"When Daniel’s brother Eli is killed at war, Daniel considers the history of unusual fatalities to determine what makes a death—or a life—matter.Some people die heroically, others accidentally. When Daniel Anderson’s older brother dies, he wonders which category Eli’s death falls into. In an attempt to understand, Danny creates a Book of the Dead—an old binder that he fills with details about dead people, how they died, and, most important, for what purpose. Time passes, and eventually Daniel is prompted to look up from his notebook of death and questions to make new friends and be swept into their imaginings. With gentle humor and genuine emotion, Rebecca Rupp examines the questions that arise following a profound loss and the moments that start life rolling again."
"Octavia’s best friend, Andrew, wants to know why time runs forward instead of backward, or if it’s possible to talk to an alien jellyfish. Octavia has much bigger questions on her mind:Why do bad things happen, like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11?What is the meaning of life?Is there a God?Octavia’s father is convinced that art and Henry David Thoreau hold the key to life. Her mother, Ray, though, has always been seeking greater meaning—up until now. Octavia’s problem is not only that her parents have different answers to the big questions but that their answers are threatening to tear her family apart.Could it be that some questions are too big to have just one answer?Could it be that the universe is far wider than Octavia’s—or perhaps anyone’s—view of it?"
