Coaltown Jesus

by Ron Koertge

Overview

When Jesus shows up in Walker’s life, healing triumphs over heartbreak in Koertge’s finest and funniest novel yet.

Walker shouldn’t have been so surprised to find Jesus standing in the middle of his bedroom. After all, he’d prayed for whoever was up there to help him, and to help his mom, who hadn’t stopped crying since Noah died two months ago. But since when have prayers actually been answered? And since when has Jesus been so . . . irreverent? But as astounding as Jesus’ sudden appearance is, it’s going to take more than divine intervention for Walker to come to terms with his brother’s sudden death. Why would God take seventeen-year-old Noah when half of the residents in his mom’s nursing home were waiting to die? And why would he send Jesus to Coaltown, Illinois, to pick up the pieces? In a spare and often humorous text, renowned poet Ron Koertge tackles some of life’s biggest questions — and humanizes the divine savior in a way that highlights the divinity in all of us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763662288
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	10/08/2013
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.63(w) x 8.13(h) x 0.56(d)
Lexile:	HL390L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ron Koertge is the author of many award-winning novels, including Shakespeare Bats Cleanup; Strays; Deadville; Margaux with an X; The Brimstone Journals; and The Arizona Kid. A two-time winner of the PEN Literary Award for Children’s Literature, Ron Koertge lives in South Pasadena, California.

Editorial Reviews

08/26/2013
Writing in free verse, Koertge (Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses) shows how a personal relationship with Jesus aids a guilt-stricken 14-year-old. It isn’t just a turn of phrase—Jesus actually manifests in Walker’s bedroom after the boy makes a desperate prayer on behalf of his grieving mother. Walker thinks he’s going crazy (no one else can see Jesus, though his laughter can shake a building), yet their irreverently funny conversations begin to help in ways that readers will gradually pick up on. Koertge’s Jesus is one who considers a smile to be something holy and who tells Walker, “There are limit to even my miracles,” when the teen asks to become a better basketball player. “In the Bible, you’re always so serious,” Walker says. “You’re serious enough for both of us,” Jesus responds. Koertge parcels out details about Noah’s death, and the question of “why” looms over the story, as does the idea that God helps those who help themselves. It’s a fast read, but one with substance—the conversations linger, and the healing that takes place is subtle. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Koertge’s verse novel ... is a good vehicle for meditations on life, loss, and faith. A spare and memorable work.
—The Horn Book (starred review)

In this tender free-verse narrative, Koertge explores quite literally the notion of faith as a balm in the wake of devastating loss. ... Koertge’s tight, spare verse captures the ineffable qualities of fraught relations and emotions. The generosity of spirit Walker exhibits makes this protagonist one easy for teen readers to not only empathize with, but emulate. Didactic yet not preachy, Koertge’s tale offers much food for thought.
—Kirkus Reviews

It’s a fast read, but one with substance—the conversations linger, and the healing that takes place is subtle.
—Publishers Weekly

Told in a sparse free verse... [t]he overall focus is on the theme of dealing with grief and knowing that although questions will always be there, we can help each other through trying times.
—Booklist

Rather than taking an irreverent approach to the character of Jesus, Koertge’s depiction actually serves to elevate the character of Walker; in the loving presence of Jesus, Walker is allowed to be angry, distrustful, and hesitant as he grows in self-awareness and grace and ultimately learns to see the goodness of the world through Jesus’ eyes. Pair this with Cynthia Rylant’s God Went to Beauty School for perspectives that refresh a sense of the numinous in everyday life.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

This book’s poetic form is a well-chosen vehicle for its emotional content, strong message, and powerful ending. The story is an excellent portrayal of grief, letting go, healing, hope, and coming to terms with loss. In spite of its title and Jesus character, this book will appeal to teens, Christian or not, experiencing grief and loss.
—VOYA

Teens will be delighted with the jokes, the freshness, and the slightly subversive take on what is holy.
—School Library Journal

Walker has been praying to God to help him understand why his brother died and to help his mom who hasn’t stopped crying. He wakes to find Jesus standing at the end of his bed; this certainly couldn’t be the person he’d been praying to—this Jesus was funny, cracking jokes about everything. ... This short book will make readers laugh and cry.
—Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

11/01/2013
Gr 9 Up—How do siblings and others who remain behind cope with suicide? Walker's world is gray; he's haunted by memories of Noah's anger and the fights that his older brother often had with their mother. Now that he is dead, Mom cries every day. There seems to be no healing possible, no resolution, until Jesus strolls into Coaltown, Missouri. Not exactly the biblical Jesus, but one who appears only to infants, the dying, and to Walker. In this spare free-verse novel, Koertge's Jesus likes his mom's cooking, has a bad back, tells jokes about the old days, performs card tricks, and is happy with his flowing locks. He spends much of his time "going about his father's business" as well as helping Walker rediscover the light and joy surrounding him. At times, the writing is edgy and may tear the envelope that holds the traditional Jesus; but in spirit, the book honors Christianity and the healing power of love. Teens will be delighted with the jokes, the freshness, and the slightly subversive take on what is holy. When Jesus is asked by Walker if he needs a shower, he responds, "I'm pretty much spotless." Christians and others will appreciate the necessary miracle of human love. When Jesus leaves Coaltown, Walker watches "the sky/take off its party clothes and slip into/the comfortable pajamas of dusk."—Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA

School Library Journal

2013-08-15
Months after his brother's death, an anguished teen finds his prayers for help answered in a surprising way. In this tender free-verse narrative, Koertge explores quite literally the notion of faith as a balm in the wake of devastating loss. Walker and his mother live upstairs in the small-town nursing home she owns and are still racked with grief two months after troubled 17-year-old Noah's sudden passing. Despondent over his mother's sadness, 14-year-old Walker prays for help, and soon after, Jesus shows up, looking--in Walker's estimation--"just like / your pictures" yet acting slightly less godlike than imagined. Koertge's Jesus cracks lame jokes, takes to Wheaties and Almond Joys, and appears to have slightly limited powers. Visible only to Walker and select individuals, Jesus nonetheless exhibits rather classically cryptic omniscience and can't quite answer Walker's central existential question: "Why now?" he demands. "I prayed / to God like a thousand times. And what / happened? Noah died. Didn't God look / downstairs? It's a nursing home. Half / my mom's clients are ready to check / out. But he picks a kid." Koertge's tight, spare verse captures the ineffable qualities of fraught relations and emotions. The generosity of spirit Walker exhibits makes this protagonist one easy for teen readers to not only empathize with, but emulate. Didactic yet not preachy, Koertge's tale offers much food for thought. (Fiction/poetry. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews

If there’s such a thing as respectful irreverence, Nick Podehl has it in spades. By lending humor and compassion to the story of an adolescent boy who is visited by Jesus, Podehl provides a simple, direct interpretation of Christ, free of pretense or posturing, which enhances this narrative for the religious and nonreligious alike. Podehl’s sullen, surly young protagonist is given a commiserative touch that allows listeners to empathize with his struggle to find meaning in the wake of a tragedy. A relaxed pace and smooth delivery keep this moderately short work from feeling too brief. Podehl’s reassuring tone imbues it with a sense of hope throughout and a feeling of solid resolution at the end. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2014 - AudioFile