Coaltown Jesus
Written by Ron Koertge
Narrated by Nick Podehl
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
"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.
Ron Koertge
Ron Koertge is the author of many acclaimed novels for young people, including Stoner & Spaz and Shakespeare Bats Cleanup. A two-time winner of the PEN Award, Ron lives in South Pasadena, California, where he is currently the city’s poet laureate.
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Reviews for Coaltown Jesus
29 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Walker, a teenager grieving his brother's death, gets a visit from Jesus after praying for help. He and his mother, who live above the nursing home she runs, have been struggling to deal with Noah's death. This modern day Jesus spends some time with Walker and helps him come to terms with his loss. This is a very quick read, written in verse, and in a lighthearted, humorous manner despite the heavier content. Good pick for reluctant readers. Lexile: 390AR BL: 3.1Recommended for: teens/tweens
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jesus comes to Coaltown to comfort a grieving teen. Slim but funny and poignant. Raises some big ideas worthy of pondering. A savior that sports Chuck Taylor high tops is alright with me.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Written in verse, this is a quick read and is a good choice for reluctant readers. Walker and his mother are grieving over the loss of Walker's brother Noah. A highly unconventional Jesus appears in response to a plea from Walker. This has a light touch so as not to turn off readers but it is thought provoking.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book was recommended to me because it was a book in verse. It is a small book and therefore a quick read. What would you do if your brother died and you kept praying for God to take your mother's grief away and suddenly Jesus is in your bedroom. A nice book about healing after death.