Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

Quotable Quotes (and there are so very many):

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
"Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me and cry."
"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it."
"I see her standing over me, both hands on my shoulders, telling me that sometimes you're beat before you even get started, but it doesn't matter.  You keep going.  No matter what." (Just typing this one makes me cry!)
"My best friend for all the years that matter."
"It's funny how, as kids, we get these ideas in our head about what's possible and what's not.  One day we're invincible and the next day we are afraid of what's in the closet."
"...because your troubles are like your shadow:  you can't always see them, but you can't run from them either."

Recommended for every middle grade student, every teacher, everyone who has ever had a teacher to which they felt a special connection

I don't even know where to start with this one.  Author John David Anderson has successfully created a laugh out loud, emotional roller coaster of an adventure, and I am so thankful that I was able to experience the ride.

When Ms. Bixby announces to her class that she is unable to finish the school year due to being sick, her students make plans for a going away party for her.  Due to the severity of her illness, Ms. Bixby is unable to attend school on the day of the party, so best friends Topher, Brand, and Steve commit to giving Ms. Bixby the going away party she deserves--no matter what it takes.  The adventure that ensues is quite treacherous, and the reader can't help but wonder if the boys will be successful or abandon their plan.

I read and strongly connect with many books; however, I really am not one who cries while reading. With that being said, I challenge anyone to finish Ms. Bixby's Last Day without shedding a tear--I literally found myself sobbing!

Thank you, John David Anderson, for writing such a beautiful well told story.  As a teacher, if I have been a Ms. Bixby to even one student, then I can call my career a success.