Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman

Summary

     Antsy Does Time tells the story of fourteen-year-old, Antsy Bonano, and his friend Gunnar Umlaut. The story starts off with Antsy spending time with his friends during the Thanksgiving break. They are watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade in the attic; where they witness that one of the floats ends up taking flight. But as it takes flight; it also carries with it three of the handlers.  Antsy and his friends decide to head out to see the entire disaster unfold.  Three handlers were whisked up in the air; and luckily two of them were rescued with one plummeting to his death.  Unable to watch, both Antsy and Gunnar look away.  Gunnar notices this and confronts Antsy about it; to which Antsy replies that the incident was just a little too real for him to witness.  Gunnar than informs Antsy that is his suffering from Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia and only has six months to live. 

     In an effort to help his friend; Antsy decides that he will give up a month of his life towards to Gunnar’s life being extended.  He comes up with an informal contract that he extends to Gunnar.  Soon after this selfish act; the entire school gets wind of Gunnar’s disease as well as Antsy aid.  The entire school decides to give up some of their own time to Gunnar in hopes that he will live for years to come.  As time goes by, things are not quite right and Antsy soon realizes that Gunnar might not be sick after all.  

Commentary on Strengths

     Antsy Does Time is a young adult, realistic fiction novel by Neal Shusterman.  The book has elements of dark humor and explores the notion of living on borrowed time.  It deals with the theme of true friendship and explores the essence of family drams.  The story is heartfelt as it tackles the idea of death and immortality.  The book was on the 2009 Texas Lone Star Reading list.  And the author is the recipient of the 2005 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, 2008 California Young Reader Medal and the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. 

Readers also enjoyed Freak Magnet  by Andrew Audeon;  The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas;  Mercy on these Teenage Chimps by Gary Soto;  Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick; and  How it Happened in Peach Hill by Marthe Jocelyn

Additional books written by Neal Shusterman include Bruiser; Unwind; Scythe; Challenger Deep; and Everlost

Teachers can find ways to incorporate this book into their lesson plans at the following websites:  https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?a=1&tid=12573

      Shusterman, N. (2011). Antsy does time. United States: Paw Prints.

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