The Sledding Hill







The Sledding Hill is a young adult novel by Chris Crutcher.  The novel focuses on protagonist, Eddie, as he copes with the sudden loss of both his father and his best friend, Billy, who is the narrator of the story.  The people in town see Eddie as a troublemaker and stupid.  He becomes selectively mute after the two only people who knew the real him died.    However, soon after Billy´s death, Eddie begins to see Billy¨s spirit.  At first Eddie doesn´t believe it is real, but Eddie is persistent.  He begins to dream about Billy and Billy takes him to to the hill where they use to go sledding together.  Eventually he begins to believe that Billy is really with him.  When school begins, Eddie is still mute, but befriends Billy´s dad who is the school janitor.  In one of Eddie´s classes he reads a book, Warren Peece, that deals with issues such as homosexuality and abortion.  The father that leads the school wants to ban the book, but Eddie disagrees.  He convinces Billy´s dad to read it to students in the boiler room.  The challenge of the book goes to the school board meeting.  As a result of the book, students speak.  One comes out as gay and another admits to self harming.  Eddie realizes that he has to use his voice to defend the book and to speak up for what he believes in.  As a result of his success, Eddies life begins to improve.  He gains more friends and even a romance.  It is then that Billy leaves him. 

Crutcher, C. (2009). The sledding hill. Greenwillow Books.

 


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