Remembering the Good Times

Reader reviewed by Ashlynne Krueger

I enjoyed Remembering The Good Times because I love stories that have strong friendships and drama. In this story Buck and Kate and Travis had great connection. Theyve showed me that a healthy friendship lasts along time. Some examples of their closeness is when Travis was stuck in Jail he wasted his one phone call to contact his best friend, Buck. Then Buck came immediately, no questions asked. Another time would be when Kate tried out for the play, she needed Buck there with her. Finally when she did get the part, Buck, Travis, and Polly helped her prepare even when they already knew she was ready.
I personally think that Kate and Buck should have dated in the story. Even though Kate seemed to be attached to Travis like they were meant to be together. Buck has always had certain feelings for Kate since the second time they talked. When Buck learned that Kate and Travis had a close relationship over the summer while he was away in Cleveland with his mom and step-dad, he became a little jealous.
Some of the things I learned from reading this book is sometimes you dont know your friends as well as you thought. Kate and Buck knew that something was wrong with Travis because of the way he acted and sometimes thought of things in a weird way. Another thing I picked up from this book was try at what you want in life and appreciate life. As an example for the part of never giving up would be when Kate wanted to be in the play so badly that she tried her best and never gave up. My other thing I said I learned was appreciating what you have and dont it waste it or take it for granted that way Travis did.

Reader reviewed by Jake H.

Through my personal thoughts I didnt think the book was great, but it was an OK book. I thought it was OK because Im not a real fan of these types of books. Although its not my type of book there are parts that actually got to me and dragged me into the book. Some parts also appealed to my emotions a bit too. Some parts seemed like they lacked that real, wow I really want to read on, stuff. Still it was an OK book.
The story was great too. One thing I didnt like is most of the time they were jumping around in the story. It would be a day then the next period its a whole year later, after it says that it only tells so little things about what the characters did and sometimes it said so little things it made me think is that all they did for a whole year. Still the storyline was great and it worked up real well.
One more thing I thought crazy was a part in the book called suicide. One of the main characters who started out small and worked his way up to advance and everybody knowing him to suicide. It just seemed a little weird. He started out small then got into advance classes in school and becoming the schools best student. Eventually he got stressed then he just went of and died. To me thats a little weird.
Its a good book but I dont think its a great book but still, If this book sounds appealing to you, then go try it but its like I said I think its an OK book and not a bad book.

Reader reviewed by Michaela

I read the book Remembering the Good times by Richard Peck. Its about three friends in high school that go through a very troubling problem when one of the friends takes his life. Its strange how the friend that seems to have it all going for him is the one that takes his life. Buck is the narrator of the story and one of the friends. Bucks mom just got remarried and he decided to move in with his dad in the small town of Slocum in a trailer. Kate is also one of the friends that lives with her mom and her great grandmother, Polly. Her mother doesnt really take care of her and seems to not care about Kate. Then there is Travis or Trav. His parents really care about him and he is doing well with money. He also has awesome grades and has enough money to go to a good collage. Polly, Trav, Kate, and Buck start to hang out and become good friends, wasting away the summer days playing cards. When high school starts Kate and Trav become much closer and Buck fells left out. Trav fells unchallenged by high school and had some problems with growing up. When Trav takes his life Kate and buck become closer because they are dealing with the same pain, Polly also deals with pain because she became Travs friend over time. I was assigned this book for a school class. I usually dont like the books I am assigned although I did enjoy this book.

Reader reviewed by Jake C

I loved this book and its called remembering the good times

I liked remembering the good times because it was like if it was in real life. It had everything like if you were in the book. It was also a little sad when Travis had killed himself but no one knew why he did kill himself.

Bucks parents were divorced at the beginning of the book and Buck had to live with his dad in Solcum a town that he hadnt ever heard of.. Buck was new to where he now lives but he meet the girl named Kate and a few weeks later Buck meet Travis and they are all in junior high and a year later they are going into high school.

Travis was doing very well in high school he was smart, he won a award, he was nice to every and everyone wanted to be just like him. Buck was very joules at Travis party because Kate was hanging out with him more then he she was hanging out with Buck

I do like this book a lot I recommend it to people because it is very good has great information on what can happen if you do loss one of your friend in your life. I thought that the ending could of been more interested or more exciting of an ending for the reader to want to read the next book after this one. Remembering the good times is a very interesting and kind of sad book but I loved it so much I hope everyone else reads it.

Reader reviewed by Taylor N

I liked the book Remembering the Good Times because it reminds me of my friends and I and how things can change or turn around so quickly. Also how friendships change. But, I didnt like the part were Trav hung himself. He could have died some way else. Like in a car accident or some other less violent way. A good part in the book that I liked and was interested in is how jealous Buck was between Kate and Trav. I think they should have gone out because then Buck might have actually stayed in football and he might be popular like Kate and Trav were. I think Polly is a really interesting person because not many people in the world are quite like her. I liked her because she is old and says she is the meanest person around and will never die. She is also very sarcastic and funny. She is pretty bossy and mean, though. I also like the character Trav because he is extremely smart, but is so depressed because he thinks he is not smart enough and he is not like most people. When he dies in the story, it is like the climax. It was something that really caught my attention. He should not have committed suicide because then he could have had a good chance with Kate, and he could have a better friendship with Buck. There are some examples of why I liked and disliked the book Remembering the Good Times.

Reader reviewed by Sam






Remembering the Good Times from Richard Peck was in overall in my opinion a good book and for a lot of reasons in it. It was good because the author described many things within the book with an enormous amount of detail in everything the book talked about. The book described clearly what Buck felt about things and why. For instance the book said that Buck felt very angry that Skeeter took his fathers helmet of their yard. It was no accident either, and he wanted Buck to see so they would fight later. It also shows things about Buck that he not really at all Slo or Sub, while his friend Kate is a hard-core Slo and Trav a basic Sub. Skeeter noticed that and picked on Buck on that time even though he was a problem for other people so the book made sense why he picked on Buck. Also the Book made it obvious that there was something always going on all the time whenever it was school or friends.

For instance Buck hated change wishing that everything would stay the same forever, like good times and not always ready what was coming next. Or it was usually between friends where Buck would feel jealous or left out, that being because Kate and Trav were a couple, despite that they were still friends and went through a lot of stuff together. So to add it all together it was fun to read because it showed how things change even, though Buck did not like showing that thing are always changing and that you have to change with it. However when Trav committed suicide I didnt like that everyone in the school acted that he was their friend all along.

Reader reviewed by Lynne H

Remembering the Good Times was a very interesting book. I liked this book because it kind of reminds us kids that there is suicide in our school if you know it or not. This book was about three kids Kate, Buck, and Travis. Kate is a good looking girl; she lives with her great grandmother Polly, and her mom. Bucks parents got a divorce and he lives with his dad since his mom moved to live with her new husband. Travis on the other hand lives with his mom and dad and is loved by everyone. But Travis is all ways worrying about everything. Like getting ready for school and everything that is happening in the world. But then finally Travis goes off the deep end and commits suicide. Before Travis commits suicide he leaves a bunch of signs that he need some one to help him through his times. For example Travis goes and steals something from a store and I believe that this is a sign for help. Then that summer he goes and works on a farm before there sophomore year of school. When he comes back with the next day being the first day of school he is laid back not a tense as every other year. And he gives Kate his old teddy bear and gives Buck his old calculator that he kept with him all the time. But he gives Polly a new perfume bottle. Then the next day he is found in the orchard were he committed suicide. This affected everyone in the school even if they didnt know him. I think everyone should be aware that this same kind of thing could happen to anyone. So this book taught me that there are people that could do something like this. That is why I liked this book.

Reader reviewed by Karlee P.

Remembering the Good Times

The book I read, Remembering the Good Times is about three friends that meet the summer before their middle school year starts. Kate, Trav, and Buck have a good long lasting relationship that has all the twists and turns of the real life problems and adventures we all face. They work through some of their troubles together and some they have to face alone. When one friends life is tragically ended his best friends have to figure out how to cope with his death. This story seems to be based on real life events and that is probably why I like it so much. It deals with life and death, school, family and the excitement of middle school, high school, and friendships.
Kate is a beautiful girl who has a personality like no one else. She is responsible and caring and independent. Kate is one of my favorite people in this book. Another main character is Buck, a regular boy who has some difficulties in life that would probably be most common. He is nice and caring but doesnt always understand things like others do. In a way I think he is kind of like me, he doesnt like change and just goes with the flow. Now there is Trav, a unique and hard working kid. He is smart and calm but when things turn hard he doesnt know what to do. There are more interesting and fun characters in Remembering the Good Times. Hopefully you get a chance to read this emotion wrenching and interesting book that keeps you thinking.

Reader reviewed by Kali P

The book Remembering the Good Times, in my opinion was a good book, because it talks about things that happen everywhere, and everyday. Its sad to think about it, but it does happen. Buck, Trav, and Kate think that they have each other figured out, but when it comes down to the end they really dont. Trav, like many other people in this world, just have something troubling them so much. Or in Travs case he was stressing him self out so much, that people think that the only way to relieve the stress is to take their lives. They dont think about how it will affect many other people in their lives. All those people that loves you and cared for you will be hurting because they felt like they should have seen it coming, but they didnt. Trav left some hints that he was going to take his life, but no one picked up on them. Then when the time came, they looked back at the hints he left and felt terrible because they felt like they could have been able to help them, but they couldnt. If people have a chance to read this book they should, it teaches a great life lesson, and it is just overall a great book. People that are thinking about taking their lives should read this book because it will show how the outcome of them killing themselves will effect many other people.

Reader reviewed by Dan M.

The book Remembering the Good Times is a depressing story about a teenage suicide. This book has some good times and bad/boring times. Buck is a sixteen-year-old boy who tells about his younger childhood about his three best friends Kate, Polly, and Trav. Buck first meets Kate in an orchard owned by Polly which happens to be the third oldest person in Slocum. Polly is a mean, old, grouchy lady in Slocum Township. In 7th grade they meet Trav a smart boy who is very smart in academics and is concerned in world situations. This group would be close sharing the good and bad times. Polly, Kate, Buck, and Trav would all play games on the card table theyd set up especially for Polly since she always sat in a wheel chair. This group will have memories from a play to fights and directing musicals to summer vacations. During school some changes happened to the trio (Buck, Trav, and Kate) like the change to junior high school to a middle school. Now in high-school they have four grades instead of three grades. Buck always hated changes and thought that they should never change because he always liked the way things were. Suddenly when Trav comes back he gives everybody presents, but hes really changed and that change would corrupt the group forever. I have enjoyed this book and I thought it would end differently then it actually did. Once or twice this book touched me because I have had a friend who died, but he did not take his own life on purpose.