When Heroes Die

At 12 years of age, fatherless Gary is developing his basketball skills and falling for the charms of Shanna, his first girl friend. But his world crumbles when it is revealed to him that his beloved role model, Uncle Rob, has AIDS and is gay. Gary's changing relationships with Shanna,  his best friend Sam, and with Rob, are convincingly sketched in a book suitable for Form 1 onward. Rob's final days and death are,  though starkly shown, still appropriate for the reading level.