All These Lives

Gr 8 Up—As an infant, Dani survived a horrible car crash. Hearing this story and others just like it have convinced her that she has nine lives-and right now they may come in handy because her twin sister has been diagnosed with leukemia. Jena needs a bone-marrow transplant to survive, but Dani isn't a match and feels helpless. From her mom's constant hovering and her dad's secret smoking to Dani's belligerent attitude, the entire family copes as best they can. After hearing a story about a cat's nine lives floating out in the atmosphere to help other cats, Dani gets an idea: she'll give her extra lives to Jena. She embarks on a series of risky endeavors, each one designed to take one of her lives. But what she doesn't see is how her destructive behavior is causing her parents even more heartache. One disastrous night Jena becomes seriously ill, and though Dani handles everything from calling paramedics to getting her to the hospital, she feels responsible. She decides it's time to give all her remaining lives to Jena by doing something seriously dangerous. In the end, Dani learns that the best way to help her sister is to be there for her. Narrated in Dani's somewhat sarcastic voice, the story shows how living with a terminally ill person affects every family member. Details about illness are revealed as needed. Interesting without being syrupy, the story will speak to teens who may be going through similar tough family situations.—Diana Pierce, Leander High School, TX