The Crystal Garden

Children's Literature - Rebecca Joseph

Eliza is tired of being unpopular at school. When her mom decides to move in with her musician boyfriend in a small town hundreds of miles away from her home, she decides to create a new life for herself. Unfortunately, the first friend she makes is Deidre, a loner, whose family has many problems. Just as Eliza is beginning to be accepted by the popular girls at her new school, she must decide between her new status or helping Deidre during a serious family emergency. This interesting book hits on many issues young women face growing up.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Once again Grove addresses the alienation of adolescence. It's been three tough years since Eliza's father was killed in an accident. She and her mother follow Burl, a Clint Black wannabe, to a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Missouri, and are left there while Burl's band is on the road. Ready to begin junior high, Eliza is obsessed with being cool, and blind to the costs of popularity. Her next-door neighbor, Dierdre, is caught up in her own tragedy but is sure of her intelligence and self-worth. The girls are drawn closer even as Eliza tries to turn her away, fearful of being a social outcast. She struggles through her situation, finally facing the loss of her father, while Dierdre and her mother try to cope with abuse, alcoholism, and destitution. Readers will understand the obvious symbolism of the science fair projects that the girls work on throughout the story and of the disasters that befall their families. This is not a subtle novel, but it is one that tells many truths about adolescents trying to discover their places in the world. A satisfying ending and epilogue leave room for hope, thought, and discussion.-Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System