ALA Booklist

John, who narrates this novel in verse, is your typical fifth-grader except for his fascination with setting up curving rows of dominoes, tipping the first one, and watching them topple. He's part of a tight group of five buddies in his class, including his best friend since kindergarten, Dominick. Shaken by the news that Dom has cancer, John and his friends try to deal with it and find a way to support Dom when he returns to school. Originally published in Australia, the story tackles a tough subject in an approachable manner. John makes an appealing narrator, caught up in his own concerns and expressing himself in age-appropriate ways. Though quick to read, the book manages to say quite a bit about people's reactions to serious illness. Attractive ink-and-watercolor illustrations, reproduced in gray scale, appear throughout the book, and the 10 chapters are numbered visually with domino tiles. A short chapter book with plenty of potential for discussion.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Fifth-grader John collects dominoes and enjoys toppling his tile arrangements. When his best friend Dom gets cancer, John is afraid that more than dominoes will topple in his life. But how can John and his school friends help Dom? Murphy's free verse is lackluster, and the subplots are uninspired; but soft pen-and-watercolor illustrations complement the mood, and the uncertain yet hopeful ending feels realistic.

Kirkus Reviews

An Australian boy obsessed with "toppling" dominoes finds his world wobbling when his best friend develops cancer. John collects domino tiles, which he arranges in long, complex patterns that he then knocks over. He'd like nothing better than "to play dominoes / all day, every day," causing his sister Tess to call him "nerd boy." John's best friend, Dominic, is "fun / and funny / and honest / and pretty cool." Other pals include smart Joseph, jokester Christian and Tran from Vietnam. John admits he's "not smart / or funny / or from far away. / I'm just me." When their fifth-grade teacher assigns individual research projects, John naturally picks dominoes as his topic, but he's soon distracted and worried when he learns Dominic has a tumor on his kidney requiring surgery and chemotherapy. Afraid his best friend may die and unsure of how to act, John tries to think of what he can do to help. In the end, he and his pals find the perfect way to give Dominic the support he needs. John gives his story immediacy and authenticity by speaking in colloquial first-person, present-tense free verse. Black-and-white illustrations capture the ups and downs of friends trying to keep their buddy from toppling. Engaging and poignant. (Verse novel. 8-12)

School Library Journal (Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

Gr 3-5 In first-person free verse, John tells what he loves most: setting up and toppling his huge collection of dominoes. While his sister, Tess, and some of his classmates mock his hobby, he has unflappable confidence and takes it all in stride. "Maybe I'm not normal/but I'm happy./If Tess is normal,/then that's something I don't want to be." What helps is his solid, loyal group of close friends, including his very best bud. But then Dominic gets sick. John takes readers with him emotionally while he waits and finally learns that Dominic has cancer. Although John's social environment at school sometimes feels a bit contrived, his struggle to navigate fifth grade, be a supportive friend, and cope with the possibility of loss are authentic and tangible. Ultimately he and his friends and the rest of their class come together in a special way that allows them to see one another more clearly and to support Dominic, whose fate is unknown but hopeful. Peppered with black-and-white illustrations, this story presents an accessible look at serious illness and classroom dynamics. Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA