What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
1. *Della is twelve years old and a care taker. She watches over her young sister. She is a good friend to Arden. She helps her father. She cares for her mother.
2. *When her mother begins to show "unusual" behavior, Della begins to worry.
3. *Della remembers when her mother first began to show the strange behaviors, but it went away and she works hard to make sure they go away again this time.
4. *The bad news is that the condition of her mother is worse this time, and seems to be getting more severe with each and every day. Della so wants her mother back and isn't quite sure how to continue on while pretending to everyone that everything is fine.
5. *With the help of her friend Arden and a "mixture" from the Bee Lady, Della sets her sights on being the "doctor" her mother needs and repairing the damage that has been done. It is a lot for a young girl to take on, but she would do anything for her mother, her father, and baby sister.
What I Thought Of It: The story was beautiful. The characters were real. The situation was heart-breaking. Everything about this book worked. I don't know if I have ever read a story about a mother dealing with this type of mental illness. I was fascinated by the behaviors she exhibited and how the family dealt with it. The support system that Della had was amazing. She was a strong and determined young lady. Many of our young people are living with family members suffering from mental illness and this novel would definitely be a helpful tool.
Who Should Read It: The novel would work best in a fourth, fifth, or sixth grade classroom. For any reader dealing with mental illness in their family; the story would be a comfort for them. The book could also be put in the hands of a middle-school reader. Adult readers that enjoy middle-grade novels will definitely want to put this on their TBR list. Happy reading!
Rating: 4 STARS out of 5 Stars
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