3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book--if that's the right word for it? It kept me reading, and at times I smiled or had tears in my eyes... or both. The vibe was a bit BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA in a few places, which I liked a lot.

This book does a good job of exploring how illness affects the loved ones around the ill person. I think it would be a great resource for kids dealing with a friend or sibling's sickness--or friends who want to understand what their peers in houses of illness are going through. There were several bits of really valuable trauma advice shown through Oliver, Aleta, and other minor characters helping Cal along. Those insights were probably my favorite parts.

The portrayal of sibling relationships is well done, though perhaps Sammy could have been a *touch* less perfect. I also really liked the parents in this, and actually wouldn't have minded exploring a bit more of their depth through Cal's interactions.

The book did feel a bit like someone who wasn't a writer wrote it--some small sentence errors, or a few places where the narrator felt like an adult more than a child. The pace also was rather unreliable--really slow for long stretches, then fast and tense, then slow again. I think part of that is just a side effective of writing about illness (which doesn't have a perfect story arc), but made the story feel a little like a slightly off-balance early draft. I worry that the abundant references to the Goosebumps books will age this one, unfortunately, and part of me wished the editor had taken a few steps to move this story into a timeless realm where it didn't stand in danger of feeling outdated.

However, I appreciate Alex Lyttle taking his expertise as a pediatrician to capture this story, and I think most of these things have a lot to do with this being his debut. Plus that cover is gorgeous. I think this book would be a valuable companion to hurting kids. :)

A heartbreaking tale of guilt that offered beauty where you'd least expect it.

An 11 year old boy trying to find his way without his pesky little brother getting in his way or slowing him down comes to regret his actions. While he tries to encourage his brother through the idea of levels in life, Cal gets a lot more than he's ever bargained for.

Sammy is unlucky in that he's the younger one, still learning to read, shoot baskets and keep up pedaling with his brother while Cal seems to have all the luck. When a new family moves in close by and connect with Cal and Sammy in church their lives change dramatically.

This book was filled with so much emotion and imagery it seemed to me that it was written from an 11 year old with 30 years of life lessons.

Amazing and highly recommended for anyone who has lost a loved one and took on the blame.

This book. Wow. I loved it from the very first page. What is it? It's a story of love and loss, family and friendship and finding the strength to move forward in the face of heartbreak. And it is a wonderful, sweet, important reminder that adults are not always the wisest people in the room.

This is a heartbreaking middle grade novel about six year old Sam and eleven year old Calvin. Cal's your typical tween - he wants to watch TV, ride his bike with the mysterious new girl, and avoid spending time with his little brother. He most certainly isn't concerned about Sam, who's feeling left behind yet too sick to do much about it. But when the summer ends, and Sammy is diagnosed with cancer, Cal becomes obsessed with making amends.

So many tears! I loved both boys, as well as Oliver, the Mennonite teenager who has been in the children's oncology ward for 670 days. Oliver's seen so many children come and go, and is wiser than his years. He's also a source of both practical information and comfort for Cal, whose parents are weathering through their own emotional journeys.

This was well-written and compassionate, a book delicately balanced between the realities of childhood cancer and the possibility of hope.

(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

Cal's not looking forward to spending the whole summer with his tag-along brother, six-year-old Sammy. Cal's almost in sixth grade, for goodness sake! He can't be expected to keep entertaining his brother. When he meets a new girl in town, Aleta, he jumps at the chance to ditch his brother and hang out with her at their new Secret Spot. Summer days stretch out before him and it seems like life can't get any better, except for his brother's drop in energy and constant stomach pains...

So, this is a book about cancer, and it's always tough to rate a book like this fairly. All cancer stories tug at the heartstrings, and it's hard to be real about the quality of the writing and the story, especially when it's clear that the author is drawing on personal experience.

I'm going to be real here, though.

This book is merely "okay".

I liked the characters, particularly the development of the conflict between Cal's parents. A lot of times in MG & YA, the author leaves the parents as 2D characters, but this is not the case in this novel. I also really like Cal, since he's selfish (but knows it) and kind all at the same time. He's very human, and very relatable.

What fell short for me was the plot and structure of the novel. I'm not sure why the author chose to set this novel in 1994 (perhaps to geek out about Goosebumps?), but the narrative felt very distant. It was predictable, and lacking the closeness to the narrator made the whole thing a bit boring and disconnected. This did not work for me as a reader - I would have preferred the development of a closeness that made me feel like Sammy was my own brother and made me hurt as though cancer was happening to my family (which it has). Lacking that, this story was too easy on the emotions for its subject matter.

While I believe that MG does need stories about sibling relationships and the awful toll that cancer takes on families, we do not need to deify every novel that attempts the feat, nor do we need to assume that middle schoolers need emotionally simple stories to read.

This book is an excellent work of realistic fiction. It portrays the relationship between siblings very well, capturing the push and pull of having a brother to play with, yet also wanting time to hang out with friends of one's own. Calvin, the older brother, is eleven and bored over summer break. His younger brother Sammy is only six and can't do many of the things Calvin can. But Calvin has created a game with challenges that he makes up and Sammy has to complete to gain a level. Sammy started at Ant level, but wants to attain Eagle just like Calvin. Even with such entertainment available, it's understandable that when Calvin makes friends with a new girl from church, he wants to have fun without Sammy around all the time. When the family realizes Sammy is very ill, then Calvin begins to feel guilty over ignoring him all summer when he wasn't busy sending him on missions like spraying a bees nest to earn another level. And Cal's friend Aleta has her own guilty feelings to deal with over something from her family's past.

The characters really come to life in this story - the older brother annoyed by a younger tag-along; the new girl who captures the boy's attention; the younger brother with a case of hero worship for his sibling; the parents stressed by their child's illness. Readers can easily picture people they know in similar situations. Who hasn't hear siblings whine, "Do I have to play with him?" And many readers have probably has the experience of meeting a new kid at school, or in the neighborhood and being intrigued by the novelty of making a new friend. The saddest part is that some readers may also have firsthand knowledge of being in the hospital with a family member who is undergoing extensive tests. The portrayal of how each person within Calvin's family deals with the stress of the medical situation is heartrendingly real and may cause some tears among readers.

Recommended for middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction centered around family and friendship, and who don't mind some sadness and scenes that will bring out intense emotions.

This will go live on my blog on June 9. Kellyvision.wordpress.com

Cal killed his little brother, Sammy. That's the first thing we learn in this book. Soon, we learn there's a lot more to it than that, but it's important to know that going in. This is a great book, but it's also a sad one.

It's easy to tell that Cal loves Sammy and that he's a good big brother. But he wants to spend his summer with Aleta (a new girl) and most of the time, nothing would happen because of it. But Sammy feels left out and then he gets sick. There's no correlation, of course, but now Cal feels guilty.

This is such a good book but it's a hard read. (Not the whole way, of course, but be prepared. This book will carve out your heart.)

Highly recommended. (Have tissues.)

Heartwrenching, real, and told in an unforgettable voice.

Such a strong voice of a child who cares and feels deeply. The author brings the sadness of illness, and the beauty of family and friendship to life. Highly recommeneded.

Devoured this book in a matter of hours!

I have been dying for months to read this book. It first came to my attention as a giveaway on Goodreads which unfortunately I didn’t win. Then months later I saw it offered on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was so elated to see that NetGalley email in my inbox saying my wish has been granted and ordering me to go download. I quickly obeyed!

Calvin (Cal) Sinclair is an eleven year old boy recently moved from the big city of London, Ontario to the small country town of Huxbury with his father, mother, and younger brother Sammy. It’s the summer before sixth grade and like any typical older brother; Cal is tired of playing with his six year old brother. Sammy like any little brother idolizes his big brother and like any big brother Cal can be mean and cons Sammy into doing things for him by employing the “Level” system as a means to motivate and control his brother. Eagle is the highest level and Sammy wants to be like his big brother and have that status so bad he will do anything Cal asks in order to earn it. That summer a new girl moves to their town and suddenly Cal drops his brother like a ton of bricks to spend time with the quiet and shy girl Aleta. Cal feels a little bad ditching his brother but he wants free of his constant shadow. It isn’t until tragedy strikes the family does Cal realize how much he loves his brother and the strong bond between them.

Oh my gosh. This book. Amazing. I want a tangible copy of this book for my bookshelf. This story was truly an eye opener for me. I cant say why it is because it will totally ruin the story for you. I can only say that if you have not personally gone through this experience you have absolutely no idea the pain both physical and mental that’s involved. That was me. Completely naive. Now having read this story I have a very small measure of what Cal and his family went through. The author did a fantastic job creating this story. I have read no plot like it and the characters were thoroughly developed and so real that they fit perfectly into the storyline. Cal didn’t seem like a fictional character, he was this typical big brother that I found myself laughing at because of the many tricks and cons he played on his little brother that were so similar to the same tricks I did to my little brother when I was eleven-ish. Reading this story you will laugh, cry, get annoyed, and definitely pissed off but in the end you will truly appreciate the love, friendship, and strong bond between brothers.

I would recommend this book to reader’s middle grade and up. This book is categorized as mainly as teen/young adult but I think middle grade readers as young as 12 would enjoy.

I love everything about this book. Even though it tackles a difficult subject matter., the story draws you in and the author does a wonderful job of balancing the heavy moments with some lighthearted and tender moments as well. It leaves the reader with much to think about and is a very realistic portrayal of all of the characters in a crisis. I love Cal and that the story is told through his eyes. This is a wonderful book for both children and adults and should be a must read for anyone whose lives have been touched by cancer or any other potentially fatal disease.

Ant To Eagle by Alex Lyttle opens in the summer of Cal’s eleventh year. Cal is bored and lonely with only his six-year-old brother Sammy as his companion since their parents have moved the family from London, Ontario, to the small town of Huxbury, a farming community. The boys are further isolated because the family lives in a farmhouse outside of the village. Cal does not know it, but that summer will change the family’s life forever.
Cal, as the big brother, loves Sammy; still, Cal cannot help teasing Sammy and persuading Sammy to do all sorts of tasks in order to reach a new level. Cal dreamed up the levels in order to convince Sammy to do any number of things such as destroy a bees’ nest by the house or capture one-hundred live ants or make one-hundred basketball goals. With each task Sammy completes, Cal advances Sammy to a new level with eagle being the highest, a level Cal has already achieved by awarding it to himself without completing the tasks he sets for Sammy, but Sammy does not know that. Being only six, Sammy worships his older brother and believes everything Cal tells him.
At church one Sunday, Raquel and Aleta Alvarado and their dad come into the service late. Cal is immediately struck by Aleta’s quiet beauty, especially her green eyes and dark hair. She looks to be about his age and Raquel a bit older. Cal becomes consumed with meeting Aleta; luckily for him, Sammy innocently devises a plan. Sammy suggests that he and Cal should take the girls some homemade cookies since they live within biking distance.
After a bit of a rocky start, Aleta and Cal become friends and begin spending a great deal of time together, ignoring Sammy. Sammy spends the summer lonesome and alone with his mom. Sammy, always a bit chubby, begins losing weight and feeling tired. His mom takes him to the local doctor several times, thinking Sammy has mono. Meanwhile, Cal spends as much time with Aleta as he can, especially in their special place overlooking a placid lake and surrounded by trees.
When school resumes in the fall, Cal promises to help Aleta, protecting her from the Riley brothers, the school bullies. On the first day of school, Sammy is shooting baskets against Joey Riley when Sammy falls to the ground and clearly is not getting up. Cal immediately becomes concerned and tries to help Sammy; teachers push the children away and call an ambulance.
That incident on the playground marks the beginning of life as the family has known it. Sammy is very ill and must be poked and prodded by a number of doctors who determine after many tests that Sammy has leukemia. In the hospital, Cal and his parents meet other families all dealing with serious childhood cancers, some with better chances of survival than others. Oliver, age sixteen, becomes a friend and gives Cal advice since Oliver himself has been in the hospital over six-hundred days. Oliver tells Cal, "The only thing worse than dying is living without hope."
Sadly, the leukemia has already moved into his brain, hence the seizure Sammy has on the playground. In spite of the doctors’ best efforts, Sammy does not respond to the massive and toxic chemotherapy. Cal can stay with Sammy in the hospital room on the weekends. Along with a bed for one of the parents, Cal sees a small cot which he knows is for him. Being able to spend that time with Sammy is comforting even though Cal continues to feel guilty for having ignored Sammy much of the summer. While Sammy is in the hospital, Cal learns what has made Aleta so sad and why her family has moved to Huxbury. Raquel and Aleta’s mom died in a car accident and Aleta was badly injured, but survived.
Reading Ant To Eagle became difficult for me, not because I have lost a sibling or a child to cancer, but because of the recent death in my own family. The story is touching, warm, honest, and yes, sad. In the end at Sammy’s funeral, Oliver reads Mary Elizabeth Frye’s poem: “Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep,” a poem my family chose for our son’s memorial. Ant To Eagle is a story that will grip the readers and not let go until the last word is read.

Damn it, I always try to steel myself before reading a book that I know will be sad, and yet every time - every damned time! - I end up ugly crying. I can’t help it.

So Calvin Sinclair is eleven years old and he has an adorable six-year-old brother called Sammy. It’s not a spoiler that Sammy dies - it’s literally mentioned on page one. Somehow I thought “OK, I can tough this out, I won’t cry, I’ll be strong and objective and I’ll write a nice review for the internets.”

Yeah, nope.

This book had me in a puddle. Stories about siblings always reduce me to a puddle because I have siblings. I loved reading from the perspective of the older brother because, as the youngest sibling, I have no idea what that’s like. I was on the receiving end of the torment, so I related really hard to Sammy but it was nice to see Calvin’s thought process, the reasons why he can just casually torment his brother, but at the same time love Sammy to pieces. I also really liked the relationship between Calvin and Aleta - it was sweet and felt realistic, considering these are two eleven-year-old kids trying their best to process grief.

So yeah, if you’re in the mood a weepy middle-grade, or if you’re looking for a way to introduce the grieving process to adolescent readers, then you should read this.

I don’t recommend reading it on public transit because you will cry. If you cry easy, then you will cry. Be warned.