Sunday, August 8, 2010

Harry Sue, by Sue Stauffacher

Harry Sue has a plan at eleven years old to toughen up and become a criminal. She ultimately hopes the calculated moves will land her far away from her grandmother’s home, granny’s disturbing in-home day care and into jail where her mom is serving hard time for cooking and selling crystal meth. Harry Sue knows Mom was only trying to do the right thing and help them get by.

Harry Sue has a tough name, and with humor, sassiness and urban grittiness, she tries to make a tough way for herself. But Harry Sue really does have a kind heart and learns many lessons about love and helping other people in unlikely places.

Stauffacher vividly describes in jive language the various settings, layered characters and meanings of everyday life. This novel does include a lot of mature content but it is mentioned in a manner that keeps it appropriate for tweens, and Harry Sue is definitely a story worth reading again and again.

Stauffacher, S. (2005). Harry Sue. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375932748

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