Sure Signs of Crazy in Mock Newbery 2026

Sep 30, 2013 Diane rated it really liked it

It's an absolute pleasure to spend time in the head of Sarah Nelson. For a twelve year-old, she is lugging around a heavy burden. Her mother, in a terrible fit of crazy, drowned Sarah and her twin brother, Simon, when they were two. Only Sarah recovered. Mostly. Sarah's mother is now in prison, and her awful crime is public knowledge.

Sarah is that wonderful combination of smart, observant, and naive. She tries to puzzle out life by gleaning wisdom from Atticus Finch, the too-old boy next door, ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2014 Susan Dunn rated it really liked it

Shelves: j-fiction

Her mother has been institutionalized ever since she tried to drown 12-year-old Sarah when Sarah was two. At the same time she was successful in killing Sarah's twin brother. Will Sarah be mentally ill too? She is worried - but there's no one she can talk to about such terrifying issues. Her dad is a functioning alcoholic. Every time a new story comes out about her mother, they pull up stakes and move to a new town where no one knows them. Sarah is tired of moving, and tired of hiding, and tired ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2013 Tamsyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: children-s, fms, realisticfiction

Loved the voice of Sarah. The way she deals with her circumstances. Her love of wonderful words. Her admiration for Atticus Finch, to whom she chooses to write for a summer assignment. Her sympathetic heart. Her longing for a mother, and to know more about her own. Her pet plant. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her.

1 like · Like · see review