Smiles to Go

Smiles to Go, by Jerry Spinelli, is 248 pages long. The main character, Will Tuppence, is shocked when he hears that a proton has died. He keeps thinking about how eventually everything will be gone since everything in the universe is made of protons.  He also plays chess with his dad to practice for a big chess tournament each year. He insists that his sister Tabby stays home with a babysitter because she distracts him at the games. He gets his way, but Tabby escapes out of the house and gets his brother's skateboard to skateboard down Dead Mans Hill. No one has ever done this before. She ends up in the intensive care unit at the hospital for 2 months. Will is pretty upset that he had to leave the chess tournament until he sees the condition his sister is in. She gets better in the end and Will walks her down the aisle at her kindergarten graduation ceremony. I recommend this book to readers of all ages who can take pretty nervewraking stuff.