Silhouetted by the Blue

Gr 6—8—Serena Shaw, an African-American seventh grader, is in crisis mode. Her mother died 18 months ago and since then her father has been slipping deeper into "the blue." He has had short periods of melancholy in the past, but his wife was always there to help him. Now, he has stopped taking his medicine and rarely gets out of bed. Serena, who hopes to get into Juilliard, is thrilled to win the lead in her school's musical, but the after-school rehearsals are making it harder for her to take care of her younger brother, Henry. Although her life is difficult, she doesn't want to share her problems with her best friends, or anyone else, worried that their father might "get sent somewhere." The situation escalates until she is forced to call the only person she thinks can help her family, her Uncle Peter. Jones has done a magnificent job of describing someone who is clinically depressed. Serena vacillates between sadness for her father's grief and rage because he's not being a father to her and her brother, but there is never any doubt that she loves him. Serena and Henry are well-defined characters who are trying to deal with a problem that they don't fully understand as well as grieve for their mother. It is a sign of Serena's strength that she finally realizes that she has to ask for help. The ending is not a quick fix, but it sends a hopeful message that with the right help, depression can be controlled.—Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC

Since her mother's death, seventh-grader Serena's depressed father won't leave his bed. Serena is chosen for the school play, but life becomes increasingly stressful as she tries to keep up her grades and care for the family. Jones vividly depicts the strains many students feel under the pressures of school and demands of home. Serena's courage and perseverance make her a compelling character.