Remembering the Good Times (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Tray and I almost argued once about which one of us got to Kate first..." (more)
Key Phrases: Sherrie Slater, Polly Prior, Slocum Township (more...)

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
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Product Description

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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (March 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440973392
• ISBN-13: 978-0440973393
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #493,447 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

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

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

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 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."