Young Adult, 144 pages
Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
ISBN-10: 0152020586
ISBN-13: 978-0152020583

So what do you do when your biology field trip takes a little detour–to heaven?

If you're David James, the class clown, you don't let a little thing like death stop you.

David demands an audience with God and challenges him to a debate. The prize? A ticket back to life. But there's one problem. David doesn't have a clue how a debate actually works, so he must team up with Marie, a nerdy classmate on the ill-fated trip–and the president of the Speech and Debate club.

And David thought death was a challenge . . .

Critics and readers say:

". . . hilarious . . . take a break with David, Marie and God." --Judy Chernak, Jewishfamily.com

"Deftly laced with equal parts of goofball humor and perceptive insight, this first novel delivers a funny and fast-paced read on a heavenly topic." --Kirkus

"No leap of faith is required to enjoy this easy-to-read, fast-paced contemporary parable." --School Library Journal

" . . . the theme of self-acceptance and openness to others is woven into the narrative with grace and power . . . sensitive and realistic portrayal." --Suzanne Reid, Secondary English

***

Awards and Honors for David v. God:

CHILDREN'S CHOICE 2001 International Reading Association & Children's Book Council

NYPL BEST BOOKS FOR THE TEEN AGE 2001

BEST PICK Jewish Family Times

2000 BEST BOOK AWARD Honor Book Society of School Librarians International

YEAR'S BEST BOOKS for Older Children 2000, St. Louis Post Dispatch

David v. God

©2000 Mary E. Pearson

Chapter 1

Wrong Turn?

“Oh man!”

David had thought he might be dying as he looked past his chest and saw his intestines splayed out before him, but when his viewpoint changed--when he was no longer looking across at the carnage, but looking down upon it--that was when he started to get worried. He was hovering over his body like a police helicopter surveying a crime scene. . . .

He looked back down at his body that had become a small indistinguishable speck. He had to get back. He clawed and kicked, but with a last great whoosh, he was sucked out of sight of the speck that had been his life. His last words echoed through the heavens, “Hey, you can’t do this! My dad’s a lawyer . . .”

---