A Taste of Blackberries
Sale price
$759
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 1973

A Taste of Blackberries

By Doris Buchanan Smith, Michael Wimmer (Illustrator)

A best friend faces life-altering questions after a sudden tragedy strikes.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 2,056 ratings
96 pages
$7.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

When Jamie, the fearless and unpredictable friend, is suddenly gone, his best friend is left grappling with unanswerable questions. How do you move forward when the world feels unchanged yet profoundly different? As memories of sunlit games and the taste of blackberries linger, the challenge is to find joy amidst loss. Can life ever be the same without Jamie's vibrant presence? This poignant journey explores the depths of friendship and the resilience needed to face the unimaginable.

From the publisher

Jamie is special, full of surprises, unpredictable. He can get into trouble, and then out of it. He courts danger, and always escapes. And he has an answer for every impossible question. But when something sudden and terrible happens to Jamie, his best friend has to face the tragedy alone. Now there are questions that not even Jamie could have answered. How could Jamie be alive one minute, and the next, gone forever? How can some things, like flowers or playing games in the sun or the taste of the blackberries Jamie loved, go on without him - and still be so full of joy and pleasure?

At a glance
Format
Paperback
Pages
96
Reading age
8–12
Audience
Middle Grade
Lexile
670L
Themes & topics
Books about friendshipBooks about deathBooks about social themesBooks about new experiencesBooks about death, grief, and bereavement
For readers who can't stop at one

The next favorite is already out there.

Age-appropriate books selected to help their love of reading grow, delivered right to their door.

Find their book club
Bookroo club box with books for growing readers
The author

More from Doris Buchanan Smith

Explore Doris's bookshelf
Tough Chauncey
Sale price
$395

Tough Chauncey

Ages 9–12 · 1974
Your next read

Books that feel like this one

See all similar books

The Flying Flea, Callie, and Me

Ages 8–12 · 1999

A Different Dog

Ages 10–13 · 2017
Series
Sale price
$695

I Was an Outer-Space Chicken

Ages 9–12 · 2019

Keep Ms. Sugarman in the Fourth Grade

Ages 9–12 · 1992

The Little Leftover Witch

Ages 8–12 · 1960

The Fierce 44

Ages 10–12 · 2019

Rosie the Perfect Pony

Ages 8–12 · 2023

The Care & Keeping of You 2

Ages 10–12 · 2013
The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
4
F&P level
~P
AR points
2
AR interest level
MG
AR quiz
295
Publication
Published
December 28, 2004
First published
May 1, 1973
Publisher
HarperCollins
Edition
Language
English
Type
Chapter Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9780064402385

Surprise a reader with their next favorite book.

Spotted a mistake or something missing? Improve this page.

Are you the author or illustrator? Claim your book.

Bookroo

Book Clubs

Follow Bookroo