Sammy's Song

by Alma J. Yates

Following a fatal automobile accident, Marni's handicapped cousin, Sammy, comes to live with her family and she lands the job of "babysitting" him, but as Marni's feelings turn from resentment to affection and protectiveness, tragedy strikes.

Genres: Lds Fiction, Young Adult, Religion, Lds

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet book.

A family takes in a cousin (Sammy) after the death of his mother. The only problem is...Sammy isn't "normal". Sammy is 12 years old in body but mentally challenged in mind. He communicates through grunts and excited noises along with wildly flapping arms, not to mention banging of things. This is a HUGE problem for Marni who emphatically fought against his coming and yet somehow finds that Sammy has attached himself to her.

It's a precious story of acceptance and learning to handle challenges even when the majority of the town ostracizes that challenge.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. It had many life lessons taught. It would be a great book for a family to read and gain more understanding of children with mental handicaps. Very well written.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extreme Book Nerd Challenge 2018: A book with a body of water

[Dawsey Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. But it also broke my heart.

[Myka · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book, would work well for young teens.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sad, yet tender story. I like the ultimate message that all people are important and deserve to be loved on their own terms.

[06KyraG · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about kids sticking up for each other, love, drama, and some action! Sounds great doesn’t it? Well that’s what Sammy’s Song is about, and the best part is it’s based on a true story! It’s a very unique story because one it’s about a teenage handicapped boy so people may be able to relate. Maybe even you! It’s a great inspirational story that has some humor too.
The main characters are a 10 year old tomboy girl named Marni, and a severely handicapped older teenage boy. Marni is my favorite! She’s aggressive, caring, and strong enough to beat up her older brothers friends. As far as looks go she has long brown hair and it is always in a braid. In one part of the book she goes to a carnival and takes Sammy with her, her best friend comes up to her and calls Sammy a retard. Marni’s reply to that was “He’s not a retard! He’s just a little different.” She is always sticking up for Sammy, I love it. She also gets in a fight with an older boy at the same carnival that same day. Before she punches the kid she says “You don’t scare me, Curtis Whaley. I can do worse to you than I did to Tory.” She was referring to a previous fight she got into earlier in the story. Now enough about Marni I’ll tell you about Sammy. Sammy is such a sweet boy. He can’t talk, and is severely handicapped. He is loud but is very kind and loves Marni to death. Sammy is Marni’s cousin and didn’t live with her until tragedy struck!
Sammy’s mom was in a bad car accident. Sadly, his mom was just committing suicide and crashed the car on purpose. Sammy had other siblings and when their mom died all the kids had to be put into different families within one big family. Sammy was chosen to be put in Marni’s family. At first Marni wasn’t happy about this at all, she even tried to run away. She was afraid she’d be made fun of because of Sammy. After a while she get’s used to Sammy and starts being nice to him. She takes him everywhere with her and teaches him skills and how to do fun things. Like swimming, she taught Sammy how to swim in the creek by their house. Sammy loved the water. He was told never to go there alone because he wasn’t the best swimmer yet and something could happen. Well one day Sammy runs off and no one could find him. Everyone was searching and searching for hours. Finally it occurred to Marni that he was at the creek swimming. So they went to the creek and sure enough Sammy was there, but he wasn’t swimming, he was floating atop the water dead. Marni didn’t believe her eyes. Then she saw a piece of broken fence in the water and realized Sammy jumped off a rock into the water and got stuck on the fence and drowned. Everyone was devastated. Especially marni, Sammy was her best friend.
Even though this story ends sadly it has a great theme and great meanings and lessons to learn. The theme I gave this book was what you think is bad might turn out to be something good. I chose that because Marni thought having Sammy in the family would be a bad thing, but good things came out of it. If you haven’t read this book and like cute, inspirational stories, Sammy’s song is the book for you.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who gets stuck with Sammy?
Thats the question on everyones mind when Sammys mother dies in the summer of 1968. How could Marnis parents bring someone like him to live with her normal family? And now its Marnis responsibility to babysit him.
But soon Marni discovers there are some advantages to taking care of her older cousinand that someone unique is hidden beneath Sammys uncommon exterior. However, Marni still isnt looking forward to taking him to the first day of school. What will people think when they find out she is related to Sammy? What will they do? And, most importantly, what will she do?
Destined to become a modern classic in LDS fiction, Sammys Song will open your eyesand your heart.
Published: August 2005

Listened to this one on a trip with Paul. It made you think. It was a little hard for me to believe that people would be as cruel as they seemed to be, but it did make a good point that we could all be more aware of how we view those with handicaps.

[Katie Wahlquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just going to say this once: I don't like LDS fiction! Now, with that out of the way, let me review this book. My mother in law gave this one to me and insisted I read it, and since I always make her read my books, I gave it a shot. Was this story completely predictable? Yes. Was it playing on emotion rather than substance? Absolutely. Was it well written? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. Did I end up liking it? I think maybe yes. It's a story of a pre-teen girl and her handicapped cousin that comes to live with her, and it did have a sweet message. Would I recommend this book to friends? I guess it depends on the friend.

[Dahlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read this book. It is one of my favorites of all time. This book is so touching and amazing. It delves into the uncomfortable feelings we all sometimes have when we are around people with disabilities. Because we have not been around them much and they are all unpredictable people we sometimes don't know how to act around them. I found myself laughing at times and crying at others. It is such a neat story of a girl who ends up loving someone she thought she hated.

[Gerberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book. I was sad to find out that it is no longer in print but luckily found myself a copy. It is a very heart-wrenching story of a young girl who learns to deal with her handicapped cousin when he comes to live with their family. She learns to see things from his perspective - with many bumps along the way. This book was thought-provoking and one I will read repeatedly. If anyone wants to borrow it (and promises to return it) I'd love to lend it out.

[Darilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a must read for everyone who ever comes in contact with those that are a little different than the "norm." I love how the author brings a change about in the main character of the book. It was very moving and when I looked at my little cousin with Down's syndrome this past weekend I couldn't help but think of the character Sammy in the book and how amazing his spirit was and know that my cousin's spirit is just as bright and purposeful. It was a fantastic book.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a little girl who's family adopts their handicap cousin. At first the little girl is the biggest brat (and I really struggled reading the chapters where she is a royal pain in the butt) to her new handicap cousin. Soon she realizes that her cousin Sammy is a very special person. The ending is sad, but also shares a wonderful message about treating others with disabilities and handicaps with love and respect.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic story about what it was like to be 10 years old and have a special needs child as a family member. Setting is in the 60's. I could identify with how special needs kids were educated at this time--in a special room by themselves.

Marni becomes Sammy's fierce protector and must come to grips with her feelings about Sammy, his differences, and the acceptance or rejection of her peers. Destined to make you laugh and cry.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Marni's Aunt dies, the five children are sent to live with relatives. Marni, age 10, is hoping for the youngest girl so she can have a little sister. However, Sammy, a mentally handicaped, 11 year old boy, comes and Marni gets stuck with taking care of him. Set in the summer of 1968 and keeps well to the thinking of the time.

[Sherilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It had such a great message and made me realize I need to be more aware of those who I may think are different than me. Sammy was a great inspriation in this book. Thanks to my friends who recommended this book

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I have a special needs child and I have often wondered what it will be like when he grows up and goes to school. I could really relate to this book. Thank you for writing it, Mr. Yates.

[Betty Ann Baer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a girl about 10 years old. Sammy has some learning disabilities and comes into the family's life when his parents die. It's a touching story about caring for handicapped people. I think I'm going to recommend it for my bookclub.

[Tenille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story. A little girl, age 10, tells the story of the summer her handicapped cousin comes to live with her family. It was hard to read at first since she was soooo mean to him... but then she grew to love being with him and it was a very sweet story!

[Trina · Rating 1 out of 5]

got about a third of the way into this book and couldn't find the interest enough to finish it

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that makes you stop and think a little more about those around you.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like anything that Alma writes. He is so down-to-earth and makes stories that are real. This one is great!

[Steph]

This is a sweet story told from the viewpoint of a 10-year old. I really enjoyed it - I wouldn't say it's like DEEP or anything, but it is uplifting and touching.

[Mindy]

A really touching book and well written. Helped me learn what a true friend is all about and how to stand up for others who cannot stand up for themselves.

[Chanté]

Another easy read, fun book. This one makes you think and view things in life differently. Good book.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is totally not my kind of thing; I read it for a book club. The writing wasn't great and it wasn't a page turner or anything, but the message was good and I can appreciate that.

[Tylaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, touching book about how a mentally challenged child changed some cousin's lives through his special spirit. Quick, easy read.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. If you find the beginning slow please keep reading it gets a lot better. I especially liked the mustang Volkswagen joke.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Makes you want to be better. It will definitely make you cry though.