Synopsis
Billy Bartholomew has an audacious soul, and he knows it. Why? Because it's all he has left. He's dead.
Eddie Proffit has an equally audacious soul, but he doesn't know it. He's still alive.
These days, Billy and Eddie meet on the sledding hill, where they used to spend countless hours -- until Billy kicked a stack of Sheetrock over on himself, breaking his neck and effectively hitting tilt on his Earthgame. The two were inseparable friends. They still are. And Billy is not about to let a little thing like death stop him from hanging in there with Eddie in his epic struggle to get his life back on track.
Eddie Proffit has an equally audacious soul, but he doesn't know it. He's still alive.
These days, Billy and Eddie meet on the sledding hill, where they used to spend countless hours -- until Billy kicked a stack of Sheetrock over on himself, breaking his neck and effectively hitting tilt on his Earthgame. The two were inseparable friends. They still are. And Billy is not about to let a little thing like death stop him from hanging in there with Eddie in his epic struggle to get his life back on track.
Reviews
"This witty book lacks violence, sex, bad language, or even real villains, but it raises a lot of issues involving religion, tolerance, and censorship in amusing and thoughtful ways, a charming treatment of a serious topic with substance enough for kids and adults."
Locus Magazine, December 2005
"Crutcher takes the fad in authorial intrusion one better, inserting himself as a character in this metafictional novel with a ... highly entertaining plot."
STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly (June 6, 2005)
"This clever, spirited post-modern meta-narrative is a quick read that is bound to be controversial. It has no profanity, sexual acts, drug or alcohol use, or bloody violence but takes dead aim at censors."|
STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
“This oft-censored author entertains, inspires, invites intellectual inquiry and concedes well-meaning motives to both sides . . . a lot to pack into a novel, but when did Crutcher ever pacl light?"
STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus
"... themes of senseless tragedy and intellectual freedom serve as a natural postscript to [Crutcher's] memoir, but this isn't nonfiction. In fact, it defies categorization, offering up a smorgasbord of literaty devices ... elective mutism, a narrator from beyond the grave, and a plot in which the author himself plays a major role."
Booklist, May 15, 2005
"Crutcher bravely explores the explosive issue of banned books."
Seattle Times, June 4, 2005
"...this provocative and highly entertaining novel will be THE talk novel of the year."
Sue Corbett, Miami Herald Reviewer
for Capitol Choices
"I swear, Chris Crutcher is writing himself into my heart even as he’s writing himself into his own books! As it details the life history of a banned book from a teenager’s perspective, The Sledding Hill is a brilliant chronicle about censorship in literature and its effect on personal freedom. But this book speaks to my heart because it’s a story about undying friendship and the vast capacity for reasoning in the most unreasonable kids. I can’t think of a better kick in the pants to launch the Wild Rumpus Banned Book Club."
Collette Morgan, Wild Rumpus Books
2005 Summer BookSense Pick
"Crutcher turns crusader in this story of a boy who has lost too much to let a book be taken away from him."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June 2005
Locus Magazine, December 2005
"Crutcher takes the fad in authorial intrusion one better, inserting himself as a character in this metafictional novel with a ... highly entertaining plot."
STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly (June 6, 2005)
"This clever, spirited post-modern meta-narrative is a quick read that is bound to be controversial. It has no profanity, sexual acts, drug or alcohol use, or bloody violence but takes dead aim at censors."|
STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal
“This oft-censored author entertains, inspires, invites intellectual inquiry and concedes well-meaning motives to both sides . . . a lot to pack into a novel, but when did Crutcher ever pacl light?"
STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus
"... themes of senseless tragedy and intellectual freedom serve as a natural postscript to [Crutcher's] memoir, but this isn't nonfiction. In fact, it defies categorization, offering up a smorgasbord of literaty devices ... elective mutism, a narrator from beyond the grave, and a plot in which the author himself plays a major role."
Booklist, May 15, 2005
"Crutcher bravely explores the explosive issue of banned books."
Seattle Times, June 4, 2005
"...this provocative and highly entertaining novel will be THE talk novel of the year."
Sue Corbett, Miami Herald Reviewer
for Capitol Choices
"I swear, Chris Crutcher is writing himself into my heart even as he’s writing himself into his own books! As it details the life history of a banned book from a teenager’s perspective, The Sledding Hill is a brilliant chronicle about censorship in literature and its effect on personal freedom. But this book speaks to my heart because it’s a story about undying friendship and the vast capacity for reasoning in the most unreasonable kids. I can’t think of a better kick in the pants to launch the Wild Rumpus Banned Book Club."
Collette Morgan, Wild Rumpus Books
2005 Summer BookSense Pick
"Crutcher turns crusader in this story of a boy who has lost too much to let a book be taken away from him."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June 2005
