship?
• What is “freedom of speech?” When can/can’t it be used?
• Discuss the father/son relationships in the book.
• Do you think controversial materials should be in a school library? Why? Why not?
• Do you think controversial materials should be in a public library? Why? Why not?

Reading Level/Interest Level*:
The widest reading/interest level is age 11 – Young Adult, though most reviews indicate ages 12 – 18.

Challenge Issues:
Death; future life; censorship; religion; ghosts; freedom of speech; ADHD; being gay

If the book is challenged:
• Listen calmly to the complainant.
• Ask if s/he has read the entire novel.
• Show positive reviews of the novel.
• Show the selection policy.
If the complainant still has issues with the book:
• Request that the complainant read the entire book if this has not already occurred.
• Have the complainant fill out a reconsideration form.
• Set up a reconsideration meeting.
• Provide the reconsideration meeting members with:
o Positive reviews
o Selection policy
o Reconsideration policy

Selection Process*:
I did a search on Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database with the following criteria: Award winner, reviews available, and age range from 15 – 18.

Thirteen (mostly) positive reviews*

Awards/ Best Books Lists*:
• Appears on five Best Books Lists
• Appears on two state/provincial reading lists
• Has received two awards

*Reading/Interest level, selection process information, reviews, and Awards/Best Books Lists were accessed using the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database at http://clcd.odyssi.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~gvXcqO:1 accessed through SJSU and not available to everyone.