Seventeen-year-old Leah's quest to make the national soccer team does not seem so important when she learns that her father has cancer and may only have months to live.
Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong chronicles his struggles after beating cancer, including dealing with allegations of drug use, finding a balance between his career and family life, and coping with the fear that his cancer will return.
Helen's death at eighteen from cancer shatters the lives of her parents and siblings, especially younger sister Jessie who tries to cope with her feelings of pain and confusion by reading pages from Helen's diary.
Raised in Japan, American-born tenth-grader Emma is disconcerted by a move to Massachusetts for her mother's breast cancer treatment, because half of Emma's heart remains with her friends recovering from the tsunami.
When Johanna shows up at the beginning of summer to house-sit next door to Finn, he has no idea of the profound effect she will have on his life by the time summer vacation is over.
