I really enjoyed this book, I really appreciated the way it addressed Grandma's death and Zach and Grandpa's grief. The plot of the story pleasantly surprised me, I assumed it would just be a book about a child learning to conquer his fear of roller coasters, I was not at all suspecting him to be grieving his grandmother! It was very well developed and I liked that in the end, Zach knew how to help his Grandpa by talking about his Grandma and what he misses about her. I feel that this book pushes readers, especially adults, to think about how we process grief and loss in the family. Zach's parents don't want him to bring Grandma up around Grandpa because they think the reminder will make him sad, but Zach knows that Grandpa just needs someone to talk to about her. I liked that the point of view was in first person and told from the little boy's point of view because it helped the story maintain it's innocence and it's genuineness by showing a little boy navigate grief for the first time unaffected by the way society tells him to mourn. The message of this story is to navigate your fears, whether they are heights or grief. ( )

This story does a great job teaching children about bravery and being aware of the feelings of others. ( )

Book discusses grief of a grandparent passing. Also talks about empathizing with others and overcoming fears. ( )

This book made me feel a bit sad. Every summer this boy and his grandparents would go to the beach and a theme park. But his grandmother passes away and leaves his grandfather very sad.

The boy is trying to gain the courage to ride a rollercoaster just like his grandma. Every summer he tries but never has enough courage. When Grandma dies, his opportunity seems over. His grandfather and him go to the carnival and he finally has the courage to ride the rollercoaster, making he and grandpa feel better about their grief of grandma