Book Review: Two Weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman

Genre: 
Realistic Fiction, Australian Fiction

Interest Level:
Ages 10 and up

Reading Level:
Grades 4 and up


Book Theme:
Family illness, childhood cancer, death of a loved one



Books with Similar Themes:  
A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry, Up on Cloud Nine by Anne Fine

Bibliographic Information: 
Gleitzman, M. (1991). Two weeks with the Queen. New York: Putnam.

Plot:  
Twelve-year-old Australian boy Colin Mudford's little brother Luke can be really annoying. He always seems to get more attention than Colin and more presents than Colin on the holidays. Then one Christmas Luke gets a terrible stomach ache and has to go to the hospital. Luke is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and his devastated parents decide to send Colin to stay with his aunt and uncle in England to spare him the pain of his brother's dying. Colin decides he has to find a cure for Luke's cancer, and plans to speak with the Queen so she can help, but this doesn't prove to be as easy as he thought. Along the way he makes friends with a Welshman named Ted who shares that his friend Griff is also dying from cancer. Colin later learns that Ted and Griff are lovers and that Griff is actually dying from AIDS. When Colin watches Ted lose Griff he realizes that he has to get back to his brother, but is not sure how to since he family doesn't want him there.

Review:  
Two Weeks with the Queen is a story that does an excellent job of showing the stages of grief through a young boys eyes. Colin moves from shock to denial, then from anger to acceptance like many tweens with loved ones facing death. Like many tweens Colin also has to establish his independence, especially from his aunt and uncle, who try to keep him from reaching the queen. He also has to prove to his parents that he has a right to be with his brother, no matter how painful it is to watch him die. Like Colin many tweens are faced with painful situations in life and must prove to their parents that they are strong enough and mature enough to face them. This book illustrates that point perfectly, making it a must-read for any tween coming to terms with the death of a loved one, especially a sibling.