Beat the Turtle Drum

Beat the Turtle Drum by Constance C. Greene

"Born on October 27th, Constance C. Greene's parents were newspaper reporters. One of Greene's most popular books, Beat the Turtle Drum (Viking 1976), came from personal experience. At the age of eleven, Greene's sister died. The story relates how a young girl learns to cope with the accidental death of her sister. Greene also wrote other juvenile and adult novels."

Synopsis:
This is a great book that makes me cry every time I read it! Told from the big sister Kate's p.o.v., Joss is the little sister who loves horses. She saves to rent one for a week, for her birthday. The sisters are best friends. One day, while the horse is there, they eat lunch up in a tree. Joss climbs out on a branch to check her horse and *snap* she falls to the ground and is killed.

This is a interesting book about dealing with the death of a young person, from a sibling's view point. One line from the book "Death loves a shining mark" makes me think of my friend Eric (Killuh E) who passed away last November and was definitely a "shining mark." *sniff*

Other books by Constance C. Greene:
Al(exandra) the Great, 1982
Al's Blind Date, 1989
Ask Anybody, 1983
Dotty's Suitcase, 1980
Double Dare O'Toole, 1981
Isabelle and Little Orphan Frannie, 1988
Isabelle Shows Her Stuff, 1984
Isabelle the Itch, 1973
Love Letters of J. Timothy Owen, The, 1986
Monday I Love You, 1988
Nora: Maybe a Ghost Story, 1993
Odds on Oliver, 1993
Star Shine, 1985
Beat the Turtle Drum, 1976
Good-Luck Bogie Hat, 1971
I Know You, Al, 1975
Just Plain Al, 1986