Items related to Coaltown Jesus
“I would have been here sooner, but traffic on I-55 was awful.”
Walker shouldn’t be so surprised to find Jesus standing in the middle of his bedroom. After all, he prayed for whoever was up there to help his mom, who hasn’t stopped crying since Noah died, two months ago. But since when have prayers actually been answered? And since when has Jesus been so...irreverent?
As astounding as Jesus’ sudden appearance is, it’s going to take more than divine intervention for Walker to come to terms with his brother’s death. Why would God take seventeen-year-old Noah when half of the residents in his mom’s nursing home are waiting to die? And why would he send Jesus to Coaltown, Illinois, to pick up the pieces? If he really wanted to help, why couldn’t he have kept Noah from dying?
In a spare, weighty, and often humorous text, renowned poet Ron Koertge tackles some of life’s biggest questions—and humanizes the savior in a way that highlights the divinity in all of us.
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About the Author:
Ron Koertge is the author of many award-winning novels, including Stoner & Spaz and its sequel, Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II; Shakespeare Bats Cleanup; Strays; Deadville; Margaux with an X; The Brimstone Journals; The Arizona Kid; and Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses, a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year. A two-time winner of the PEN USA Literary Award for Children’s Literature, Ron Koertge lives in South Pasadena, California.
From School Library Journal:
Gr 8 Up—Fourteen-year-old Walker is still reeling from the death of his older brother, Noah. Though he doesn't expect a response, he prays for help for himself and his mother, and he's stunned when Jesus appears in his bedroom. This Jesus is unlike the man Walker has read about: he's hip, witty, and somewhat irreverent, yet he encompasses a reassuring and gentle benevolence that helps Walker begin to come to terms with his brother's death. Told in sparse verse, Koertge's simple, poetic novel (Candlewick, 2013) translates well to audio. While the themes are serious-coping with the unexpected death of a loved one, strained family dynamics, the nature of friendship-Koertge successfully manages to keep the tone light without sacrificing the story's substance, which is even more impressive since the prose could have very easily slipped into an overly religious or didactic tone. Fortunately, Nick Podehl's narration remains faithful to the text, embodying Walker's fluctuating emotions and Jesus's quick-witted humor with poignancy. Although Walker is the story's protagonist, it's Podehl's portrayal of Jesus that really drives the narrative. With flawless comedic timing and understated compassion, he humanizes Jesus, allowing listeners, regardless of their religious affiliation, to relate to the character on a personal level.—Audrey Sumser, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Mayfield, OH
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- PublisherCandlewick on Brilliance Audio
- Publication date2013
- ISBN 10 1480518328
- ISBN 13 9781480518322
- BindingAudio CD
- Rating
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