Remembering the Good Times [School & Library Binding]

Richard Peck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1986

Trav, Kate, and Buck make up a trio during their freshman year in high school, but their special friendship may not be enough to save Trav as he pressures himself relentlessly to succeed, in his own eyes as well as in the eyes of his parents and the world.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Buck, Trav and Kate are inseparable friends during junior and senior high school, until Trav hangs himself at age 16. Parents and school boards accuse each other of irresponsibility in the matter; Buck's father and Kate's great-grandmother come forward to bring the real topicteen suicideinto the open. PW said that this is Peck's "best book so far, a tragic story that contains moments of joy and high hilaritylike life." (12-upst
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

How well do we know our best friends?

They were the best of friends. Sixteen-year-old Buck Mendenhall first met Kate Lucas the summer before seventh grade. In eighth grade they made friends with the brilliant and wealthy newcomer, Trav Kirby.

They didn't seem to need anyone else. Mostly they looked forward to the good times shared at Kate's house. it didn't matter if their classmates wondered about them; no one could unravel their binding ties.

At least that's what they thought. When one of the trio finds the future too great a threat, the other two can only wonder: "How well did we know our best friend?"

"With humanity, wit, and a quiet intensity, Peck's novel depicts suicide as a turning point inward of the pressures in an alienated and violent society." -- Booklist, starred review.

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 192 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback Books: A Division of Sanval (March 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0808571281
• ISBN-13: 978-0808571285
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,294,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard Peck has written over twenty novels, and in the process has become one of America's most highly respected writers for young adults. A versatile writer, he is beloved by middle graders as well as young adults for his mysteries and coming-of-age novels. He now lives in New York City. In addition to writing, he spends a great deal of time traveling around the country attending speaking engagements at conferences, schools and libraries...Mr. Peck has won a number of major awards for the body of his work, including the Margaret A. Edwards Award from School Library Journal, the National Council of Teachers of English/ALAN Award, and the 1991 Medallion from the University of Southern Mississippi. Virtually every publication and association in the field of children s literature has recommended his books, including Mystery Writers of America which twice gave him their Edgar Allan Poe Award. Dial Books for Young Readers is honored to welcome Richard Peck to its list with Lost in Cyberspace and its sequel The Great Interactive Dream Machine...

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dealing with important issues, September 21, 2000

By 

Reading teacher "jojomitty" (South Dakota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Remembering the Good Times (Paperback)

This book is not one of the more popular young adult novels, which is too bad. Remembering the Good Times addresses many important issues that face teens today--stress, academic pressures, friendship, divorce, and suicide.

This book does a great job of educating readers about the warning signs of suicide and the aftermath of this tragedy. It can open teens' eyes to the problems they and their friends can face when a loved one commits suicide.

This is an important book for teenagers and parents to read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remembering The Good Times, July 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Remembering the Good Times (School & Library Binding)

Kate, Buck, and Trav were best friends. They were always together. The three of them spent a lot of time with Polly, Kate's grandma. The three of them became friends in the eighth grade, and remained friends throughout high school. In high school, two of the friends were left with the question of how well did they know their friend. I really enjoyed this book. I feel that this book is a great book for teens to read. The book may make the students more aware of behaviors that may occur in students that may committe suicide. This book relates to concerns that students are facing today, so it makes the students to become more involved in the book. Counselors may also find this book very useful, when dealing with suicide.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remembering..., September 10, 2002

By 

Lillian Patterson "Post-Postmodern Angster" (Big Rapids, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Remembering the Good Times (Paperback)

This book lingers long after you've put it down. I find myself returning to certain passages and rereading them often (particularly the jarring conclusion). This book beautifully captures the confusion, fear, longing, loneliness, and uncertainty of the teenage years. Peck introduces the characters and makes you feel as though you know them. We see the events through the eyes of Buck; from his first encounter with Kate at age twelve, to his friendship with her and Trav as they begin to grow up together.

High School is honestly portrayed in this novel, often sarcastically and never sugar-coated. The humor helps soften the alienation that students often feel during this time. As Buck says: "You could yell "Fire" in that school, and most people would think it didn't apply to them." Through this mess, Kate, Trav, and Buck emerged as close friends. There was some hint of rivalry between Trav and Buck for Kate's affections, but never enough to ruin the relationship. They were always there for each other. Nothing could spoil their friendship...or could it?

Most of the reviews and even the back cover of the book give away what happens in the end, but I won't do that here. To dwell on any one event is to ruin the effect of the entire novel as it shows how the events in our lives work together to change us and shape us as we grow into mature adults. Along the way, we find friends who help us on this difficult journey, and that is what this novel is really about: Friendship. Friends who are there to laugh, cry, talk, and listen. As Buck grows, he learns the value of true friendship, and this lesson helps him face the most challenging time of his life.

This book makes me cry every time I read it. It breaks my heart, and it gives me hope. As one character says, "We can't have a community until we are ready to be one," and it's true. But if the characters in this book can learn, maybe we can. So read. Laugh. Cry. Remember the good times in your own life, but look to the future, because "In your memories, it's never raining."