M.E. and Morton

Behind the Attic Wall was the debut of this highly imaginative writer who made readers love a despicable little girl. Now Cassedy writes a more realistic story of childhood heartbreaks and solutions. Mary Ella doesn't appreciate Morton, her mildly retarded older brother, until Polly moves to the neighborhood. It's hard to know just what to make of Pollywhen seen through her eyes, the whole world sparkles, but she has no sense of limitations, no idea of danger, no fear. She gives Mary Ella the gift of self-awareness as she draws sister and brother into her games and flights of fancy. Polly changes everything: the way Mary Ella feels about Morton, but especially the way she feels about herself. Cassedy's story unfolds deliberately, interspersed with stories about Mary Ella's own creativity, which reveal her growing ability to cherish Morton. This novel is a canvas of wistful moods and a loner's yearning to belong, of complicated emotions that arise from a simple need to be loved; the strokes are broad and textured, and unutterably intense. Ages 9-12. (August)