Zevin, Gabrielle.
ELSEWHERE
New York : Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2005.
IL YA
ISBN 0374320918

(2 booktalks)

Liz has no idea what is going on.  She hasn't a clue how she got here.  Or even where "here" is.  She is on a ship of some kind.  And there is another girl on the top bunk who seems to be about Liz's age.  They appear to be among the few young passengers.  Most of the others are very old and seem to be enjoying the voyage.  Where is she?  And where is she going?  She is on her way to Elsewhere.  This is where you go when you die.  The place you "live" until it is time for you to go back to earth to be born again.  The place that is the opposite of earth.  But Liz is having a real problem.  She doesn't want to believe she is dead. She is angry and won't accept the truth.  Will Liz find a way to come to terms with her death?  Will she find a way to accept what is and take a chance on life again?

Booktalk #2

What happens when you die? It is an ageless question. In Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, 15-year-old Liz Hall is the victim of a hit-and-run accident and suddenly finds herself learning the answer to that question. Elsewhere is almost a reflection of Earth—at first glance they look alike, but once there, Elsewhere is different. People age backwards/grow young, they spend time in a chosen avocation instead of a career, and they do NOT save money for their retirement. Can it be possible that a book about death would be upbeat, creative, and humorous? Yes, Zevin has done just that—and more-- as you will get a wonderful glimpse into this world and maybe even wonder, “What if?”  (Prepared by: Emilie Woody for SCASL Young Adult Awards, 2008)