YA Book Review

        The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread by Don Robertson is a great story about adolescence, growing up, family and friendship. A young boy, Morris, and his sister set out a cross his town to see his best friend Stanley. When he reaches Stanley's house there is a gas explosion and Stanley is killed. Morris is devastated and alone with his sister finds safety. On this journey Morris learns that life is cruel, and unforgiving.

        The author writes,"He wondered what had happened to Stanley Chaloupka." As Morris drags mangled bodies through the streets on his friend's cart he thinks this over and over throughout the story. Morris is in shock and can not except that his only real friend is now dead. This line also illustrates he finds the situation confusing. The author goes on to say, "Stanley Chaloupka was undoubtedly the worst handsoccer player in the history of the world. He was even worse than clumsy old Alex Coffee, The Human Garbage Can. He was what the other boys called A Slop."  Morris learned through his friendship with Stanley Chaloupka that people will be tough on you. Even though Stanley was considered A Slop, a big part of the story was that he always smiled.  He learned from Stanley Chaloupka, however, that if you stay true to your self and are happy with who you are everything will be okay.  "Tiddlelump went the wagon careening, Sandra shrieked. Morris Bird III grinned. Her ran towards good old Stanley Chaloupka, and he heard birds, and then up jumped a huge hot orange ball, a great big fat whoosh of a". This is the moment when Stanley Chaloupka dies. Morris and his sister are severely injured in the explosion. He becomes an adult in this moment and proceeds to shoulder the burden of one. He is still in denial of the fact that Stanley Chaloupka is dead, but he steps up. He encounters a woman who is severely burned and dying. She has been abandoned by many people and many more are rushing past her. Morris, who can hardly stand, takes this woman and puts her in his cart along with his sister. He sees the horror of her injuries, he sees the fact that she had been left abandoned in a gutter, and he does something. I believe it is in this moment that Morris sees the world for what it is -- not a typical one for nine a year old boy. He sees the cruelty, but also the good.

        The world is not always a good place. There are terrorists, there are natural disasters, but there is good. There are people like Morris Bird III out there that have good in their heart. They see the horrors in the world, and they learn to deal with them.