The Honest Truth, by Dan Gemeinhart

Can you tell I've been catching up on my young adult reading? This made for a great plane read, though my seat-mates probably could have done without me crying all the way through it. Yes, this books belongs in the "kid with cancer" genre, but it's a sweet read and an honest look at the emotional stress any sick kid endures.

Mark is twelve and has been battling brain cancer since he was about five years old. His closest companions are his ever-faithful mutt, Beau, and his best friend, Jessie. When Mark's cancer returns, he decides to take control of his own life (and death) and runs away with Beau to climb Mt. Rainier, an adventure his grandfather had wanted to undertake but never got a chance to. But there are a lot of dangers out there for a young boy, and though Mark is smart and scrappy, he can't escape all of them. It can be a harrowing read at times, but Mark's voice is authentic and it all comes out right in the end.