The Heights, The Depths, And Everything In Between Book

This is an absolutely delightful middle school-level book about two friends'Lucy, a girl who is very tall for her age, and her best friend, Jake, who is a dwarf. Right away, you can see that Nemeth has chosen rather hazardous territory to explore, but she does so with great compassion and warmth. She never presumes to know what the lives of these children must be like, choosing instead to describe their experiences and let their physicality and the contrast between them simply be another fact among many of their lives.

The two are entering a phase when great changes are on the horizon. They are moving toward high school and the transition to young adulthood with all the grace they can muster but, as we can all attest, this is a most difficult time to life for anyone to go through, nonetheless those who stand out in any way. Nemeth does not shy away from the confusion inherent in these circumstances, nor does she have the arrogance to believe she has all the answers. She lets these children be who they are and muddle through the best they can in a very real-feeling way.

Enter Gary, a rough-seeming boy a bit older then they are but in the same grade in school because he has had difficulties, both familial and otherwise, with his education. He is an interesting character, though my only significant criticism (and a minor one at that) is that the cliche of the tough kid with a heart of gold is a bit overdone. But Gary has his own challenges that go beyond cliche and are handled with the same compassion and kindness Nemeth displays throughout.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of The Heights...is the fact that things do not get wrapped up neatly at the end. Not everyone gets what they desire or deserve, and even though there is a bit of the deus ex machina in Gary's story, even that does not feel saccharine or unrealistic. It's a good ending, but not an easy one. Give this one a try; I think you will enjoy it.

A disclosure and a caveat: Sally is a friend from college, so my objectivity should probably be called into question. And: this book is out of print, but available from resellers. Happy reading.