One Book, One Springfield 2007

One Book, One Springfield

For Further Reading

If you liked Tuesdays with Morrie... | Selected Library Resources for Kids & Teens

If You Like Tuesdays with Morrie.

Non-Fiction and Short Stories

What Dying People Want: Practical Wisdom for the End of Life by David Kuhl 155.937 KUHL
Using case studies, a palliative care physician offers strategies for the terminally ill, their families, and caregivers on facing end-of-life realities.

Living a Life That Matters: Resolving the Conflict Between Conscience and Success by Harold Kushner 296.36 KUSHNER
Explores the nature of true accomplishment while examining the troubling impact of compromising one's integrity to achieve success, and argues that the path to leading a significant life lies in family, friendship, generosity, and self-sacrifice.

Morrie: In His Own Words by Morrie Schwartz 362.19683 S399m
A former sociology professor suffering from an incurable progressive disease shares his thoughts on his approaching death, coming to terms with one's mortality, and living life fully.

Learning to Fall: The Blessings of an Imperfect Life by Philip Simmons 362.19683 SIMMONS 2002
Diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in 1993, the author shares his unexpected lesson in living, where he finds answers to life's deepest questions, from turtle behavior to Buddhist philosophy, and introduces the inhabitants of his small New England town.

Rowing Without Oars by Ulla-Carin Lindquist 362.196839 LINDQUIS
A late newscaster whose final years were marked by her struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease recounts her efforts to document and bring meaning to her life as a way of preparing herself and her family for her death.

His Brother's Keeper: A Story from the Edge of Medicine by Jonathan Weiner 616.83 WEINER
Discusses how new discoveries in the field of cloning genetics, and stem-cell research have impacted the lives of brothers Stephen and Jamie Heywood, the latter of whom is endeavoring to find a cure for the former's ALS.

God: Stories edited by C. Michael Curtis 813.0108382 G54
A collection of religious stories showcases the work of such authors as Eudora Welty, John Updike, Flannery O'Connor, Tobias Wolff, and James Joyce.

In Heaven As On Earth: A Vision of the Afterlife by M. Scott Peck 813.54 P335i
Through a fable about an alter ego who strives to fulfill his destiny in the afterlife, the psychiatrist-author of The Road Less Traveled explores the spiritual and moral principles that lift humans above mortality.

Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig by Jonathan Eig BIO GEHRIG LOU Eig
Recounts the life of the Hall of Fame ballplayer whose career was cut short by the disease now commonly called after him, in a portrait that shares details about his rivalry with Babe Ruth, the onset of his illness, and the final years of his life.

Fiction

For One More Day by Mitch Albom FICT ALBOM MITCH For one
Charley Benetto, an alcoholic considering suicide, is given the chance to spend one more day with his mother, who had died eight years earlier.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom FICT ALBOM MITCH Five
Weaves three stories about 83-year-old Eddie, the head maintenance person at Ruby Point Amusement park. Eddie meets 5 individuals in heaven each with a story to share, a secret to reveal and a lesson. The have profound meanings for Eddie on the real purpose of his life.

Soulmate by Deepak Chopra FICT CHOPRA DEEPAK Soulmate
In a novel by the great spiritual writer and mind-body healing expert, a doctor learns important lessons about love and death from a passionate woman named Molly.

Ramar: The Rabbit with Rainbow Wings by Darrell T. Hare FICT HARE DARRELL Ramar
Preparing for his first journey to Earth as a human being, a young winged rabbit from the World-in-Between is befriended by a host of animal spirits who offer him guidance about his forthcoming journey.

Mr. Ives' Christmas by Oscar Hijuelos FICT HIJUELOS OSCAR Mr Ives'
A moving work from a Pulitzer Prize-winning author concerns the loss of faith endured by Mr. Ives, a businessman whose world is shattered when his son, who is studying for the priesthood, violently dies at Christmas.

What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson PBK FICT M (EFP and PP)
When an unexpected accident cuts his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Chris Nielsen must discover the nature of life after death, but when tragedy threatens to divide Chris and Annie forever, he risks his very soul to save her from an eternity of despair.

Soon: Tales from Hospice by A.G. Mojtabai FICT MOJTABAI, A.G. Soon
Set in a Texan hospice, award-winning novelist Mojtabai's collection of 17 interlocking short stories explores the ways in which patients -- the young, the frail and weary, the angry, the believers, the rationalists, the people who try to maintain control, the deniers -- try to find a common language with their visitors without small talk.

The Laws of Return by Cameron Stracher FICT S8935 45 (FP and SA)
Secular Jew Colin Stone embarks on a search for his faith, a deeply personal journey that takes him to the wealthy suburbs of New York, as well as western Massachusetts, Harvard Law School, and the Arctic Circle.

Feature Film Videos

Please consult the online catalog or check with a librarian to verify format (VHS or DVD), locations, and availability.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Eddie is an eighty-three-year-old war veteran. He spends his days maintaining the rides at Ruby Pier, a seaside amusement park. Now Eddie's own life is about to come to an end. One morning, an accident occurs on one of the rides. In front of a horrified crowd, Eddie attempts to save the five-year-old's life. The last thing he sees is the little girl's frightened face, the last thing he feels is the child's hands in his. Then, a blinding flash of light and silence, and Eddie reawakens in an unfamiliar place called Heaven. But he's not alone. Five people have been waiting to meet him.

Tuesdays with Morrie
This made-for-TV movie tells the story of an old man, professor of sociology, Morrie Schwartz, who is dying from ALS. He tells a former student, Mitch Albom, about dying, living and what's important in life.

Cocoon
When the Antareans, advanced beings from another planet, arrive at an old age home in Florida, the senior citizens there get a second chance at being young in this story of youth, old age, and how people choose to live their lives.

Door - to - Door
Based on the true story of Bill Porter, a man with cerebral palsy. With little hope of getting the job, Bill asks to take on the position of salesman in the most unwanted and difficult territory. He gets the job and makes his rounds, impacting the lives of his customers during his nearly 50-year career that often found him at the top of his company's sales charts.

On Golden Pond
An older couple agrees to mind their estranged daughter's boyfriend's child, while the daughter and the boyfriend go on a trip. The boy bonds with the elderly man in a way his daughter never did. Shows the terrors and graces of aging

Lorenzo's Oil
A drama based on the true story of the extraordinary mission for a medical cure begun by Augusto and Michaela Odone when their five-year-old son, Lorenzo, is diagnosed with a rare terminal disease.

Regarding Henry
A ruthless lawyer is shot during a robbery attempt and must rebuild his life without any memory of his past.

Wit
An English professor has always had control over her life, until she is diagnosed with a devastating illness. She agrees to undergo a series of procedures that are brutal, extensive and experimental. She finds that the fine line between life and death can only be walked with wit.

Selected Library Resources for Kids and Teens

Essay Writing

The Freedom Writers Diary: How A Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them
305.235 FREEDOM Freedom

Painted Paragraphs: Inspired Description for Writers and Readers
808.02 N461p

How to Write Themes & Essays
808.042 MCCALL 2003

Tell it Slant: Writing and Shaping Creative Nonfiction
808.042 MILLER

If You Can Talk, You Can Write
808.042 S179i

In Your Own Voice: Using Life Stories to Develop Writing Skills
808.042 S467i

Write Where You Are: How to Use Writing to Make Sense of Your Life: A Guide for Teens
808.0420712 MIRRIAM Write wh

Extraordinary Essays
808.4 ORR

Learning More About Your Friends, Family, and Community

How to Say it to Seniors: Closing the Communication Gap with Our Elders
618.976855 SOLIE

Creating Family Newsletters:123 Ideas for Sharing Memorable Moments with Family and Friends
646.78 FLOYD Creating

Discovering the History of Your House and Your Neighborhood
907.2 GREEN

Oral History Interview Guidelines
907.2 O63

Doing Oral History
907.2 R51d

First Steps in Genealogy: A Beginner's Guide to Researching Your Family History
929.1 A425f

Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage
929.1 RENICK

Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Offline Genealogy for Kids:The Official Ellis Island Handbook
J 929.1 WOLFMAN

The Everything Online Genealogy Book: Use the Web to Discover Long-Lost Relations, Trace Your Family Tree Back to Royalty, and Share Your History with Far-Flung Cousins
929.2 RICHLEY Everythi

Community Service Ideas

It's Our World, Too!: Stories of Young People Who Are Making a Difference
302.14 H769i

A City Year: On the Streets and in the Neighborhoods with Twelve Young Community Service Volunteers
307.1416 G575c

The Grass Roots Fundraising Book: How to Raise Money in Your Community
361.70681 FLANAGAN Grass ro

Community Service for Teens: Opportunities to Volunteer series

-Caring for Animals 361.370835 R952c
-Expanding Education and Literacy 361.370835 R952e
-Helping the Ill, the Poor & the Elderly 361.370835 R952h
-Increasing Neighborhood Service 361.370835 R952i

Empowered Girls: A Girl's Guide to Positive Activism, Volunteering, and Philanthropy
361.3708352 KARNES

It's Your World - If You Don't Like It, Change It: Activism for Teenagers
371.81 HALPIN

Community Participation series

Working Together Against Aids AIM SOCIAL STUDIES
Working Together Against Hate Groups AIM SOCIAL STUDIES
Working Together Against the Destruction of the Environment AIM SOCIAL STUDIES
Working Together Against Homelessness AIM SOCIAL STUDIES
Working Together Against Racism AIM SOCIAL STUDIES

The Kid's Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Ideas from Young People Who Want to Make a Difference
J 361.37 L585k

If You Like Tuesdays with Morrie.

Selected Library Resources for Kids and Teens