A Taste of Blackberries - by Doris Buchanan Smith (Paperback)

About the Book

No one, least of all his best friend, dreamed that Jamie's exuberance and a harmless prank could end in his sudden death. But when it does, his friend must find the strength to bear his grief and his feeling that he might have saved his friend. ALA Notable Children's Book.

Book Synopsis

Jamie is special, full of surprises, unpredictable. He can get into trouble, and then out of it. He courts danger, and always escapes. And he has an answer for every impossible question.

But when something sudden and terrible happens to Jamie, his best friend has to face the tragedy alone. Now there are questions that not even Jamie could have answered. How could Jamie be alive one minute, and the next, gone forever? How can some things, like flowers or playing games in the sun or the taste of the blackberries Jamie loved, go on without him - and still be so full of joy and pleasure?

From the Back Cover

What do you do without
your best friend?

Jamie isn't afraid of anything. Always ready to get into trouble, then right back out of it, he's a fun and exasperating best friend.

But when something terrible happens to Jamie, his best friend has to face the tragedy alone. Without Jamie, there are so many impossible questions to answer -- how can your best friend be gone forever? How can some things, like playing games in the sun or the taste of the blackberries that Jamie loved, go on without him?

Review Quotes

"An honest, touching story." - ALA Booklist