Ways to Live Forever

by Sally Nicholls

Book Overview

Living through the final stages of leukemia, Sam collects stories, questions, lists, and pictures that create a profoundly moving portrait of how a boy lives when he knows his time is almost up. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0545207266
• ISBN13: 9780545207263
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Beautifully written. Please write more books!

I read (mostly skim)young adult books mainly to make sure they are suitable for my children, but I found myself reading every word of this book. Having had cancer myself 9 years ago, there are questions that you ask about your own mortality. I can't imagine being 11 and faced with the fact that you are dying. Sally Nichols brings Sam to life, and you feel as if you are reading his actual journal, not reading a fictional book.

The True Ways to live forever

I am a cancer survivor myself and this book spoke to me in several ways, I give this five stars because this is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

If you read this book, you can expect...

...to have a lump in your throat, a tear in your eye and a smile on your face. But you won't have any regret from reading this story. What an outstanding story of young Sam and his story of his life's final months. And congratulations to Ms. Nicholls for penning this incredible story. She did it wonderfully. She really did capture, I think, what an 11 year old boy might be thinking of, how he might be thinking it and how he might write it down. I was hesitant to read this book, not sure whether I wanted to deal with the emotion it would undoubtedly bring about. As a parent I find it extremely difficult to not put my self in the position of Sam's parents, and my kids in Sam's place. Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and jumped into this story feet first. And I have no regrets. Yes, it is emotional, as it should be. But it is so well done it made it all worth it. I think everyone should read this book. Even 40 year old dads, or especially them.

An amazing story that will forever touch those who read it

Sam McQueen has lived 11 years, and so far it's been a grueling journey. Diagnosed with leukemia at age six, he has been in and out of hospitals, dealing with endless nosebleeds, always feeling tired, and surviving the torturous bouts of chemotherapy. The doctors thought they had beaten the cancer, but it always comes back. This time, they suspect the worst and give Sam about a year to live. Not all of Sam's life has been horrid. He has two awesome parents and a younger sister named Ella who love him very much. And then there's Felix, who he met at the hospital. Felix also has cancer, but it's a different kind. Although Felix is two years older than Sam, they became best friends almost immediately. The two of them together spell "trouble" and present a big challenge to the nurses, like the time they snuck around the hospital corridors playing spy games. Sam and Felix have school together three days a week at Sam's house. Their teacher, Mrs. Willis, usually makes it fun and doesn't push them to do boring stuff. In fact, she gave Sam the idea to start his very own book, in which he will talk about his life and coping with cancer. Included will be all of the lists that he and Felix make: his favorite things, what he looks like, what to do when someone dies, ways to live forever, and questions that nobody will answer. He also has a list of goals to accomplish, such as seeing a ghost, flying in a blimp, kissing a girl, and going up the down escalator. He never really expects to perform these activities, but with the encouragement of Felix, he starts crossing things off his list. Eventually, both Sam and Felix's health begins to fade. Sam knows they don't have long to live, and the idea of death is never far from his mind. But he doesn't let it stop him from taking advantage of the time he has left, or loving those most important to him. Sally Nicholls has written an amazing story that will forever touch those who read it. Her very real character of Sam will wiggle into your heart with his honesty and openness, and no one will be able to refuse his sincere invitation to share in his challenging life. His quizzical mind asks the questions everyone wants answered, and his heart- and soul-touching story may even provide some possible answers. Nicholls writes with a childlike openness and sense of humor that, along with its page-turning intensity, will have the book finished all too soon. However, becoming Sam's friend and sharing in his special story will allow readers to carry a part of him in their hearts forever. --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

"By the time you read this, I will probably be dead"

The summing up statement at the beginning of this story introduces this multimodal reader effectively "This is my book...it is a collection of lists, stories, pictures, questions and facts. It is also my story". Sam is 11 years old and has leukaemia. He is also a fun-loving, intelligent boy with a zest for trying to cram a list of experiences into the short time that is left before he dies. This story folllows him in his fulfillment of his list of things he wants to do, in such a funny and unsentimental way, that I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry on many of the pages (of course, I was already sniffling by the time I had gotten to page 2, anyone who knows me, knows I am a complete wimp). The power lies in the fact that Sam is unsentimental, not much mush, even though the actual events and stories are emotionally highly charged. His pleasure and awareness of everyday small things that most people take for granted is evident throughout, for example in the thrill of sunshine, snow or a simple thing like seeing a clear sky during a powercut. In terms of genuine quality this was a winner. Stories that seem completely real and genuine are a bit of a rarity, but this was one I had trouble with, I just found it difficult to believe someone had written this and dreamed it up (I had a similar experience with 'Life of Pi'). Having said that, there are probably plenty of 'Sams' out there, who feel this is their story. I'm making everyone old enough in the house read this one. A big thumbs up for the author- did I mention it's the winner of the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2008? What a super read!