Crazy Fish by Norma Fox Mazer Ages 9-12 160 pages Harcourt November 2007 Paperback     Joyce’s mother left four-year-old Joyce with her uncle and started her trip to Florida to find a better job and a place for the two of them to live. Joyce’s mother never made it to Florida. Instead, she was killed in a traffic accident just a short way from where she had left her little girl. Joyce now lives with her uncle, whom she calls Old Dad, and spends her days at school wishing she could be at home. Joyce is not the most popular girl at school. Kids make fun of her because her uncle runs the city dump. Although Joyce is proud of her uncle and what he has done to make life easier for her, the teasing at school sometimes gets to her teenage pride. One day, Joyce encounters the crazy cleaning lady who works at the school. The kids call her Crazy Fish because of the way she acts, and the fact that her last name is Fish. In Ms. Fish’s little basement office, Joyce finds a place to relax and feel comforted. She is able to talk to Ms. Fish and draw strength from the lessons the old lady teaches. When Old Dad suffers a stroke and is unable to work, it looks like the state may take Joyce away. Joyce, however, has learned perseverance, and she is not ready to give up. With help from unexpected places, Old Dad gets better, and Joyce’s life - and his - turns around. Crazy Fish is a delightful story about peer pressure, family loyalty and judging by appearances. The message is strong but delivered in a subtle way that will appeal to middle-school readers. Newbery Honor-winning author Norma Fox Mazer does not disappoint her readership.   web reviews   Joyce Rice/2008 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)